The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-24
From tlie Washington Post.

One December morning a notice was sent out from the Internal Revenue De- pertinent in Washington to its various suboffces throughout the country that l S14 800 worth of quarter-barrel beer stamps had been stolen in transit from Washing ton to Chicago. The loss had been dis covered at Pittsburg and the department at once notified. The stamps were in sheets of twenty to the sheet and each stamp was worth 50 cents, or s10 the sheet.
 About week after this notice had been given, a little man of dark olive complex ion, wearing a small black mustache, immediately dressed entered the office of a certain clever young lawyer, who had the reputation of being able to sue cessfully handle matters wherein much discretion was necessary, and asked 1T MT. Wiley was in; if so, would he see here the little man handed a card to the red-haired office boy. The boy returning said that MT. Wiley was at present en- gagged, but would see MT. Gordon in Il few minutes. The lawyer kept his pros pective client waiting half an hour as matter of policy, for he well knew who Gordon was Wiley's was a queer prac- tice. He had the top notch thieves and burglars, as well as confidence men, for his clients so he came in time to be pretty well posted with most of the great CT crimes committed within the jurisdic- ton of the New York County courts He had some pretty acquittals to his credit, and he was a thorn in the side of the central office men, for whom he had obj tained one or two seathing denunciations from the bench upon their "inhuman and barborous methods such as the third degree.
 Sorry to keep you waiting, MT, Cor don, but Bat Heeney was in a hurry, and I had to finish with him. said Wiley as Gordon entered his private office
 Didn't see anyone go out" the little man remarked with slight show of re- sentiment at being kept waiting.
 Wiley pointed to another door leading to the corridor
 T see," was all that Gordon vouch- safed-
 The lawyer turned politely to his client, as if to ask him to state his business.
 I'm Jim Gordon. New York agent of the Yucatan Lottery Company, and want to employ your services as counsel by the year. How much?"
 Ten thousand dollars
 That's satisfactory to me-" the little man agreed, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out a large roll of bills. kindly give me receipt for s1-ooo on accaunt and so forth. Make out full receipt in duplicate"
 
 "Oh, I'd like for you to have one to protect the confidential relation that ex- ists between lawyer and client" the little man replied, slyly.
 Having written the necessary receipts, Wiley said
 Offered a Second Retainer.
 Have you anything you want attended to at the present timer
 Pm not quite sure,' Gordon replied that my immediate business would come under head of business for the lottery Better take another retainer, l reckon, and he laid $500 on the desk. Case United States against Gordon. Bow. Trii- by Mcdonald, ct al" He paused.
 "Go ahead" Wiley said. You'll pardon me- but I'm pretty busy today. We can fix up the retainer after you've finished.
 When I came to New York;" Gordon began, T let it be known that 1 was on the lookout for agents. It was while l was attending to this part of the busi- ness that I met Bow, Trlby, Mcdonald and some more crooks who hold out at Charlie Faces place in West Broadway. Yesterday Bow came to me with this. :" He took a paper from his vest pocket and handed 1t to Wiley. It was one of the stolen sheets of beer stamps.
 Asked me if I could handle them- made him tell me where they came from.
 
 worth of that stuff What do you know about that?'
 Gordon paused as if waiting for some expression of surprise from Wiley. He was disappointed, however for the law yer never batted an eye. He simply said, Go on."
 The bunch had pinched them from the guy who took the goods; that's all. They don't know how he got hold of 'em any more than I do, except that he was a clerk in the internal revenue office, and a woman that was stuck on him helped l him. Fellers name was Rathbone. And l the girl?" I don't know. Her first name 1 is Jessie. Do you know any brewers that would buy emp
 l Nay, friend Gordon, Wiley said slowly pushing the money the little man l had laid on the table back to him. 1T m | attorney for three breweries, but they would not touch the stuff with 40-foot ] pole. Take it away. I don't like T around. Those internal revenue guys locl you up and throw the key away. Take back your gold; don't want anything tf do with it..
 Gordon pocketed the money with appa l rent reluctance, and a little later tool himself off. Before going. however, h' had given Wiley a few more details con cerning the theft of the $60,000 worth o stamps.
 Gordon had not reached the eleVdlo' before Wiley had Inspector Jones, tho head of the New York office. on the phone. He had met Jones some year! before while crossing from Babylon tt 1 Fire Island in a saiboat. He reminded the inspector of the occasion, and asked him to lunch with him at the Savarin q remember you perfectly said th' inspector when they met, but it took [
 sight of your face to recall you to my mind.''
 '.Yes? And do you recollect what we talked about on the way over?" Can't say that I do said the inspec- tor. You didn't ask me to lunch with you simply to renew the acquaintance did you?"
 No: but if I remember rightly, you 1 said that you were of the opinion that any means justified the end. I happen to be in a position just at present to test your theories"
 Showed Sheet of Stolen Stamps. MT. Wiley, I'm a busy man. the in spector blurted out, quite red in the face, | sand although I was pleased to talk with 1 with you as a fellow traveller, I can't sec that I'm called upon to take up my busi- ness hours discussing questions of eth ics."
 You generally go to lunch?" Wiley asked.
 Yes; but I've just had a case come in that's bothering us a good deal Has the case anything to do with this?'' the lawyer asked, handing the sheets of stamps to the inspector, who