The Irish standard., 1904-04-23
In on the
Ground Floor
By WIN. H. OSBORNE

8 BY WIN. H. OSBORNE Q
ooooooooooooooo
Copyright, 1904, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
TTHE underworld in New York is d.
4 vided into two great classes First,
those who get caught; second, those
who don't. The police department,
finding it impossible to keep an eye on
everybody all the time, had come TO
the conclusion that Britches Bellman
belonged to the latter class. In their
hearts they knew that Britches was up
to many things; but when they came
to sift even one of these things to the
Bottom invariably they found them
.selves wofully weak when it came to
evidence.
Evidence" snorted Britches; Il
none of it around me. To - with
evidence"
Now, Britches Bellman, being a citi-
zen of the underworld, had come to the
conclusion that for part of the time,
at least, such citizen ought to reside
underneath the ground. He got this
idea one day when he was passing the
County National bank. In front OF the
County National bank was ditch
This ditch is called the subway.
"Gee!" said Britches Bellman,
knocking himself on the side of the
mead. Get down in that hole, just
where you belong"
Now, if Britches hadn't been an ex-
araordinary kind of a man, he never
could have pulled off the little scheme
that filled his head. But he was any
thing and everything, from an A 1 con
man down to the lowest kind of a
sstrong-armer. In high hat and a
frock coat he was superb; in bust
ness suit, he was all matter of fact; in
"A SLOUGH hat, he could scare the wits
,out of a belated rich old party by just
looking at him.
One day genteel looking parsonage
called at the office of the subway con-
tractors and announced that the Coun-
ty National bank (Which. by the way,
was backed by the democratic boss)
mad concluded to strengthen it's UNDER
ypinning just bit. He produced a let
'ter apparently on the letter head Of the
bank, signed apparently by its presi-
dent. He was courteously received, as,
uof course, any representative of the
boss's bank would have to be, and he
ieft bearing with him the written di-
ERECTION of the contractor to the section
foreman to permit the worlimen of the
County bank to make any necessary
excavation in the subway. This gen.
&eel looking parsonage, it cannot be de-
njed, looked extremely like Mr.
Britches Bellman. A day later d
rough, honest looking workman, wear
ing union button and dressed in toll.
STAINED overalls, handed the letter tc
abe section foreman, together with an
aother letter from the bank, stated
casually that he and Sam Parks haG
KNOWN each other all their respective
dives, borrowed chew OF tobacco, ant
started in to work.
The work he was about to do he hat
all planned out on sheet of rough
drafting paper. 1t was to cut square
mole four by four from the subway il
10 the foundation of the bank
1.-THE bank he said to the foreman
saint SO much afraid of going up as i
is of fallin' down. It's pins is weak OF
asomethin'."
In five hours the genial Mr. Bellmar
mad made himself the most popular
s-nan in the ditch. He talked to every
Foody, sympathzed with everybody
iollied everybody
But he was a good workman and h,
understood his business. But he in
sisted upon one thing. Every nigh,
when he left his job, he carefully GOV
cred up the mouth of the hole he wa
making with pile of dirt.
"Some fellow" he explained to tn
foreman, Knight take notion to fin
ash up my job some night and go clea1
ahrough the bank, outside and in" TIL
foreman expectorated.
"Gee!" said the foreman, chats sc
81 never thought of it," He scratche
this head and grinned.
II s'pose," he added, chat l Nigh
take a hack at it myself some nigh,
EWhat dye think?"
I3ritches Bellman, honest workman
ssnsssk bis head. "If you talk tina
eway." he said, smiling, "I'll have to sc
"a plain clothes man on top of you.
got to take care of that there banl
sand no mistake" He caught the othe
'by the arm. "Say," went on Britche
Bellma.., cts blamed good thing 20
ehaps down here are honest If 20
rMeren' t-say, think of the whole lot {
Aosnks here on Broadway-you coul
tap the whole lot, almost. and nobod
Wuaa1dn't know the difference not ur
TIL he added mot until they foun
out
"And when they found out?" SUE
Eested the foreman.
''There'd be hot time," returne
Britches. He scratched his head agail
Now, look a-here," he went on, "ths
Eaises a very nice, delicate. importal
xluestion in my mind. 1t seems to N
chat I'll have to get the bank to put
nlght watchman down here to set
arant Of that there hole. 1t won't {
10 have any ,two-legged rats .a-burroy
sss.tt 4