Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-03


the case if. would take il I'D and give
il my undivided personal attention I'M
til we should find that the man could or
could not be saved. OF course | could
not take payment from Mr.. Hewitt for
such 4 service. but 1 did under his di-
rection undertake the task. l went
down that morning and had talk
with Croker, but could get nothing
out of him, and it is positive fact
that l did not see him again until.
along with several others, l congratu-
lated him upon his acquittal. Since
then. as / have said, l have seen him
only two or three times in the most
casual way. Now, he, of course, re-
members that, and he may feel a sense
of gratitude that would enable me to
appeal to him on personal grounds,
and 1 have become so oppressed by
this feeling of responsibility that 1
brought upon myself that l am ready
to do it unless you can see some rea-
son why l shouldn't
There seemed TO be no such reason,
| and Mr. Cookers house number was
Immediately rung up on the telephone.
He was just leaving the house, but re-
turned to answer the call. This con-
versation ensued:
Hello, Crokeri Is that your
"'Yes.'
al am Mr.. Whitney. I want to see
you
".All right
"'Can you stop here on your way
| downtown?
Yes
fright awayY
"'YeS'
'NIr. Whitney hung up the transmit
Ter, walked across the room, lighted a
cigar, turned around to his friend and
said, with a laugh, L wish 1 could tell
what was the meaning he way he
said "All right" but 1 might as well
try to decipher an inscription on an
Egyptian monument, so we will wait
and See
Ten minutes later Mr.. Croker was
shown into Mr.. Whitney's library. Aft
er the usual handshaking, Mr.. Croker
! lighted a cigar, dropped into an arm
| chair, and, smoking meditatively, gazed
at the mantelpiece. BY that time Mr..
| Whitney had become so nervous from
! overwOrk. lack of sleep and a troubled
| mind that he could do nothing but
walk back and forth. Not q word was
said perhaps for five minutes; then
| Mr.. Whitney stopped in front of Mr..
| Croker and said: Croker, I've got
! something 1 want to say to you, and
| going downtown?
| Yes Mr.. Croker replied, without
| taking his eyes from the mantelpiece.
How would you like to ride down
| with me, and perhaps we can talk it
over on the way?
"'All right Mr.. Croker replied, and
! that ended the conversation. With q
word to his friend TO meet him at his
! office i'll The Mutual Life building, Mr.
! Whitney followed Mr.. Croker into the
waiting carriage, and away they went.
''Three-quarterS OF an hour later Mr..
| Whitney came swinging into his Of
fee loking twenty years younger. He
| greeted his friend like long lost broth
| er, threw back the lapels of his coat,
| tipped back his hat as lie might have
done in his Undergraduate days and
paced the length of the room three or
| four times with the gleeful spirit of a
boy. Finally he stopped and said:
| That is one of the most eXtraordi-
nary men l have ever met You may
have noticed that l was nervous when
left the house. Well, was. could
not get started on what l wanted to
say even after we got into the car
riage, and it is an actual fact he said,
with Il laugh, that neither of us said
word until we reached Washington
| square. Then l turned to him and
|
Portable position 1 have ever been in
in my life. The people think l nOmi-
mated Cleveland, and l suppose he
! thinks ! may have had something to
do with it. That being so, have got
| to elect him, and don't see how l am
| going to do it. 1 know / can't do it
| unless l can convince the country
| right away that New York is in line,
and the only man who can help me out
is you. There is no use talking about
| it, we both understand the situation.
| All I've got to ask you is, will you do
| it," While 1 was making my speech
| Croker sat there looking straight
| ahead as impressive as craven image
| and not giving the slightest sign of
what he was thinking or what he in
tended to say, and he didn't breathe
a word for full minute. Then he
| took his cigar out OF his mouth and
| turned around to me aud, in the most
matter of fact voice imaginable, said:
"Mr. Whitney, l have been waiting for
| fifteen years to find you in i hole. You
needn't worry about this. 1 guess 1t
| will be all right Well Mr.. Whitney
continued after a momentary pause, I
| suppose i thanked him. / don't know
Anyhow. that is all that was said, and
maybe l don't feel better. Now, let's
| go and get something to eat
The next mornings newspapers
| contained positive assurances of Tam
many Halls determination to support
| the national ticket with all its might
and main, and within twenty-four
hours thereafter it was definitely
known throughout the country that
Mr.. Murphy had joined hands unre-
servedly with his friend Croker in an