The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-07-15

guns were spiked. He had no other local means
of attacking the franchise or the cardinal, ana
any way the deed was done. All wondered WHAT
he would do.
They didn't wonder long. AS fast as a rail-
road king can get over the rails, Joe Dale came
to Lacedaemon. He almost literally Threw tne
Daily Planet out of its Office windows, murdered IL
and Jumped on its corpse. He fired Pat obrlen
from the presidency with force and arms. 1t would
have been tragic, If everybody had not been grin
ming at Dale's futile wrath. AS 1t was, the only
satisfaction the irate railroad king got out OF 1t
was to tell a few party leaders who besougnt
him to continue the paper or sell, that he would
let the Western Associated press francnise e4-
pire rather than see another fool paper IKE
that in Lacedaemon. Even this small sat1sfac-
ton was lessened when Pollock insisted on his
salary being continued to the end OF an iron-ciad
four-year contract. Mr.. Dale went back to new
York with new ideas about city bosses and their
ways.
The episode, for 1t was only an episode In the
life OF busy Lacedaemon, was soon almost 1orgot-
ten. The cardinal had shown Joe Dale that he
was boss of the town. Joe Dale had chopped on
the cardinals presidential head in retaliation.
John Dale continued his business friend and GUS
toner, and the whole affair was dismissed from
the cardinals busy mind as closed, with honors
even.
But Joe Dale was not through with Fat
o'Brien. 1t is a railroad kings prerogative to
punish, as we'll as to reward, and for the punish
ment of OrBrien, Dale laid a trap the effective
ness of which lay entirely in its simplicity.
Came John Dale one day to the cardinal and
said: pat, l have a private tip that a big kill
ing is coming off in Nipper stock. Buy me ten
thousand at the market and hold on until l
tell you to let 60"
"All right said the cardinal, and bought an.
other ten thousand as we'll for his own account.
Nipper advanced a point. He called in a few
chosen friends who formed a pool and invested
heavily. Nipper advanced two points, hve points.
Pat bought more; he would pull out when John
Dale did and retire from active business with his
profits.
John Dale himself had gone to New York on
the day he gave his order to O'Brien. Within a
day Nipper began to sag. Then 1t dropped below
the buying point. The pool put up more mar.
gins. The stock still dropped, swiftly now, and
the other members Of the pool became alarmed
Pat treasured them. They're shaking out the
small blocks of stock" he said, Then you'll see
her skyrocket."
Nipper continued to t~oboggan. Pats friends
were seriously concerned. They talked OF sell
ing and pocketing their losses, but ne showed
them his hand. Look here" he said, John Dale
is In this thing up to his neck and we know where
he gets his private tips. Here's what hi
has on my books alone. AS long as he holds OF
and keeps up his margins, I'm satisfied" Hi
friends knew the cardinal; they knew he, too
was up to his neck" they held on.
Suddenly Nlpper went uOWu n moiCuiy ~
blizzard weather. The friends were wildl
alarmed. They insisted that John Dale was givinl
Dick the double CROSS" Though he did not be
lieve 1t, he wired to New York for special an
private Investigation OF John Dale's movement
there. And after a little delay tidings came tina
made the poolsharers very sick men. John Dial
had gone to New York, had a short talk with hi
father. then gone straightway to his broker an
sold short ten thousand Nipper at the market. Tn
profits on the sale as the stock went down woul
pay his losses on the Lacedaemon purchase
Meanwhile Joe Dale would see to 1t that Nippe
did go down until Pat o'Brien was utterl
swamped.
OF course the pool made haste to sell out. job
Dale's private tip had been a prophecy. A KILN
had been made and O'Brien and his friends wer
the slaughtered ones. When the debris was fna
ly swept up the Cardinal, who had plunged herc
ly on his own private account. found himself poo
err by some s7b0,O00. 1t had cost him that muc
to disobey the mandate of a railroad king. b
he still owns Lacedaemon.