Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-27

"Eh?"
What in blazes would four million
city people without homes or occupa-
tions do? Where would they go? What
would happen?"
You see what mean" went on
barrow, after the slight pause neces-
sary to let this sink in. "The fear
would bring about a general
catastrophe only less serious than the
fact itself. It's up to you newspaper
men to see that they don't catch this
fear. There'll be a hundred letters
from foxy boys with just enough logic
or imagination to see the possibility OF
outing off the furnace; but without
imagination enough to get the final
effect of telling people about it. Sup
press 1t. Unless I'm mistaken, the af-
fair will be over in week"
Curtis drummed thoughtfully on his
desk. ,.
TITS got to be done." he said at last.
It'll get to every paper in the city to-
night-if It costs US our SCOOP"
"But won't the people who write the
letters tell about it, anyway" asked
Jack. "And won't the outside papers
have the same stuff"
Sure" agreed Curtis promptly, but
what isn't In the city press doesn't get
to the mass of the public; that's a
cinch There will be some thousands
or tens of thousands who viii leave;
thereIl be rumors a-plenty; there'll be
the damnedest row since the Cru
sades-but the people will stick I'm
taking your word for the danger"
well, I'm the hostage" Darrow re-
minded him. y
Correct" said Curtis, reaching for
the desk telephone.
Hallowell followed the visitors to
the narrow hall.
Now" said DArrow in parting, re
member what have said. Don't men,
ton my name nor indicate that there
Is anywhere an idea that the identity
or whereabouts Of Monsieur X Is by
anybody suspected"
Having thus detailed rather min
utely the situation In which the city
and the actors in its drama found
themselves, it now becomes necessary
to move the action forward to the
point where the moneyed interests
took q hand in the game.
That was brought about in somewhat
more than fifty hours. ..
In the meantime the facts as to
vibrations were published in all the
papers; the dispatches and the rela-
tons between Mccarthy and Mon
sieur X exclusively In the Despatch
to that organs vast satisfaction and
credit; and the possibilities Of tragedy
in none. This latter fact was greatly
to the credit Of a maligned class OF
men. It Is common belief that no
cause is too sacred or no consequence
too grave to give pause to the editorial
rapacity for news. The present In
stance disproved that supposition. No
journal, yellow or otherwise, con-
tanned line Of suggestion that any
thing beyond annoyance was to be
feared from these queer manifesto
tons. ..,....
The consequences on mixed popu-
lation like that Of New York were
livery peculiar. The people naturally
divided themselves into three classes.
| In the first were those who had re-
ceived their warning from logic,
friends, or the outside world; and
who either promptly left town or, be-
ing unable to do so, lived in fear. In
the second were all that numerous
body who, neurasthenically unbalanced
or near the overbalance, shut In
stinctively the eyes OF their reason
and glowed with devastating and
fanatical religious zeal. Among these,
so extraordinarily are we constituted,
almost Immediately grew up various
sects, uniting only in the belief that
the wrath of God was upon an in
iquitous people. ...
By far the largest class Of ALL COM
prising the everyday busy bulk Of the
people, were those who accepted the
thing at it's face value, read its own
| papers, went about It's business, and
, spared time to laugh at the absurdt
ties or growl at the inconvenience
OF the phenomena. With true Amer
Iican adaptability, it speedily accustom-
ed itself to both the expectation of,
and the coping with, unusual condf
tons. It went forth about its daily
Affairs; it started for home q little
early in order to get there In season;
lit eschewed subways and theaters; 1t
learned to wait patiently, when one
OF the three blights struck its world,
as a man waits patiently for shower
to pass. 49,.
Tn1S CLASS, aS las OSeIl Sdlu, was
preponderantly in the majority, but
it's mass was being constantly dimin-
ished as a little knowledge Of danger
seeped into it's substance. News Of
the possible catastrophe passed from
mouth to mouth; world outside,
waiting aghast at such faulty, began
to get in its messages Street cor
ner alarmists talked to such as would
listen. Thousands upon thousands
left the city. Hundreds Of thousands
more, tied hard and fast by the
strings of necessity, waited in an
hourly growing dread.
The "sign" had been sent promptly
at 6 o'clock, as promised. It proved
Darrow's prediction by turning out
to be stoppage of the electrical
systems. This time it lasted only
half an hour-long enough to throw
the traffic and transportation into con-
fusion. It was followed at short in
tervals by demonstrations in light and
sound: none was Of long duration.
After the first few, their occur
renee came freakishly, in flashes, as