Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-09-22

/ lAO1I nZu 10 IMAM. nc u1Q ASKED
many questions which were but the
commonplaces that any individual
who wanted to get smattering of the
detail of such a business would have
asked. He was received tolerantly
| by the old heads Of the customs crowd.
Many agents had 6een to the docks
ahead of him and most of these had
been experts. If they began to set
dangerous, political influence was used
in having them pulled off the job or
money was used in having them fail
to report any wrongdoing. But this
youngster who did not know the sim
plest things about the customs service
he was hardly worthy of notice.
But during that week Gard had not
expected to become customs expert.
His plan for getting results was
founded on a different idea. He had
been hunting for a man who suited
the purpose of his plan, and had found
him. This man was an Irishman by
the name of O'Toole, who was one of
the weighers at a certain dock in
Brooklyn. He had in the back of his
head all the facts that the special
agent lacked. If he could be induced
to cooperate, the case might be
worked out
! O'Toole was a man of fifty, and had
been a weigher for eleven years.
Gard had learned many things about
him. He had no family, his great en-
| thusiasm was baseball, and his weak
ness was a certainty of going to the
mat with John Barleycorn every third
Saturday night. He was lonesome
man, and sour and cynical
How long have you been on this
investigation" O'Toole asked Gard
before the conversation had gone
far.
Just this week." said the special
| agent.
Have you found anything?" asked
the weigher.
Not yet" said the special agent.
well, if you want your job to
last, don't" said the Irishman.
They discussed the general points
in the business of weighing cargoes
and the work of the force having
1 AZ III Shc4 i1dL luG 6PCNAehA eb6C1C
had gathered the idea that O'Toole
was not in sympathy with conditions,
that he was not member of the in
ner circle. Yet an intelligent man
serving as weigher for eleven years
would know secrets that would be of
interest to the government, and
OToole was embittered. He should
be cultivated.
The days of the following week the
special agent spent about the docks
dressed as rough laboring man. The
nights he spent in nearby saloons
with the acquaintance he had made
during the day. The idea in this was
to determine what information the
laborers were able to pick up and
whether they could be used as inforns-
ers. Many of these were Irishmen, az
smart as the best of them, and pretty
well aware of what was going on.
From the gossip of these men it was
also possible to get many flash on
the character of the men higher up.
O'Toole they pronounced honest.
''They won't give him a chance to
get on the inside" said one, because
they are afraid he might talk when he
! is drunk"
''He wouldn't take dirty money, any
way" insisted another. "He is an
honest man."
The third week the special agent
was devoting to the ball park sitting
in the bleachers three seats back OF
O'Toole. He had determined that the
!, Irishman should tell him the story Of
: the customs frauds from the inside.
He knew that, to get on basis OF
sufficient good feeling to bring this
about, he must approach O'Toole on
. the most favorable basis possible. Too
|, much care could not be taken in laying
!, the foundation for his final proposal
to the weigher The mans love for
baseball first presented itself. The
agent determined to become fellow
fan with him. Thus should he come
to know him better and under most
favorable circumstances.
On two occasions the special agent
bowed to the weigher in leaving the
bleachers. He had thus got himself
identified in that individuals mind
as fellow fan. 1t was the end Of the
second week, however, before the con-
ditions developed that made just the
opening that Gard wanted. The situa-
ton worked itself out on Saturday aft
ernoon. The game had gone three
innings when furry of rain threat
ened to bring it to a close. Then
there was downpour. The people in
the bleachers scurried for shelter.
There seemed little chance for the
game being resumed, and most Of the
bleacherites filed out under their UNI
brellas.
Some twenty enthusiastic fans held