Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-07-26
Continued from 4th page)

up prices at the same time. he put
the whole Washington crowd and its
New York accomplices to disastrous
rout and caused them to lose millions.
He continued his operations with in
creasing violence and increasing prof
its up to the fourth anniversary of the
tragedy. On the intervening anniver
sary I had been compelled by self
interest and fear that he would really
pull down the entire Wall street struc-
ture, to rush in and fairly drag him
OF. But with his growing madness
my influence was waning. Each raid
it was with greater difficulty that
got his ear.
Finally. on the fourth anniversary,
in panic that seemed to be running
into something more terrible than any
previous, he savagely refused to ac-
cede TO my appeal, telling me that he
would not stop, even if Randolph G
Randolph were doomed to go down in
TIRE crash II had become known on
the floor that | was the only one VIII,
olld do anything with him in his
freDAes. and my pleading with him in
the lobby was watched by the mem
bers of tie Exchange with triple eyed
suspense. When it was clear from his
emphatic gestures and raised voice
fer he was in a reckless mood from
drink ard madness and took no pains
to disguise his intentions
could not prevail upon him, there was
frantic rush for the poles to throw
over stocks in advance of him. Sud
denly, after | had turned from him
In despair, there flashed into my mind
an idea The situation was desperate.
decided that l was justified in making
this last try. | rushed back to him.
Bob, goodbye" | whispered in his
ear goodbye. In ten minutes you
will get word that Jim Randolph has
cut his throat| He stopped as though
] had plunged a knife into him, struck
his forehead a resounding blow, and
into his wild brown eyes came sick
ening look of fear.
Stop, Jim, for Gods sake don't
say that to me. My cup is fun now.
Don't tell me | am to have that crime
on my soul" He thought a moment.
Il don't know whether you mean it,
jim. but can take no chances. not
FOR al the money in the world not
even Tor revenge. Wait here, Jim"
He ye' cd for his brokers, and several
.ash 10 him from different parts of
TIE room. re sent them back into
tie crowd while he dashed for the
! malga-ss ted pole. The day was
ssved.
Presently he came back to me.
Jim, |. must have a talk with you.
Come over TO my odlce. When We
got there he turned the key and stood
in front of me. His great eyes looked
full into mine. In college days, gaz-
ing into their brown depths, by some
magic I seemed to see the heroes and
hesoines OF always happy-endipg tales,
as the child sees enchanted creatures
far back in the burning lYule log
flames. But there were no joyous be-
inss in the haunted depths of Bob's
eyes that day.
Jim, you gave me an awful scare"
he said brokenly. Don't ever do it
again. | have little left to live for.
To be sure | have some feeling for
mother, Fred. and sisters But for you
have a love second only to that l
should have felt for Beulah had been
allowed to have her The thought,
Jim, that l had wrecked your life,
with all you have to live for, would
have been the last straw My life is
purgatory Beulah is only an ever
present curse to me-a ghost that
rends my heart and soul, one minute
with a blind frenzy to revenge her
wrongs, the next with an icy remorse
that / have not already done so. II
| did not have her, perhaps in time
| could forget; perhaps l might lay
out some scheme to help poor devils
whose poverty makes life unendur-
able, and with the millions l have
taken from the main shaft of hell
might do things that would at leas'
bring quiet to my soul: but it is i'm
possible with the living corpse of
Beulah Sands before ne every minute
and that devil machinery whirling in
my brain all the time the song, Re
yenge her and her father, revenge
yourself 1t is impossible to give it
up. Jim. I must have revenge. must
stop this machinery that is smashing
up more American hearts and souls
each year than all the rest of earth's
grinders combined. Every day I de-
lay l become more fiendish in my de-
sires. Jim, don't think do not know
that have literally turned into a
fiend. Whenever of late l see myself
in the mirror, l shudder When ]
think of what l was when your father
stood US up in his Office and started
us in this heart-shrivelling, soul-cal-
lousing business, and what I am now,
cannot keep the madness down ex-
cept with rum. You know what il
means for me to say this, me who