The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-17

"S'eip me-" said Plmmer. and such q coward
made in the British Isles Els disgrace.
e won't fight You cawn't make i'm Tight"
IF yeh think we're of that breed" spoke up Nc
Gonigal. mouthpiece of the Ave impeached pat
riots ""yeh come along down to the back room
Of McKecwn's place an any one OF US will
give yeh all the fight yeh carry" His glance
included Craig Schmidt, and even Brown. Just
come on-an of yeh," he pleaded savagely. for his
fellow countryman's exhibition had made him fam
ing for the honor of the crown and the harp.
Rats" said Brown inelegantly but wisely. I'VE
all know your records. There's no hard feelings
There's black bean in every sack and it seems
we've got 1t" Brown had service stripes on his
ARM and his words had weight had his hand.
:" e oughter be showed up to the Old Man.
said Plimmer I'm 'aving the beat e as. and i'm
Ugh spirited old grandmother"
"Theren be talkin to the captain the
sergeant" said Brown looking at Plimmer I'VE
amt kids, we're If FInertys a coward he'll
be shown up all right, for there's always trouble
later down there" (The Hill Is always
called down there.'D But there be no squeal-
in, and the that does will catch the best belt
in he ever got in his life"
Il 'ope colored gentleman IL knock Is
bloomin' head orr" said Plimmer with great sim
certify.
But Planners hope did not materialize. The
Hill was unusually quiet and orderly. Some said
it was only taking Finertys measure it took
every patrolmans. and that the lull was the
deadly lull before the storm. But Finerty went
stodly about his duties if nothing had ever hap
pened would happen. He met his fellow patrol
mems cold glances with Indifference, and he never
appeared to notice Plimmer's soto voce remarks.
Pimmer of all the men was the only one to show
active and personal resentment against Finerty's
cowardice. Brute strength was his god. and to
1t misused Finerty had misused it was unpar-
donable.
Guess ow Finerty spends is days orr" he said
evening some weeks after his first unsuccess-
full batting of the Irshman. you know 'ow he
nocks by 'mself Well, to-day when I
beat who did I see coming down the line but Fin
erty. And, say, e was showing one of them wheel
chairs before i'm like any bloomin' nussey maid.
Ho, no, it sight There was chap in tho
chair who looked if traction engine had run
all i'm. E all twisted out of shape e
was a horrible sight
Il know" put in Craig. II live In his neigh
borhood. Finerty and him rooms together. They're
pals. They say Finerty waits him hand and
foot. There's something the matter with the lads
spine"
We'll, Finerty makes a fine nuss, laughed
Plimmer. when 1 i'm 1 Lift your pet
ticoats, Lizzie when you skip the gutter.
AN what did he say?" chorused the men. grim
ming.
Plimmer suddenly looked vindictive.
'"E told me to go to place where they don't
yard. e knew 1 couldn't hit i'm patrol But
I'll 1T i'm. e cawnt tell to there. Ho.
yuss, when e's OFF duty I'll just make i'm come to
McKeown's place and I'll bingle the cad orr i'm.
I'll show i'm up for the coward e is.
The men laughed disbelievingy. You can't
make a man fght-at least not a coward like Fin
erty. But Plimmer, grim smile on his lips, held
to the contrary and said He would "bingle'
Finerty's head.
But the proving Of John Ffnerty not to be
left to Cockney-American patrolman nor the back
room of McKeowns saloon. Fate decreed many
actors and a large stage On the following night a
very good imitation of undiluted hades broke out
on San Juan HILL No could say how 1t started.
No can-or will. But Finerty, on the
night shift, a man leaning against the lamp
post that stands on the corner of Sxty-second
Street and Amsterdam Avenue. That in itself is
strange in that neighborhood for the corner sa-
loon is the recognized prop. Drunk" thought
Finerty, the wobbled uncertainty. But
the Hill holds it's drink and this man didn't. He
commenced to cough slowly, thickly. The specked
flare of the lamp threw fan of light into the gut
ter And Finerty dark splotches that were
not shadows. 1t was one O'Clock. The avenue was
deserted.
The Strengthened up in jerks. wiped hand
vaguely across his lips, then, Finerty laid hold
of him, eased himself slowly through the ofncial
arms to the pavement. He twitched there in the
circle of light. Finerty knew him for a leader OF
the white trash" roust-abouts.
"s'n right" guped the man with a laugh that
strangled in its birth. 81 guess I've got mine. Been
fayin' fr me. They carved good and proper.
Sail right, though. Tn boys IL square dis you
bet"
"who did this?" said F1nerty quickly.
The man waved a blood-smeared hand vaguely to
the west.
Down there, Of course. That big coon-Wil.
liams-" He was going fast
Ffnerty swung his nightstick against the pave
ment and the hollow raps of the locust went echo
ing down the avenue. Then he ran across
the street to the nearest call box and sent in a hur
ry call to Roosevelt. Half dozen men, spewed
from the corner saloon, were cursing loudly
about the~dying man. They had been attracted By
the raps of the nightstick. They scattered as Fin
erty and two patrolmen from the adjoining beat
butted through them. The scuttle and clang Of
the ambulance from Fffty-eighth Street came faint