The Ordway new era., 1915-02-19

ri syndicate Il
1t was Silas Bannerman who finally
ran down that scientific wizard and
arch-enemy of mankind. Emil Gluck
Gluck's confession, before he went to
the electric chair. threw much light
upon the series of mysterious events.
many apparently unrelated. that SO
perturbed the world between the years
1888 and 194f.
While the deeds OF Emil Gluck were
all that was abominable. we cannot
but feel, to a certain extent, pity for
the unfortunate. malformed and NAL.
treated genius. This side of his story
has never been told before. and from
his confession and from the great
mass Of evidence and the documents
and records OF the time we are able to
construct q fairly accurate portrait Of
him. and to discern the factors and
pressures that nodded him into the
human monster he became and that
drove him onward along the fearful
path he 'trod.
Emil Gluck was born In Syracuse.
N. Y, In 1895. His father. Josephus
0luck, was a special policeman and
night watchman who. in the year 1900.
died suddenly Of pneumonia. The
mother. a pretty. fragile creature, who
before her marriage had been milli-
ner. grieved herself to death over the
loss OF her husband. This sensitive
ness Of the mother was the heritage
that In the boy became morbid and
horrible.
In 1901 the boy. Emil. then six years
OF age. went to live with his aunt,
Mrs. Ann Bartell. She was a vain.
shallow and heartless woman. In her
breast was no kindly feeling for the
sensitive. shrinking boy. Also. she was
cursed with poverty and burdened
with . husband who was lazy, erratic
mot wanted and Ann Bartell could be
trusted to impress this fact sufficient
Iy upon him. As an Illustration OF the
treatment he received In that early,
formative period. the following IN
stance is given:
When he had been living in the
Bartell home a little more than q
year. he broke HIS leg. He sustained
the injury through playing on the for
bidden roof-as all boys have done
and will continue to do to the end of
time The leg was broken in two
places between the knee and thigh.
Emil. helped by his frightened play
mates. managed to drag himself to
the front sidewalk. where he tainted.
The children OF the neighborhood
were afraid of the hard-featured shrew
who presided over the Bartell house;
but. summoning their resolution, they
rang the bell and told Ann Bartell of
the accident. She did not even look
at the little lad who lay stricken on
the sidewalk, but slammed the door
and went back to her washtub. The
time passed. A drizzle came on and
Emil Gluck, out of his faint, lay sob
bling In the rain. Tho leg should have
been set Immediately. As 1t was, the
Inflammation rose rapidly and made
nasty case Of It. At the end of two
hours the indignant women of the
neighborhood protested to Ann Bar
tell. This time she came out and
looked at the lad as he lay helpless at
her feet. Also she Historically dis
owned him.
II was q woman. Elizabeth Shep-
stone. who came along. learned of the
situation and had the boy placed on
a shutter. It was she who called the
doctor and who. brushing aside AM
Bartell. had the boy carried into the
house. When the doctor arrived Ann
Bartell promptly warned him that she
would not pay him for his services.
For two months little Emil lay in bed.
once being turned over; and he lay
neglected and alone. save for the oe-
casfonal visits of the unremunerated
and overworked physician.
1t would seem strange that from tho
hands of Ann Bartell Emil Gluck
should have received college educa-
tion; but the explanation IL simple.
Her ne'er-do-well husband. deserting
her. made strike in the Nevada gold
fields and returned to her many
times millionaire. Ann Bartell hated
the hoy and Immediately she sent him
TO the Farristown academy. a hundred
miles away. Shy and sensitive. a lone
1y and misunderstood little soul, he
was more lonely than ever at Farris.
town.
He was a remarkable student. Ap.
plication such as his would have taken
him far; but he did not need applica-
tion. A glance at the text meant mas.
tery for him. The result was that he
did an immense amount OF collateral
reading and acquired more in half
year than did the average student in
half dozen years. In 1909. barely
fourteen years Of age. he was ready
more than ready" the headmaster Of