Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-05
The Price of Life I'm New York City.

to decide who it was who had reason to
do him harm.
Obviously. however. it wouldn't do in
most cases for the victim to squeal To
the police To give the name of the man
he believed responsible for the assault
and TO have him arrested would invite
publicity and scandal which the victim
would much rather avert. The victim
thinks it all over and suffers in silence.
That is why the gorilla has little to fear
if he can once make safe getaway.
There is very little chance that he will
be caught through any clue the victim IS
in position to furnish. and it is a squeal
on the man he knows is responsible for
the assault
How do peaceable law biding citizens.
absolutely unfamiliar with the ways OF
the underworld. unknown to single one
of it's denizens, men who perhaps have
never even seen A real criminal. how do
such men when the occasion arises man
age TO procure an agent To commit
murder for them for cash?
The task is not difficult as it might
seem. Any one who knows anything at
all about the underworld knows that
every crook from the petty sneak thief to
the murder for-hire spends most of his
time and money in gambling houses. the
cafes of the East Side and opium layouts
1t is the keeper of such IA re
sort. then. through whom the inquiry
must be pursued. No very embarrassine
questions would usually be asked if even
the most respected citizen should ask
through friendly policeman, politician
place as this. 1t might be obtained under
the pretense of gaining experience.
.
That is the first step and the most inn
portant one. From that point everything
else is comparatively easy. BY the use of
little tact and the spending of a few
dollars the respected citizen in d few
days will have gained the confidence OF
the keeper of the resort to such an eX-
tent. at any rate, that he may now breach
the subject nearest his heart little more
openly.
meeting with a gang leader is the
next step arranged by the resort keeper
The citizen vouched for by his newly
made acquaintance can begin to speak
plainly. The final details and the meeting
with the gorillas for detailed instructions
usually come off In the back room of
some saloon to which the citizen repairs
with more or less misgivngs because of
It's apparent shady appearance He is
afraid some one may see him enter it.
Quoting his fears with the thought
that no one who knows him is apt to be
around in this low neighborhood he en-
ters, ana there. in the back room, whore
he is introduced to the men who are to
90 his work he meets the biggest sur
prise of his life
Instead of two rough-necked heavy
Jawed. bulging- shOuldered toughs built
on the lines of heavyweight prize fighters
two slim, pale-faced young men are pre-
sented to him. Neither one appears tn ne
big enough or strong enough to give A
good account of himself with any man
OF his size and neither of them is
The truth is that the average glInman
is a coward. He wouldn't stand for a fair
fight with any one his size because he
knows he would get the worst of il. The
life he leads. late hours, dissipation and
the smoking of opium put him in no
physical condition to put up any kind of
fight even if he knows the rudiments
of pugilism.
But that is not necessary. The gang
ster doesn't fight with his hands anyway.
\ gun, brass knuckles. a blackjack and
a simple piece of lead pipe are the tools
he favors and armed with one of these
he is ready to do battle with any one
from behind
The arrangement concluded, the money
for the job is posted with the saloon
keeper, to be paid when the work is done
That ends 1t far the citizen is con-
cerned. He can go about his business
without even looking at the papers to see
whether they contain any account of a
barbarous murder. Perhaps that is the
better way, for it is not unlikely that
down in the heart of the citizen turks
fear that somehow his own completely in
the murder may come to light.
But he hears no more about it, and it