The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-03-16
CHAPTER III
Atoncnlent,


There was one matter to be
settled before Bob might begin to
work out his own and his city's
political regeneration. Two good
friends took this burden from his
shoulders.
Hardly had his convalescence
begun when Sanger's newspapers
began to hint, at first vaguely,
then more boldly, at possible
criminal prosecutions, even i'm
parchment proceedings, on the
ground of Bob's fraudulent nomi-
nation. A murmur of protest
arose from the city. If the man
had sinned, had he not suffered
for his sin? But Haggin, know
ling more of the quality of his
chiefs enemies, spent many a
sleepless night over the newspa-
per growlings.
He finally went to District At
torney Martin.
I'VE got to stop it," he said
anxiously. I'VE got to stop it
an now. But l dunno how"
Martin surveyed the saloon
keeper thoughtfully. Its a
pretty tough nut to crack. There
nothing in the threat of i'm
lpeachment. But the prosecutions
Hmm! Why can't we wait UNI
It'll we can see McAdoo himself
about this? 1t isn't SO much a
matter of legal knowledge as OF
knowing your opponent"
"No, we can't wait to see
him." Haggin shook his shaggy
head emphatically. 81 don't
want him to know nothin' about
it till it's all settled, one way OF
'nuther. He's got troubles
enough of his own, without
botherin' with mine"
II should think that this is his
trouble more than yours" Martin
suggested dryly.
AN that's where you're dead
wrong" Haggin answered eager
ly. 1T wasn't him bought uI
those delegates--it was met"
| Martin sprang to his feet ex-
citedly. "What! Tou did it?
Put his Remington &
a:fidavit-iIaggin, you're lying
to save him!"
"No, l amt lynn. 1t was Boil
LYNN when he told Remington
damn him!-that he done it.
tell you, L done it. 1t was this
way, Martin. They comes to me
i s'posin' it was Macpherson al
the time, but it was Sanger really
an tries to buy me an my votes
in the convention. l jollies 'em
along till I knows all they've got
up their sleeve. Then / tells Bob
He amt feazed fer a damn. There
amt time for him to see all the
Hemenway delegates, so he gives
me some of EN- to handle an he
takes the rest. An he tells me
Mind you, Tom, use no money
now. That's straight. I've got tc
come out Of this with clean
hands, He sees his men an
bluffs 'em-scares hell out OF
'em-he's got the goods on 'em,
you know-an' lines 'em up right
under Maek's and Sanger's noses.
l sees my men-some of 'em
bluffs, an some of 'em / can't
l gets cold feet on the clean
hands proposition an buys 'em
off. Uses my own money an he
don't know nothin' about it.
Does it, spite of his orders"
"But Remington said"
"I'm comm to that. After
ward-'bout two weeks before
election day, he finds out about
it-from that skunk Malassey. He
Ought to kick me out, but he
don't. Just sits down, writes out
check fer what l spent an
makes me take it. Never says q
word, excep' somethin' about
there not bein' enough soap an
water in the world to wash his
hands clean. Then when Reming.
ton accuses him of buyin' the
delegates, he takes all the blame
an never says a word about me
l wish to Cod" Haggin concluded
miserably, "somebody'd kill mel
Martins keen eyes were Dor
ing into Haggin's mercilessIy
Neither spoke for a few minutes
Then Haggin broke the silence
| hesitatingly.