Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-03-01
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The PlOtterS
C1eCkmated
What Happened When
Captain Winsted
Oversight
BY HOWARD FIELDING

Frederick Winsted. formerly CAPTAIN
in the United States army and at the
moment commissioner of public works
in his native city. was still a young
man. but 1t appeared that he would
never be older. His short experience
of civil life had not weaned him from
the military traditions. He had come
to the brink of irretrievable disgrace,
and he believed that only one course
Of action was open to him as an officer
and gentleman.
Between midnight and 2 o'clock in
the morning he wrote six letters. Five
of them were very brief He glanced
them through and was satisfied The
sixth was quite long and had cost him
much effort and some rather sharp
pain. After all, it did not please him,
but he knew that he would 60 crazy if
he tried to write 1t over again. Toward
the close of his military service he had
suffered something like sunstroke on
the isthmus of Panama, where he was
member of board of engineers, and
an occasional racking headache would
remind him Of this experience. He
had never had worse one than on
this particular night.
The long letter was addressed to his
best friend, DR.. Sydney Benham, and
ran thus:
Dear Sydney-Here is a record of
fhn xryhnIn hailaI en-
as can get It, Some of the facts are
already well known to you, but have
put them all in for the sake of COM
pleteness. AS to the truth of it, my
bare word will be enough for you,
thank God.
II do not care for any public de-
fense, and of course l would have no
hand in any attack upon Clifford Law
renee. You know my sentiments to-
ward his niece. l am taking out of
the world with me, l verify believe,
the greatest love that was ever in it,
and there is no hereafter where | can
exist as a conscious being without
that love as an elemental part of my
soul. | have written Miss Lawrence
brief note, stating the simple fact
that my present situation is intolera
BILE to my sense of honor. No excul-
patton Of myself was possible in the
circumstances.
81 have written also to my counsel,
to my chief assistant in the depart
ment, to DR.. Garvan, coroner for this
district, and to some undertaking fell
low whose name | have often seen In
the papers. My fortunate lack of any
near kin enables me to bestow my
worldly goods upon you. The will Is
In my lawyers hands. Should Miss
Lawrence ever stand in need you will
help her. The idea seems fanciful In
view of the luxury by which she is
now surrounded, but / cannot permit
myself to believe that she would ac-
cept her uncles bounty If she should
ever come to understand the sources
Of his wealth. But that is inlproba-
BILE. The best women in the world
seem blind to abstract dishonesty.
They require to see the individual who
is defrauded and to feel his loss as a
personal grievance before they can
comprehend the wrong.
'It is a painful thing to believe, but
I can no longer doubt that Lawrence
counted upon my love for Emily as an
influence by which he could control
me in my present office. He knew
that I resigned from the service be-
cause Of my love for her and my am
bhion to be rich In order that / might
surround her with the extravagances
to which she has become accustomed.
I was absolutely a child in my ideas
of political methods. No doubt spoke
to Lawrence in such a way as to give
him every right to think me open to
corruption. babbled to him Of the
value of his advice. l thought him an
honest lawyer. an able and fearless
district attorney, and it never even oc-
Cured to me to inquire how he had
come to be so rich.
II have got my deserts. Fools and
knaves are always punished in this
world. says Stevenson. but the fools
first.
"For little more than year |
have been commissioner Of public
works. AS an engineer l have accom-.
pished something, but not very much.
AS an executive officer and watchdog
Of the public interests l have been a
Yarcical failure. Lawrence and the
great boss, Martin J. Minot, have
beaten me at every turn. Favored
contractors have got everything, just
rs they did before. In each million
lollars expended there Is at least 80
per cent of pure graft. The only thing
that could stop it is the criminal law,
md Lawrence as district attorney
controls it's administration. If the
governor would remove Lawrence and
appoint my friend Stuart in his place
T could accomplish such reform as
would astound the public. But that
dream is over.
"The occurrences Of this evening are
the last straw. and / am broken.
Lawrence and Minot called upon me
nbout 10 o'clock. After a brief pre-
amble they laid before me letter ap-
parently in my own handwriting. !
assure you that it was the neatest
forgery ever executed. could not
pretend to distinguish it from my own
penmanship.
"You are aware that J have tried to
encourage bids for public works from