Arizona republican., 1911-05-01
THE BITE 0F THE BOSS By p. C. Macfsrlans. Copyright, 1909. by the Pearson Pub-
 fishing Company.
By p. C. Maefsrlans.
fishing Company.

beaten nm Tn an open nght, and every attempt to overcome him by treachery
 had resulted disastrously for the trai tor. But strange to say, the three meI
 in the city who thought they knew hin
 best. failed to be warned by this, and tried both. It came about when the re
 form campaign, headed by Richard
 Dunne, wealthy newspaper man, was
 at its height
 They were sitting together, these
 three-Joseph Donnelly, President oi
 the Twentieth Century Traction Com
 pany, John Manning, President and
 General Manager of the Combined Gas
 and Lighting Company, and William
 Macy, leading director in the Bankers
 Trust Company-in the office of Man
 ming.
 For more than a dozen years they
 had bought and sold the public profit
 for private gain, and always. Daniel
 Tank, big of voice, heavy of limb. and
 stout of heart was the auctioneer.
 while Ezra Vining, sharp-featured fishy-eyed, of an uncanny. ghostlike presence, negotiated the deals and car
 ried the price of the transaction on it's homing flight to the always yawning
 pockets of the Boss.
 The reform movement was some six months old. Indictments had been fly ing thick and fast for three of them. There had been two trials and two con victions. one of these, Michael Hal loran, lieutenant of the Boss. was i'm portant. But Dan Tank, boastful. truculent, resourceful, remained un- daunted although his own case came next 10 trial.
 Meanwhile, the men who for more than a dozen years had formed the chief market to which the Boss an nually brought his grist of special privileges, felt their courage ooze.
 Whats this thing coming to. I want 10 know?" queried Donnelly. petu- lantly. Its all right, him mailing a lot of these petty grafters, but what does he want to be going after Tank for? Tanks hard fighter. You can't send him to jail. and it means a long fight and the town all torn up. It's hurting business and ought to be stopped"
 That's just it." said Macy. Let's stop it. We can put the screws on Dunne through the banks. and if that doesn't cure it, we can reach him through the merchants that do the heaviest advertising. What do you say, Manning"
 l say that you can't reach Dunne that way unless you stick to it till you ruin him, and that's long fight. It's easier the other way"
 What other way?" queried Don nelly. still querulous.
 Why, let Tank take his medicine. I'd just as soon be rid of him as not. He's been too arrogant and exacting for a long time If we just keep our hands off. Dunne will put stripes on him, and we'll find whoever succeeds him easier"
 That suits me right down to the ground" declared Donnelly, but we've got to stand by him or he'll turn on us"
 We can safeguard that, all right" affirmed Manning, confidently.
 How" asked Macy, eagerly
 Control the prosecution went on Manning. glibly. Dunne's put good deal of money into this prosecution, a thousand at least. and l hap pen to know that moneys coming slow. Suppose we each go to him as good citi zens, interested in seeing this thing through, and offer him twenty-five thousand apiece. Tell him we have stood back, thinking it was only a flash in the pan; but now he's going right after Tank, handspring of the whole works. we see he's in earnest. We are with him and there's our TlH2ey to prove it. He'll fall for it. That will let us on the inside. We can influence the prosecution somewhat, and see that be doesn't get any fool notion of going after the business men who have been held up by this pirate crew."
 Mir. Manning managed to get real look of outraged virtue upon his face IS he uttered these last words. The ready explanation of every business man who bribes his private way to public pastures Is that he is the vic tim of extortion, and this phrase as much as the rest of Manning's plan, fell upon sympathetic ears.
 Do you think it will work?" queried cautiously.
 Cant help it." declared Manning. |" It lets us get behind the | -eformers' breastworks and train their l heaviest guns on the man we want to | get rid of Tanks a hard fighter. but ! le could never turn Dunne against us, | ,nce he took us into partnership with | Jim"
 Donnelly tested the idea slowly in | lis mind for a moment.
 But" he persisted, suppose he | ust got bull mad and went before the ! irand Jury and gave testimony him elf to indict us, regardless of the re- orm movement. He'd get an indict- nent that way"
 Not against us." argued Manning. You forget that neither one of us has .yer paid dollar to Tank directly. Ie can't testify against either of us. lining has always handled every trans Iction. We give money to Vining. We To not know what he does with 1t. Tank can testify he gets money from lining, but he can't swear 1t comes rom us"
 But suppose he starts with an in- against Vining. Winnings oval. but there's nothing of the mar VT about him. He'd testify against us o save himself"
 That's just where we'd have the whip hand. We can save Vining harm ess by refusing to supply the connect ng link on our side. Vining has. so ar as the public knows or private ecords show, never had any connec- ion with either of us. We are the only nes to show that connection, and we
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