The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-10-18
being isies OF Randolph Mason n Rented NV
His Private Secretary, CourtIand parks
The LAND PIRATE.

Copyright by Edward j. Cio,.

shn UONEN ~ aO
aJvance OF civilization Is n progress
,r DISCUSSES; the agents by which the
puneror Of the Hoof carries on his
gcntIe arts are always costumed up.
nropriately to the times, but the
ay.uts themselves remain the same.
For example, would you find again the
,ree.buoters, hanged so long ago at
The yard-arm. you have but to look
c,oeely nj the financial literature that
hoods the mails.
Ib.ssly, the man OF average sense
csa instantly put his finger on tho
t-ud hidden under the glittering
rromise; but now and then one
across a so-called financial proposi.
lion so fair. so set about with unques.
,iouabie safeguards, that the keenest
scrntiny cannot discover In II a pos
sbility OF loss. These are the schemes
,r the great masters-disguised sloops
AZ Kidd, Morgan and Bonnet.
found such a scheme one day In
q letter among my mail. and laid II
on my table under the ink-pot. II ran
In this fashion:
The Bank holds the money. The safest
propnsiiion ever offered to investors. We
IRE placing on the market blocks OF stock
ri, tho Union Consolidated OH Company
under these unparalleled conditions: You
deposit the amount or your subscription
20 your own credit In the Driiler's Bank
Of Pittsburg, n certificate OF deposit In
issued 10 you In you name and held by
YOU. You also get the stock certificate.
You keep both exclusively In your wi
possession. We ask only that you turn
over TO this Company the certificate Of
depc=it issued you by the Bank when
the oil Company has paid 10 you. I'm
dividends on your stock. n sum equal 10
Tho amount OF your Investment. This Is
che only stock ever offered In any market
which IL not subject TO loss. You keep
your money safely on deposit with one
Of the greatest banks in America and. At
the same time. make the sort OF iny-St-
ment out OF which John u. Rockefeller
became the richest man In the world.
Write today for our detailed plan.
The Union Consolidated OH Company.
G5-si-103 Iron Bldg, Pittsburg. Pa
/ was held and puzzled by this strik-
Ing proposition. II seemed to be
drafted with an eye only to the pro-
lection OF the investor. II II had fail
cd TO name the bank In which the
funds were to be deposited. or had
named one OF q lower standard. !
should instantly have doubted its
good faith: but the Drlller's bank Of
Pittsburg was well rated; Il had a
capital Of five millions; its %stockhold-
ers were, for the most part. men who
hah VraHn fnrt,tpno Ia tho oil HnlHG nf
western Pennsylvania. II was natural
~ the bank which such a company
would select. Where then was the
flaw? What advantage did such a
plan offer to this company? Tho
money was not paid 10 II. but to a
responsible bank on deposit to the In
vestor's credit; the company could
not get IT, The money would be re-
turned by the bank, unless an equal
sum were paid by the company to the
stockholders. 1t would. indeed, be diff
ficult to devise q safer scheme. AL.
most any one would speculate under
such conditions; Il was removing the
element Of chance from the game. and
yet here evidently were large sums
expended in exploitation. Surely n
deception was hidden somewhere
there, so the circular fascinated me
Ike a page Of puzzles. II lay under
my eye for a week; then I dropped II
Into n pigeonhole Of the desk.
Two years later Captain Roger Shell
ton called to e Randolph Mason.
have rarely met n man SO APPLY cast
Tor his part as this Captain Shelton.
He was tall. somewhat u%nevenly rat
tened, clothed in light worsted. with a
style Of coat p~rovinclally called cut
away" always kept buttoned. a top
hat and very shiny patent feathers
His eyes were alert and his speech
rapid and persuasive. His mouth
however. vas loose In the under lip
the real Captain Shelton flying teere
his signal. His manner tended quick
y to establish relations OF amiabie
Fellowship; he strove for that with u
certain breezy frankness.
Some one on lower Broadway had
sent him to Randolph Mason. He re-
quired a little assistance, he explain
ed, OF a business rather than OF u
legal nature. He had struck a mare
place in a trade. II he could get over
IT, his fortune was established.
The captain seemed IN ideal pro
moter. He strove, with no slight Gun
ming. to inform himself through me
about Randolph Mason. He led to MS
queries always by two roads. Xix a
commander Of infantry: when one
was found guarded. he crossed quick
~ TO tho other. I think. too. that MS
knowledge Of men was fairly accurate
Tor when he came. presently. peior
randolph Mason himself, his manner
~perceptibly changed. tho hall fellow
vanished, he stated his business win
q certain approach to dignity, ana II
was only when the murder" 10 10
speak. was out. that the real man
came vis!biy 70 the surface.
Randolph Mason gave the Pennsyi'
yanian close attention. He led MN
Utmost personal---very. into detail. lie
unearthed here and there n covereu
portion OF his story until the nature
o. the affair came wholly into uhy'
nght. Tho art of subtle inquiry. In tno