Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-21
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81 RED MOUSE
BY
WILLIAM
HAMILTON
OSBORNE
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nervously and stole softly and almost
on tiptoe to the door.
"Broderick" Numbered Murgatroyd,
81, want you in this Office tomorrow
afternoon at o'clock-alone. 1t you
don't come I'll send for you. Under
stand?"
Broderick opened the door and dis
appeared.
'.rhorne," went ON Murgatroyd, II
sent for you to tell you to close up
Cradlebaugh's. II you DON'T
"And what about your broke in
Thorne. Are your hands cleany
The tiger leaped into Murgatroyd's
face. His eyes flashed fire.
"Tm talking about you now" he
answered quickly. 'You are sworn
as counselor to uphold the law.
You have lined your pockets with the
coin of suicides, prohigates like Chal-
Toner.
eyes," he went on, ''and there is
something more, Thorne." His voice
dropped to a whisper. you have the
efrontery to pay attentions to-
Thorne interrupted him, his tone
leaping at once into insolence.
$50 that's how the land lies, is it?
Well, let me tell you something. All
my life have had the things want
ed. I wanted money; got it. 1
wanted power, social and political;
got it. I have always progressed.
You have said that l would be senator
if could. l tell you that shall! You
have limited at woman who is worth
while. Well, I'm going on and on and
on, in spite of you"
"You are going on to your finish"
returned Murgatroyd. II have only
just begun with you"
Thorne glanced uncertainty at the
prosecutor. Thorne recognized the
danger. Murgatroyd had been getting
indictments lately and for every indict-
ment conviction. Besides, the peo-
pie liked Murgatroyd. Thorne be-
ieved in compromise. He extended
his hand.
Look here" he said, neither of us
can afford to have things like these
talked about. Don't let us sling mud.
Let's fight in the open"
why don't you get your ammuni-
ton in the open. then?" asked the
prosecutor
"Why didn't you?" snapped Thorne.
you'll find my ammunition in the
open, Thorne," replied Murgatroyd,
''the next time the legislature meets
to choose senator!"
Thorne's insolence returned.
"Do you mean to tell me that your
name will be presented?"
Precisely
"Of course you'll try to buy votes
with the Challoner money you nave"
"Pll get the votes, never fear"
"I'll match you dollar for dollar"
"Not with dollars coined from Cra-
dlebaugh's nor from corruptions," de-
clared Murgatroyd.
ThorneS eyes narrowed.
'Murgatroyd," said he, tyou reckon
without your host, no matter who
owns Cradlebaughs. The organiza-
ton has its finger on every grand jury,
every petit jury, every judge. You
must beat Peter Broderick and the or
ganization, and until you do this you
can't beat me. You can't prove your
assertions. The organization backs me
up"
"If your name," retorted Murgatroyd
deliberately, "is presented for senator
it will be withdrawn, and mine will be
presented in it's place."
The next day at 4 o'clock there was
a resounding rap on the prosecutors
private Office door.
Peter Broderick came putting into
the room. Selling chair, he drew it
up to the desk and sat down, saying:
II never refuse an invitation to see
man alone.
"Do you know, ,Murgatroyd," the
politician went on, "that haven't had
good chance to talk to you since the
Challoner sease-you've been so blamed
oftish. But now, here I am sittin'
here with you-you, the only mug
wump in the town that 1 ever used to
be afraid of-and you know can say
any blamed thing please to you, and
you got to take it and say nothin'. Do
you know that I'm one Of the few that
believe the truth about that bribeY"
Murgatroyd smiled.
''We're both in the same boat, eh?'
mot bit Of It'll" returned Broderick.
SIN in coal barge. You're in a mo-
torboat. Why, there's many a man
heen in honest politics all his life. like
me, who's never pulled out three-quar-
tiers Of a million! Not much! And
out Of one deal too! Why, look at
mew he went on glibly. "I've been in
lot Of deals, but that gets me. Three
quarters of million on just one deal!
Do you know the most I ever made
out Of any one deal?''
Murgatroyd inquired In an ptfhand
manner:
Glow mueh7"
Broderick shook his finger at him.
"Foxy boy! Think I'd give up SO
easy? This particular deal I'm tellin'
you about is back outside the statute
Of limitations. You couldn't get me
on it. It was the Terwilliger tract.
l was chairman of the common council
finance committee, you remember.
Bought the tract for twenty-five hum
dred and sold it to the city for two
hundred and eighty thousand. That's
mew