Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-03
Fremont Older Is
Friend of Crooks.
Former Nemesis of Criminal Fratern-
ity Change by Association With
Man He Was Preparing to "Squea"
on comrade-The Man and Incl
dents of His Life.

Fremont Older. managing editor of
the Bulletin" a San Francisco news
paper. has suddenly gone soft-insane,
some people put it, being a trif1e care
less of their lexicology. He was the
Nemesis of crooks. He has become
their best friends.
You know, 1 don't call them crooks
any more" said Mr.. Older mildly.
Yet it is but little way back when
this man, tall and terrible in his pas
sions, was the long. lean tiger of the
historic graft prosecution. If We
should carry that animal characterize
ton round the circle of the proseeut-
ors, Spreekles was the bulldog Burns
was the panther Heney was the lion.
and Johnson was the old rhino who
charged couple of times across the
field, smashing as he went.
AS for Older. his later journalistic
career had been one long man hunt.
He singled out causes and assailed
them, individuals and damned them
puhlicly-while he hated them private
ly with animosity that was venofnous.
That the cause or the man so assailed
was usually bad, that Older's paper has
been found consistently espousing most
Of the causes which have made for
social and political betterment during
the last decade is, for the moment,
aside from the point. II is the spirit of
the man which we are considering, ana
that spirit was tigerish.
The Tigers Last Chase.
Upon emerging from the temporarily
disappointing issues of the graft prose-
| cution, Older was, If possible, more
imfiamed, more ferecious, more blood
hungry than he had ever been; and,
true to type, entered Immediately upon
another man hunt. But that last chase
was the pulling of the tigers fangs.
Some fly bit him in those latter junGles,
and older is so changed that his
friends wonder and his enemies cavil.
Yet violent changes might not have
been unlocked for, since, slanting back
| into Older's past, we find him always
man of exaggerated enthusiasts
amounting frequently to excuses. He
worked excessively, he pleasured ex-
cessivelv. he loved and hated excess
sivelly-in all things, his vices and his
virtues, he was man VINO went 10
| lengths. Some days he was optimistic
| a sun-crowned scion of Eros; upon
others he was depressed almost to the
point of mania. Down to this present
| he has his black moods, when the men
of his staff go softly outside the range
of the guns of his wrath.
AS for his physical appearance, the
body of the man fits his soul like a
| glove. Fremont Older towers more
than six feet high. His head is large.
His hair and mustache are dark; Ill
anger his eyes kindle lightnings He
pursues relentlessly with q shrewdness
that is uncanny, and to the imagia-
ton of his cornered victim, no doubt
! often doomed like an Unsuitable ghoul.
It is therefore hardly surprising to
find that such a man has many and
bitter enemies, nor necessarily dsicon-
| certing to find that the bitterest were
at some time his friends, and that a
web of once mutual obligations now
binds them in malevolence, or did, till
| older changed and began to speak his
enemies fair, no matter how they spoke
of him. Yet, even now, when he has
become soft, when he heads no more
man hunts and vents no more bitter
ness. but turns back along his own trail
| to gather up the wounded. it is char
acteristic of the man that his crusades
of kindness seem to rouse as bitter
enemities as did his pursuits.
| But--to the traiE
| In the autumn of 1909 p. II. Nc
Carthy labor leader, was a candi-
date for Mayor of San Francisco. Old
er was suspicious of Mccarthy. Be-
sides, he had. grapevine information
that Flannery, saloon keeper, had
promised protection to Joe Abbott. a
bunko man whose speciality was fake
| pool roms, provided Mccarthy were
elected. Mccarthy was elected. and
| Older's grapevine reported that tele-
gram passed Immediately from Elan
| merry to Abbott who was in Seattle.
shortly thereafter Abbott appeared
upon the scene, but instead of going to
work in San Francisco. began opera
lions in Sausalito, a port in Marin
County on San Francisco Bay. Here,
at the turning of his first big trick,
he was arrested. and some of his con-
federates with him, and charged with
a felony.
| II subsequently developed that he
had spread some money around and
supposed himself to be operating un-
der protection; but that was mistake
The buIlko man had himself been bum
koed.
From behind the bars. Abbott waited
impatiently for his friend Flannery to
/ appear with bail money; but Flannery
did not appear. Days passed. Abbott
became anxious and finally fretful.
Still no Flannery.
older, lusting for the gore Of Nc
Carthy, surveying every detail of the
! aeId from his editorial aerie. saw what
was happening, and sensed its POSSIBLE
i Ia Ynfad the SSfnE OF