Evening star., 1909-02-20
BOOK REVIEWS.
TIT. BOMB. BY Frank Harris. New
York: Mitchell kennerley.

the so-calIed Haymarket bomb eX
pIosion and the trial and execution "f
Il number of men for completely in that
outrage have faded so far from the
public mind that a book which under
takes To Justify the deed by implication
or to condemn the judicial process In
that case is certain TO act with dc-
tonating effect The Bomb IS Such a
work The author acknowledges that
his book is the result of his lively IN
terest in the Chicago labor disputes AS
an Engiishman, he was at that Tune
I>S:,- SSti-depcnden for his lnfofnld-
tiun upoll the incomplete and a. nc
.rnuceives. the prejudiccd reports PRINT
ed in that country. 1t was not unili
1909 that 1c visited America and spent
some time i'll Chicago visiting the Naf'-
Gus scenes and studying the conteippo-
riTV newspaper accounts OF the tragedy.
The result of his inquiry was the con-
rluSiun that six out of seven metl
punished IA Chicago were as innocent
- was and that four of them n III
l,coI murdered according To law.
Mr.. Harris has followed the French
method of ''reconstructing the crime.
lie had adopted for this purpose the
difficult and not altogether convincing
device OF telling the story in the ian
2uasc of Rudolph Schnaubelt the man
who il is known threw the bomb which
Killed eight policemen and Woundei
sixty 1t is obviously impossible t.
carry conviction of impartiality through
such ii medium. If. as the publisher >
announcement says. the book Is IN
tended .'as a character study" the pres
entation of Schnaubelt the story
teller is Justified. But the author III ms
preface strikes the note of d different
design. He writes as an indignant man
protesting against what he conceiveS 10
nave been an injustice. 1t is impossible
to separate Schnaubelt from Harris IN
the course of these pages. one clearly
sees not a student or writer Oh history.
hut an avowed critic of America anu
american ways, Il preJudlced commeh-
tator tpon an episode in the national
life of the American people with the
iISular restrictions of the foreigner Ii
- an appeal for d more tolerant ap-
probation of the foreign elements
which go to make up our complex civi-
lization. But the appeal Will falI of the
purpose designed.
If prejudice and passion reigned IN
chicago and other American cities IN
1856 there is prejudice and passion IN
this work If injustice was done III
chicago in 1856 and 1887 there is gross
injustice in this volume. justifica-
tinn of anarchism and "A condemnation
of judicial procedure cannot have a
" wholesome purpose or desirable ef
feet. The Bomb" adds nothing to liter
ature or to history. 1t may do harm.
THE PILGRIMS MARCH. BY II. ii.
~ co.
Somewhat OF the temperament of Miss
SincIairs Divine Fire" is this story
by Mr. Bashford d newcomer in the
field of fiction. Whereas the
Divine Fire" treats of the career of
poet this novel deals with that of
sculptor The story is that of the son of
refined widow. who. thrown during the
impressionabIe years with d puritanlcal
family in London. falls under the
evangelical influence and is converted
and becomes engaged to the daughter
of the family. n latent talent for scuip-
ture is disclosed by accident and a Won
derful statue is created Suddenly,
WIt hout reason, a Scanaal develops, ana
the story. which has proceeded lelsurely
and at times Il bit sluggishly. reaches
powerful climax with intensely dra-
matte effect. This is one OF those un-
usual novels which gather force as they
advance. 1t sketches the bohemian life
in London vividly and introduces
spicuous among them being Judy. the
artists model, woman OF great
strength. The Pilgrims March" viii
he one of the notable books of the sea-
son
THE CLIMBING COURVATELS. By
Edward W. Townsend. author Of
..Chimme Fadden," etc. New York:
y.
This entertaining story of New York
society life, setting forth the fortunes
of a couple of retired vaudeville per-
formers who have amassed wealth and
acquired the social instinct. was some
months ago an attractive feature of
The Stars Sunday Magazine, and its
presentation now in book form Will
probably meet the desires of large mum
kp stories
this shape. The delightful dialogues
between Betty Courtney and her hus-
band Dick give plquancy of interest
TO this tale of wholesome intrigue. The
Sympathies of the reader are wholly
enlisted by these clever social climbers,
who reach their goal finally with credit
OLD JIM CASE OF SOUTH HOLLOW.
BY Edward /. Rice. New York:
Doubleday, Page Il Co
This collection of rural jokes and
anecdotes given in fictional form by the
interjection of a very slender romance
serves to present odd Jim Case to the
American reading public. He Is this
prototype of the bucolic philosopher,
the presiding genius of store copgre-
cations. who has had one great e4peri-
ence TRIP to New York, IN the course
of which he was presented by his
friends as a western mine magnate.
This has Colored all his "reminiscences,
and he is forever after referring to the
last time ] was in New York" There
are other characters, the genial pro-
prietor of the general store, the hard.
tight-fisted banker, the dishonest young
clerk, the bankers daughter and a not
unusual array of country village peo-
pie. The book is covered with a repre-
scntatlon of a country weekly news
paper, which effectively suggests the
character of the volume.
THE SILVER CLEEk. BY John Camp
bell Haywood. New York: Mitchell
Eennerley.
Golfers will greatly enjoy this little
deyotees OF the game who have given
any study at all to its psychological
aspect. Just whether one player can
influence another by willing his op-
ponent to fail in stroke NAV be an
open question, but there is no doubt
that mental concentration plays
great part in the game. Mr.. Haywood
Is obviously a golf enthusiast, else ne
could not write so convincngly
THE MESSAGE. by Louis Tracy, au-
thor of The Wheel of Fortune" etc
New York: Edward j. Clode.
Given "a hidden treasure a man
woman and an open seaway. and Louis
Tracy Will evolve Il novel that will
grip the interest from the beginning
and hold it to the last page. In this
story, which carries the reader from
England into the African jungle, lie
starts the proceedings with the recovery
from the roadstead at Cowes of a
hl1pnIIS - "A