El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-31


! Iecred, and held for me. without show
ing where the money comes frOmE"
Buy draft made out to cash in
/ New York and deposit here in your
I name"
.Have you a bank that you can in
! trOduce me to-
How much do you think would be
! sufficient Ior election day contingent
/ cies2 Would $4,000 cover it?'
Nicely. Nicely
/ sOf course 1 conGded. "I have to be
/ mighty careful It'd hurt us If it be-
! came known that We were Coming into
/ name of the league used at all
I Naturally.
! "As Tar as my dealings with your men
| are concerned, I want all that to be q
/ personal matter If they can use the
money, that's all I want to know. Can
they use the money And how much
can they use? III see that they get
Listing the s'Trustworthy'' Men.
In asking for the names of trust
worthy machine men in doubtful dis
| tricts, 1 was asking for nothing that
! could arouse suspicion in Morse; 1t was
Z information that might have been OBJ
tanned in many ways.
As a political agent, with money to
be used IN bribery, would natural "
/ come without formal credentials, with
no extensive explanations so that in the
event OF an investigation there might
be no need Of perjury TO conceal the
origin Of the corruption fund And as
q practical man, in a dishonest way OF
life. 1 would expect that Morse would
take a 'Take-Oft' from his contingency
Z fund of $4,000. just as 1 would be sus-
pected by Morse OF keeping what 1
wished out of the rest
was not asking any questions or
prying into any political secrets / was
deslrous only OF remaining ia careful
ObscUrity myself, while my money
worked blindIy Tor me and Ilr the g.
tabnshed order OF prosperity ia the
political world.
Morse accepted me on those terms,
and We got down 10 work We listed
the doubtful districts and the trust
worthy men in them, and Morse helped
TO lay out my itinerary for me, and
even telephoned TO announce the APP
prOach of Mr.. Hicks TO a number of
the politicians. 1t developed. in the
coarse OF conversation, that Morse eX-
pected the election TO be close; that an
unusually large campaign fund was be-
ing collected, that the assistance of the
Liberal league would be altogether well
You want me TO take you to the
bank" he suggested.
No. l replied; but if you can so
there at II o'clock this morning. I'll
meet you Pm not moving in politi-
cal circles, publicly, you understand"
Morse put out his hand TO his -ele-
phone. III met you at the - Ma
streets, at IL"
AT five minutes past II, was follow
ing old 'Blrdlegs Morse across Main
street TO the bank. having waited LOT
him incOnspicuously at a distance, TO
see that ne arrived unattended Inside,
Mr.. Hicks was introduced TO the man
ager as a prospective depOsirOr, and the
manager accepted me- as friend or
Morse without asking any questions.
j parted from them 10 return TO my
office and prepare the plant which
had been devising.
Setting a Trap for Morse.
It was a plant that took advantage
of the difficulties Of the investigation
In order 10 attain its ends, and made
virtue of the very necessity Of haste
as an element In its success. There
were a score Of names on my list of
MOrse's agents, and they comprised the
elect of corruption in the state i went
into consultation with my local man
ager, and picked men to accompany me
or TO follow me on my way through the
state Then 1 set out on my quiet but
expected progress from district TO dis
trict, consulting the amount that each
could use out OF the 100000, and
preparing each for the arrival of a man
with the money who should introduce
himself merely a. the fellow who was
told to see you"
My operatives, following me at a de-
cent interval, introduced themselves TO
the proper men by means of this for
mula, and made a great show Of money
They were accepted with alacriry.
They were given the entree TO the most
select circles Of practical politics, and
they devoted themselves TO therTOrk Of
cultlFaIlnS acqualnranceS and studying
the best Investments in local cOrruD-
ton And, having engaged my staff on
the building and setting of this trap
for Morse, sent word TO the reformers
that / had taken up the Investigation
with a good prospect of success, and
then disappeared from Jefferson TO at
tend TO some pressing affairs in the
middle west
When 1 returned to jefferson, after
weeks absence, the reports from my
political workers showed that the
trap was ready to be sprung
L called up Morse on the telephone.
This is Hicks / said. Il want to see
you right away. It's important"
Burns Springs His Trap.
Morse, expecting the arrival of
money, said cordially: Come right
over; III be here"
The lacOnic "Birdlegs" even greeted |
me with a friendly Good morning.
How are you" when I went into the
private office I answered worriedly. /
why. what's the natter Morse |
asked.
1 frowned at him Didn't you know
that this states fun of detectives2'
This state? Full Of detectives"
Yes These cursed refOrmers have /
got them here They've put them all I
over the place"
who threw that scare into your
Il had to pay to find it out The head 1
Of the - agency's in charge Of it. |
They're going TO turn the place upside |
down. They say they've got all the big /
fellows hooked, and Lhy're going 10 /
grab off every one of them"
Il don't believe a word of it,"
Il don't care whether you do or not l
but you'd better get busy and find out /
They've been shadOwing me for the /
last "a hours. And if they've been l
on any of your men, they'd /
better look over their shoulders oc- I
casionally and find out"
We'll" Morse said, with an oath, I'll I
find out pretty quick.
] wiped my forehead you can't /
make il too quick for me. I don't want I
hem to grab me off. ran into this
sort of thing out Oh the coast, and I 4
iOn't want any more Of ii. Pm going
10 hold up" Morse had reached for his
telephone. 'Tu be in here tomorrow"
A Badly Frightened Boss.
Morse was already impatiently call
ng central, and I knew what reports
ne would hear from his men. For the I
agents of Hicks in the doubtful dis I
riots had begun reporting suspicious I
Incidents of "tailings" and shadow
ngs" to their friends the corruption
stS- and these cOrruptiOnists them I
'elves were being watched and fol-
owed by operatives who were not too
,areful to remain unseen. Two We're