Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-10-26

reach il. would be as safe from mob
violence a. On a ship Mt sea.
A steep climb. a wild expanse OF
star-lit moor. little ancient trees grow
ing very close together. a strong per-
fume of bayberry bushes. OF sweet
fern and roses, and then the low
~ceilinged. softly lighted hall. with
many menservants. cool. delightful
night. soundly s~lept-these were Ce-
lestia's first impression of Gull Island.
In the morning she went with her
husband TO the eastern cliffs. and
she had her first look at the cean-
sullenly tumbling. white-maned-un-
der a gray and sullen sky.
Soon after Tonmy's departure. and
before the triumvirate could complete
their arrangements for the retreat to
Cults Island. the streets contiguous
to Gordon Barclays house and the
streets in the neighborhood began to
fill with men and women who looked
like the dregs OF the city.
But il was Immediately in front OF
the house that the crowd was thick
est and most meLacing.
There was no actual violence until
crowd on an ~improvised rustrum.
roared for blood and vengeance.
Weapons began To flash.
Then the police tried to dispense the
mob. and. alter hard fighting and
the breaking OF many heads. were
oyerpowered. passed over and SWEPT
aside. Then the crowd began "a swarm
over the tai iron gates ard the spiked
iron fence.
There was a fountain-a bronze
youth. arms akiEbo. who with pulled
cheeks blew a tine spray OF water. Him
certain stray violent men priel from
his base. and used. swinging him by
the Get and arms. 70 batter down
the solid. heavy front door OF the
house.
This done. the leaders rushed in.
and for a moment Were halted by the
uncompror1ising dignity and gran
deur OF the hall. Facing them was a
fight Of marble steps. AZ the top OF
these stood Gor[cn Barclay. When
the crowd recognized him they yelled
like a pack OF wolves. The corners
OF his mouth twitched with a kind OF
CLASSY contempt. He turned slowly
and passed through a doorway that
was just behind him. slammed the
door shut and locked IL. Not till then
did he show a sign OF fear or haste.
Now. however. he ran swiftly through
the library. out at the other end.
and down a back stair to the service
courtyard. Here. headed for tall
wooden gates in a tall brick wall over
which wisteria was festooned. stood
a powerful limousine car. The en-
CINE was purring. On the box sat two
brave and handsome young men of the
Barclay livery. In the body of the
car sat Semmes and Sturtevant. Stur-
tevant looked %furiously angry. Semmes
looked seasick.
At the gates stood two footmen ready
to fling them open. Most OF the
crowd was at the front OF the house.
Meanwhile the bronze boy OF the
fountain came up the front stair. bat
tered head first. and was used to ram
down the door behind which Barclay
had been seen to disappear.
The first man to enter the long. rich
library was Gunsdorf. He gave only
a glance at the open panel which dis
closed the inviting interior nf a safe.
or at the ~greenbacks and yellowbacks
OF all denominations which the willy
financier had scattered about the
room. on tables. on chairs. on the
noor-such things were for children
Raging :or his comrades to follow
him. Gunsdorf rushed the length OF the
room. found the back stair down which
Rarclav had ~retreated. and cane IN
less time than il takes to tell II 10
the service court ut the back of the
house.
But nobody followed Gunsdorf. The
open safe. the scattered bills, stopped
men as a solid cliff might have done.
Vengeance was forgotten. and the
crowd began to loot.
Nnen GunSuOrf reached the court
yard the gates were half open. On
strong steel brackets fixed to the
back of the car were two spare rims.
with inflated tires. These formed a
resting place for ~Gunsdorf's feet and
a grip for his hands. But the first
forward lean OF the car. followed by
a ~hair-raising swerve to the left. al
most threw him off.
Shots were fired. The car went over
something soft that screamed. and
that remained in the street after the
a had passed and thwacked like a
newly landed fish.
Gunsdorf stood upon the spare tires
and chung TO them and the lights of
New York whirled by.
The scene of the riot was far be-
hind. Up Fifth avenue the a raced.
II was that hour before dark when
the summer traffic Was light. and the
face OF the great Gordon Barclay at
the window of the car was enough TO
make even the boldest traffic cor
think twice.
Through Central park. out Seventh
emu across McComb's dam bridge.
up Jerome avenue. through Fordham
TO the Pelham parkway. into New Ho-