The Irish standard., 1903-09-12

money. This of course took me of
his hands Il great deal. but managed
to see him considerably. In my con-
versations with him l was impatient
over the delay, but he had all sorts
of gaudy excuses to offer. After
worrying him right smart i said to
him one day: Franklin, do you know
I have found you out?'
"'What do you mean? asked he,
turning bit pale.
"'You have deceived me from the
start in this NATTER said l, and by
SO doing you have lost my assistance.
If you had let me entirely into your
confidence from the first, we would
have been operating those mines to-
gether by this time; but by your
cursed dilatory policy, your scruples
of fear or conscience, you allowed
things to drag along, and all the
while the millions We're slipping be-
tween our fingers. You are entirely
too squeamish to suit me-.
"He smiled at the idea of being
squeamish, as if I did not know him.
"'I have picked up I continued,
some of the threads of the case, and
you might as we'll tell me the whole
truth and let us work together
''He was sllittish of me at first, and
wanted to learn how much l knew,
so l startled him with few facts,
and then he frankly admitted that he
had been scheming to get possession
Of the agreement. To test me he
asked my advice as to the best way
to get possession. l replied that
there was only one way, and that
was to take it.
elbow would you take it??' said he.
"'In the good old way replied 1.
Pay some handy ruffian to do it for
you
''He smiled and said: THAT is
what shall do if do not succeed in
getting it from the person who now
has it.
II pretended to have handled sew
. eral little difficulties like this and in
timated that if we were out west it
would not be difficult to get rid Of
, such an obstacle as human life. I
persuaded him that | was willing to
order to secure my object; and en-
boldened by finding me congenial
spirit, he grew more confidential. lie
told me that he had hired Morris to
steal the agreement from Wrght's
safe. l wormed from him all the de-
tails Of his association with Old Tom,
Bob Padge1t and him of the red fam
mel shirt I n1cn O,nnoratl tn 1,aon,r a
acquainted with them and learned
how and where to find them when I
wanted them. I convinced Franklin
that l was such cold-blooded scoun-
: drel that he took me completely into
his affections and made me his con-
tidantc. He was charmed with my
atfable vllainy, and he spoke with a
good deal of pride of his scheme to
shut the mouth of Herbert Wright
and his little arrangement for the
removal of Irving Warde. One day I
told him that L had the ingenious
theory that he made away with John
Il. Wright. He looked scared at that
and changed the subject. 1 tried to
appeal to his pride in his criminal
achievements, but on this one sub
ject-while he never made any posi-
tive denial-he was entirely uncom-
municative. The intimate association
] had with him leads me to believe
that there is no sort of cowardly
crime which james Franklin would
not commit provided his personal
safety was assured.
"One' of the hardest jobs l under
took was to win over the three
rut1ians whom Franklin had employed
so often to our side of the case, or
rather to induce them to tell the
truth. / suggcsad to Mr.. Everett that
he should call upon the mayor and
tell him plainly that by the action in
dismissing me from the force and
giving Peters Rest immunity he had
played into the hands of the real
murderer of John L. Wright by pre-
venting the arrest of three very sus-
picious characters who were doubt
less implicated in the murder. | also
suggested that he should hint to the
mayor that this sort Of thing if con-
tinued would not look very well when
brought out in court. Mr.. Everett
adopted my suggestion and carried it
out SO well that on the day upon
which this trial was begun these
three men were all quietly arrested
by the mayors orders and taken to
Jail, where the jailer was told to place
them in separate cells and allow nc
one to see them except such persons
as he should designate. The jailer
was given to understand that they
were witnesses in Il very important
case and that it was imperative that
they should not be allowed to com
municate with each other. l knew
that the first thing these rascals
would do would be to try to send
word to Franklin. Permission was
secured for me to visit them, and
did so, casually as it were. was
strolling in the corridor, and each OF
them recognized me and called to me
1 told old Tom and his partner
that 1 thought the charge against
them was two-fold, the attempted
murder of Irving Warde, and par
ticipation in the murder of Johr
II. Wright; and that thought Frank
lin saw in their arrest u way to have
his crimes showed off on them, and
that he would deny all association
with them. ! told the rcd flannel
shirt man that it had been discovered
that he had placed in young Wright's
house the pistol with which the Older
Wright was killed; and that there
was n strong ease of circllmSta ntia