The Tomahawk., 1916-10-12
Copyright by W. G. Chapman

It is here set down for the first time
that Special Agent Billy Gard or inc
United States department OF justice
trod the deck of the good German
ship Esmiranga and smoked many
Mexican cigarettes on that historic
morning in April, 1914, when she ap-
proached the port of Vera Cruz, load
ed to the 'gunwales with ammunition
for the Huertistas, and precipitated
the landing of American marines.
Also It is here first told that it was
the hand of Billy Gard that Lighted
the match that ignited the powder
that caused the explosion that kept
Yankee fighting men in Mexico LOT
many months and the big American
sister republics on the verge of war.
For the action of the head of the gov
eminent of hundred million people,
the orders extended to the military,
the scuttling of battleships and trans
ports, were based upon mysterlously
received messages from this young rep
resentative of the United States, VINO
through a combination of chance ana
design found himself strangely placed
in the center of web OF clrcum-
stance.
It had all started in a New York
hotel six months before. 1t was not
entirely out of keeping with what was
to follow that huge and bewhiskered
Russian should have staged the pro-
logue of what was later to assume
something of the nature of an inter
national farce. But it was such man,
registering himself as G. Egeloff,
pronouncing some of his Indifferent
English with the explOsiveness or
Russia and some of it with the lifting
softnes of Latin America, who created
a scene in a Manhattan hotel and
thus first introduced the whole mat
ter. He had arrived but a moment
before, dusty, disheveled, empty hand
ed. The room clerk had suggested
that it was the custom of the hotel
that guests without baggage should
pay in advance. Then had come the
explosion accompanied by oaths in
four languages.
The man with the whiskers called
upon all to witness that this indignity
had been placed upon him, G. Egeloff,
the representative of rulers of ma
tions the bearer of credentials, the
possessor of enough money in his one
vest pocket to buy the hotel in ques-
ton and turn it into a barracks for
his poems.
Whereupon he produced from the
vest pocket in question a draft on
the Mexican treasury for the neat
sum of three million dollars in gold,
signed by none other than Victoriano
Huerta himself At which signal the
entire hotel staff salaamed Profound
ly and the man who swOre was es-
corted to the best suite and the house
detective telephoned to the special
agents of the department of justice.
Billy Gard was forthwith sent out
to determine the legitimacy of the
mission Of this strange representative
of turbulent Mexico.
In three days he knew that Egeloff
was in touch with those representa-
tives Of the Huerta regime with whom
the department Of justice was already
acquainted and whose activities CEN
tered about a certain Mexican board
ing house just off Union square. He
also knew that the Russian had called
up from his hotel room certain manu-
facturers of munitions whose factories
were in Hartford and that representa-
tiyes of those firms had visited him.
Gard had drawn the conclusion that
the Russian was buying ammunition
for the Mexican government. Since
the United States was denying clear
ance to ships with such cargoes de-
stined to either faction to the con-
troversy to the south, it was neces-
sary that all the facts be ascertained.
But it developed that the strong
current of the plans of the man from
Mexico ran through Valentines, that
outfitter of revolutionists and dealer
in secondhand and out-of-date war
material. Valentines based his oper-
atoms upon the principle that the dis
carded munitions Of progressive ma
lions are plenty good enough for use
in Latin-America and that the pur'
chase Of all such, no matter how an
tiquatei, offers good opportunity
for profit. Hardly warlike venture
in the tumultuous lands to the south
has run it's course within recent years
without leaning heavily upon Valen'
tines.
Knowing this Gard was particular
~ anxious to find out what was trans
piring within when, on murky Sat
urday night, he followed the Russian
and three of his Mexican associates
through the narrow lanes of the low
er East side, beneath it's changing ele
waited, and to the side door of Valen
tines within which they disappeared
He had previously reconnoitered
the surroundings. He knew that Val
entines had taken great care in guard
ing the privacy of his establishment
The dark back room in which his con
ferences were held had but one en-
trance which was from the main es
Establishment. The areaway from