Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-10-14

ever to do with this affair beyond a mild
protest against the passage Of the fran
chise ordinance without due and proper
investigation"
OF course he was telling the truth, and
yet 1t might be possible that influences
arising in the church had moved Slough
ton without the pastors direct interven-
ton 1 questioned him as sharply as 1
dared upon this point, and he finally said ::
IF anybody connected with this church
has Influenced Mr.. Stoughton 1t Is Hiram
Higgins. You may take my word for Il
that If 1t was not Higgins 1t was none ot
us"
"Where can 1 find him?" l asked.
II think he's in the church now" said
the pastor. glancing out of the window
and across the street.
The door of the church was opened as
l approached. and upon the steps stood
the gray haired, deaf, decrepit sexton
childish with age.
Els Mr.. Hiram Higgins inside?' / ask
Hiram Higgins?" he piped I'm HI
ram Higgins"
1t was the pastors little Joke and his
way of telling me that l must search out
side his congregation.
Well, l searched and l got six moro
tips" inside the next hour, and every
one of them proved baseless upon the
briefest examination. l met Dillon In the
course of the trouble, and he confessed
that his own errand had been a wild
goose chase
This town is full of liars" said he
gloomily-"liars and people who think
they know what they don't know, blast
'em!'
TITS no speciality of southboroughs,"
said l from the depth of an experience
that covered two states.
We held a conference and decided upon
a new line of investigation in which
neither of us had any confidence. 1t be-
gan to look very much as II the Ohm
steads would he obliged to hold their fes-
tivities without my assistance, and I was
blue to the backbone.
Again came the sweet voice calling, and
] looked over my shoulder to behold Nina
Lowering running after me.
i've been looking for you everywhere"
said she. "Oh, I've had such an expert
encer
Come with me-" said 1 and led her
into q convenient ice cream "parlor,"
whore we found table in a quiet corner
1T have the story!" she whispered as
soon as we were seated. Listen. Mr.
Clmstead told me. l begged him hard.
but he didn't know why wanted It, The
facts are these: There is a very public
spirited man named Curtis G. Goodwin
WHAT" gasped.
Mr.. Olmstead told me about him. I'd
never heard of him. 1t seems that this
man knows all about the bribery in the
franchise business"
yes" said l, there's no doubt OF It,"
1T was he who did this thing" said
she Gin the interest of the public. Mr.
Olmstead says So"
This Is a joker
mot at all, my friend. have seen Mr.
Goodwin. / called upon him. told him
that had learned that 1t was he who
persuaded Mr.. Stoughton not to speak"
half rose from my chair and stared at
her.
What did he dor" gasped.
He was terribly excited. He looked a.
II he was going to faint or have fit. He
offered me $50 II I'd tell him where got
the information, and then he offered me
q hundred II wouldn't print 1t. You see.
he thought I was a reporter"
MY blessed grandmother" I exclaimed,
"this beats anything that ever happened
We have landed the story"
"Of course we have"
"But it's all an accident. Mr.. Olmstead
was Joking with you. Curtis Goodwin Is
the chief OF the railroad syndicate and
the crookedest old rascal that ever
breathed the breath of life. Mr.. Ohm
stead had no idea that 1t was he who
called Stoughton of. But 1t was. We've
caught him. He was SO amazed that he
gave himself away. He called Stoushton
eff because he was afraid he might say
something injudicious. In fact. Stoughton
was In a place where he couldn't either
speak Of the franchise or not speak of II
Why didn't I see this before? Nina,
you're the only reporter In the state"
Well, that's the way / got my story
ana I had a clean beat on II. But
didn't get TO the lawn party. I worked ell
day ana all night. and with the aid Of the
knowledge that It was Goodwin who had
cosrced et0ughtop I dug UP crookedness
right and left. The upshot OF 1t was thsl
We wrecked stoughton's power and forced
tn mayor to veto the franchise