davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-13

THE London Times, charging that
the British were caught unready by the
Germans in the battle on the southern
end of the Cambria salient on Nov.
30, demands a searching inquiry. It
was in this engagement that one Of
the British generals fought clad only
in his pajamas. Apparently what the
English fighters need are alarm
clocks They have been sleeping too
late mornings.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-13

Lease Is Signed.-At a special meet
ing of the levee commission Tuesday
the 10-year lease with the ferry COM
pany was signed, granting to the
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
The Blind Mans
4 EDWIN ssss yes s::ss; .: s;s:;

(Continued From Our Last Issue)
She went into the hall. Half
an hour later she stepped out
doors.
At first there seemed to be no
sound outdoors other than the
gentle rush of the waves on the
beach at the foot of the bluff be-
hind her; then, in the opposite d.
rection, she defined the undertone
OF some faraway confusion. The
noise grew nearer and clearer.
And now one sound clattered loud
er and louder and leaped nearer
rapidly and rose above the rest,
the roar of a powerful motor car
racing with "cut-out" open - the
bearer of news of success of the
search.
Harriet went colder as she knew
this; then she ran up the road to
meet the car coming.
"What Is it," she cried.
"We've got him!" the man cried.
We've got him!"
Him"
Iilin. IluEH oNbf tuH EdtoHi
Miss Santoine. He's Hugh Over
ton; hadn't you heard? And we've
got him!"
Got him?"
She seemed to the man not to
understand; and he had not time
to explain further, even tot her.
where is Mr.. Avery?" he de-
manded. 1--WE got to tell Mr..
Avery"
She made no response but threw
herself in front of the car and
clasped wheel as the man started
to throw In his gear. He cried to
her and tried to get her off; but
she was deaf to him. He looked in
the direction of the house, shut off
his power and leaped down. He
left the machine and ran on the
road toward the house. Harriet
waited until he was away, then
she sprang to the seat: she started
the car and turned Ii back In the
direction from which II had come.
She speeded and soon other head
lights flared at hers-the captors
OF Hugh were approaching In tri-
umphal procession. Harriet felt
the wild, savage impulse to hurl
her racing car heading and at full
speed among them. She rushed on
80 close that she saw she alarmed
them; they cried a warming: but
Harriet caught her car on the
brakes and swung 1t straight
across the road and stopped 1t; she
closed the throttle and pulled the
key from the starting mechanism
and flung 1t into the woods. So she
sat In the car, waiting for the
captors Of Hugh to come up.
The motors stopped: the mSn on
foot closed around; men descend
ed from the leading car. Harriet
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
Omitted Press Leased Wire. }

LONDON, April 30.-As an in
dication that the British offensive
is not taking all the strength OF
the British army in the Arras to
St. Quentin front, Field Marshal
Haig staged a strong raid north
of Ypres today.
AT night, north of Ypres, a
successful raid was carried out. +"
the British commander-in-chief
reported. Eighteen prisoners and
a machine gun were captured.
Ypres Is nearly so miles north
of the Arras sector, where the
British push was still powerfully
exerted against the remnants of
the northermost end of the Wotan
line.
Fight In "Clinch.'
The fighting in the rounded
sector in front of Gavrelle, Roeux,
Monchy and Guemappe was APP
parently in a "clinch" today, the
armies on both sides more or less
deadlocked.
With yesterdays captures of
German positions around Oppy,
the British forces have now reach
ed broken, irregular ground,
where the natural advantages of
position are with the enemy
Every dispatch from the front to-
day likewise mentioned the extra
ordinary number of fresh troops
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30

further. This last year a minor
reorganization became necessary
in some of the Latron properties.
My friend, Gabriel Warden-who
was an honest man, Avery-had
recently greatly increased his in
terest in those properties; the re-
organization fell largely into his
hands. Warden-the honest man,
Ayery-discovered the terrible in
justice done to the nameless fugi-
tive who had been convicted as
the murderer of Matthew Latron.
Warden's discoveries gave him
also Overton's address. Warden
risked and lost his life trying to
help Overton.
Il do not need to draw your at
|tention, Avery, to the very pecu-
liar condition which followed War
den's death. Warden had had
communication with Overton;
Overton's enemies, therefore, did
not know how much Overton
knew. They did not dare to let
suspicion of what had been done
reach me. There was no course
open to them, therefore, but to
remove Overton before my suspi-
cions were aroused.
What | am leading UP to,
Avery, Is your own connection
with these events. When-know-
ing who Eaton was-you got him
into a polo game, 1t was so that,
IL your interests were best served
by exposing him, you could do SO
without revealing the real source
of your knowledge of him. But
an unforeseen event arose. The
papers relating to the reorganiza-
ton of Latron properties were
sent me. At first there was moth
ing threatening to you In this. be-
cause their contents could reach
me only through you. But had
my daughter take these matters
out of your hands; you did not
dare then even to ask me to give
them back, for fear that would
draw my attention to them aad
to you.
That night, Avery, you sent
an unsigned telegram; almost
within "a hours my study was en-
tered, the safe was broken down,
the contents were carried away.
The study window had been left
open from within. Do you sup
pose / do not know that one of
the two men in the study last
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
DRAFT BILL
IS DOUBTFUL

Continued from Page ~
subject which may take hours.
N other words, the bill
today is in the same position
1t was u week ago, subject to
the introduction of all amend
ments which have been intro
duced and discussed for hours
during the last week,
Senator Chamberlain, who is in
charge of the bill in the senate, is
confident that many amendments
previously introduced will not be
again presented because the vote
went against them before and that
whatever amendments are offered
will be disposed of with such dis
patch that a vote will be reached
late tonight.
To Start Registering.
The administration selective
draft bill will be on the statute
books before the end of the week,
If present plans carry.
AS matters stood today the
senate proposed to move substitu-
ton of its draft bill, passed last
Saturday, for the house bill.
The measure must go to- con.
ference committee Of the house
and senate, there to smooth out
mainly the age limit provision, set
by the senate at 27 and by the
house at 40.
Leaders anticipated today this
could be accomplished by We'd
nesday or Thursday, whereupon
the bill will be signed by Pres
ident Wilson and the war depart
ment will start at once its task
of registering the conscripts and
preparing to mass them into an
army within the next few months.
Wants to Go Home.
AS soon as the conscript meas
ure is out of the way in congress,
further attention will be paid to
the administration espionage bill.
Congress, which only short
time ago was urgent about stay
ing here to advise and uphold the
President, is now showing signs of
a real anxiety to be done with its
task and return home. Probably
this will not be for one or two
months yet, however.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
|REDHAND
ARE ADS

The mysterious red hand" let
tiers. mailed tot every lumber man
ufacturer in the Northwest on
Friday and Saturday, and which
caused saw mill men tot hire
armed guards and call on federal
Investigators, were part of an ad-
vertising scheme.
The scheme was so eminently
successful that 1t will never, never
be tried any more.
1t was conceived by the Seattle
agent of a single machinery
house located in the East. Yester-
day the agent was working large
force of clerks sending out apollo
gies for the trouble he started.
He had new patent he was try
ing to advertise.
Mill Men Fear Trouble
The red hand cards received by
the lumbermen contained but two
brief statements, the first say
ine Three Days More" while be-
low were stamped the words I'VE
Mean Business" simultaneously
from every lumber center in the
state results of the campaign were
evident. Mills demanding pro-
lection from local and federal Of
ficials, organizations starting in
vestigations, newspapers printing
surmises, were In evidence all over
Western Washington yesterday.
Meanwhile the originator of the
adv ertising lodge was beginning
to sweat. He planned to follow
the first postcards with further
enlightening details, tell about
so and Sos shingle block" But
the follow-up literature has gone
into the waste basket, not into
the mail.
Decides Apology Best
When the perpetrator read in
the daily press that he started "a
widespread and destructive CAM
paign or sabotage and arson, de-
signed to disrupt' lumber and log
ging camps and the burning OF
millions of feet of timber" he be-
gan to feel that he had started
a good deal more than he could
finish. He had expected to be
hailed as "clever and original" So
on Sunday he started out to apol-
ogize.
The solution of the "red hand"
mystery was unearthed yesterday
by officers of an organization of
which most of the bly, millmen are
members. 1t developed that the
machinery agent had consulted the
postal authorities before he start
ed his campaign and learned that
his mysterious post cards were not
in violation of the postal laws.
The net result Of the affair is
the loss of some postage and print
ed matter and of a lot of sleep
and peace of mind by the lumber
men Of the Northwest.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
CHAPTER XIV.
Explanations.

Santoine, following Harriet's de-
parture, heard the servant go out
and close the door; he had in
structeds the man and another to
remain In the hall. The blind man
then walked slowly to a large
chair In the center of the room
and sat down.
when did you learn that
Eaton was Hugh Overton, Avery?'
he asked.
To-day"
How did you discover it,"
"He gave himself away at polo. y
"At polo? Then you knew abou,
IL the other day."
"Oh. no." Avery denied. 81 saw
that he was pretending not to
know a game which he did know
The men In this country who car
play great polo are few. So l sent
for the polo ANIMALS. His picture
with his name is in the group OF
the Spring Meadows club; he
played back for them five years
ago."
You didn't tell me, however
that he could play polo when you
first found II out"
mo; l wanted to be sure oil
him before / spoke"
"Of course, said Santoine
knowing who Eaton is, gives us
no aid In determining who the men
were that fought with him In my
study last night?"
at gives none to me. Mr.. San.
toine," Avery said steadily.
And the very peculiar behavior
of the stock exchange today, ]
suppose, gives you no help, either
All day the Latron stocks have
been going down."
I'm afraid I don't follow you,
sir"
"Yet you are a very clever
man. Avery. Your friend and my
friend who sent you to me five
years ago was quite correct In
calling you clever. / have Just
found out that for about five
years my blindness has been used
by certain group of men to make
me the agent of a monstrous and
terrible injustice to an innocent
man. Except for my blindness
Avery. this injustice never could
have been carried on"
The blind man was silent for
an instant.
Let us go back, Avery, to the
emergency to which I am indebt-
ed for your faithful service. Five
years ago the American people APP
peared convinced that the only
way to perpetuate prosperity was
to accuse. condemn and jail for
life--if execution we're not legal
the heads of the important
groups of Industrial properties.
Just at that time, one of these
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
CARRIED TWO GUNS.
lUnited Press Leased Wire.)

NEW YORK, April 30.-Capt.
S. S. Harris, residing at Hampton
N. Y, was in command OF the
oil tanker Vacuum when she was
sunk and Lieut.. Thomas, U. S.
NJ, commanded the American
navy gun crew aboard her, &C.
cording to information obtained
here today.
A cablegram received by the
oil company and cabled advices
to the United Press, indicated
that a total of 16 men, including
Capt. Harris and the American
gun crew were probably lost.
The Vacuum's crew numbered
"a and Is were reported landed
in the reports from London.
Fifteen members of the crew
were Americans. With the gun.
ners and the lieutenant In com
mand, the Americans numbered
25.
The Vacuum Oil company ad-
mitted receiving cabled advices OF
the loss of the vessel, but with
held details.
The Vacuum was of 1922 tons.
She carried two guns, forward
and aft, in charge of a naval gun
crew. The Vacuum had a crew
crew of "a. She has been carry
ing oil to Europe since 1914.
Only two of the American ma
val gunners are listed as saved
in a cablegram received at the
oil company's offices here today.
The Vacuum was formerly
known as the Baymon. At the
company's offices it was stated
that she had discharged her car
go at Liverpool and was home
ward bound when attacked.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30

night was the principal whose
agents had failed in two attempts
to get rid of Overton for him,
whose other agent-yourself,
Avery-had failed to intercept the
evidence which would have re-
vealed the truth to me, SO that,
no longer trusting to agents he
himself had come in desperation
to prevent my learning the facts
| realize fully, Avery, that by
means of you my blindness and
my reputation have been used for
five years to conceal from the
public the fact that Matthew Lat
ron had not been murdered, but
was still alive!"
The blind man halted. Avery
not only realized that the end of
deception and concealment had
come; he recognized thoroughly
that Santoine would not have
spoken until he had certain proof
to back his words.
Avery now got up.
"I don't think you have much
against me, Mr.. Santoine," he
managed to say. IL didn't have
anything to do with convicting
Overton, or know anything about
lit until that part was all over; l
never saw him till l saw him on
the train. l didn't know Warden
was going to be killed"
but you were accessory to the
robbery of my house last night
and, therefore, accessory to the
murder of Wallace Blatchford.
Last night, too, knowing Overton
was innocent Of everything charg-
ed against him, you gave orders to
fire upon him at sight and he was
fired upon. And what were you
telling Harriet when / came in?
You have told the police that
Overton is the murderer of Lat
ron. Isn't that SO the police will
refuse to believe anything he may
say and return him to the death
cell for the sentence to be eNecu-
ted upon him? The law will call
these things attempted murder,
Avery"
The blind man heard Avery pac-
ing the floor, and then heard him
stop in front Of him.
what is it you want Of me,
Mr.. Santoine?"
1.-THE little Information I still
require. Who killed Warden?"
Continued in Our Next ISSUE
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
APPLAUD DRAFT PLAN.

LONDON, April 30.-Enthus-
iastic approval of the indorse-
ment of CONSUMPTION by the
American congress, based on the
Sunday reports, was universally
voiced by the London newspapers
today.
They declare the belief that the
draft would enable the United
Stats to avoid many of the mis-
takes made by Great Britain.
Comment of the Pail Mall Ca
zette was typical. 1t said:
Passage of CONSUMPTION legis-
lation by congress shows an in
tention to profit by our mistakes.
Our new ally will not now see
the time when its wasted efforts
will be blocked by postponement
of the Inevitable"
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
(SpeciaI to The Times. }


NEW YORK, April 3O.-Six-
teen billion, eight hundred ana
thirty million hours of daylight
may be added to the available
time Of the people of the United
states for preparedness.
This is what will happen III
congress follows the lead taken by
all the belligerent nations of Eu-
rope and enacts into law a meas
ure introduced in the senate by
Senator Calder of New York. and
in the house by Representative
Borland of Missouri, at the request
of the Daylight Saving committee
lof New York.
1.-THE plan, as adopted in Eu-
rope and as proposed by the COM
mittee of which l am chairman, is,
briefly, to turn the clock forward
this spring and turn it back to
normal time next fall, so that dur
ling the five summer months an
extra hour of daylight may be au-
dramatically obtained for the
whole Ito million of our people,
said Marcus M. Marks, president
of the Borough of Manhattan and
chairman of the New York Day
light Saving committee, today.
II placed In effect May 1 and
continued to the end OF Septem-
Der, a period of 1853 days, it would
mean 1880, 100000 hours of adj
ditional daylight. figuring one
hour for each man, woman and
child in the United States eacl
day.
This is enough time, IL IL
could be utilized in such
way, figuring 1000 men each
working eight hours day
for three years on each ship,
| guud.ys and holidays in
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
DAYLIGHT SAVING
IS VAST ECONOMY

cluded, to build 900 first line
battleships. counting the exc
ira hour as valuable to only
half the population.
1t is particularly desirable
now that the secretary Of
agriculture is urging every
one who has a vacant lot or
garden space to plant IL i'm
vegetables to help ward off n
food shortage. The extra
daylight hour will give clerks
and workingmen employed
during the day an extra hour
before darkness to work In
their gardens.
"The gain to the health of thu
nation by adopting the plan can
not be overemphasized," con,
tinued Marks. "Eyesight is con
served; the system is saved
from strain in the heat of the
and an extra hOrfr Il
provided for recreation.
Furthermore, the use OF ga!
and electric light will be restrict
ed"
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30

got down from her machine and
met them.
Where Is he?" she asked them.
Where Is he?"
They did not tell her; but reply
was unnecessary. He was In the
back seat of the second machine
with a man on each side. He held
his head up.
Harriet opened the door to the
car in which Hugh sat. 81 will
take this seat, please" she said
to the man nearer.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30
MAY DAY
BAD FOR
WILHELM
Omitted Press Leased wireJ

LONDON, April 30.-What to-
morrow-May Day-may bring
forth throughout the central en-
pires was interesting all Europe
today, belligerent and neutral
alike.
Austrian socialists and trades
unions have definitely determined
to institute a 24-hour general
strike.
/ Berlin dispatches announcing
this decision limited at consider
able apprehension that German
workmen would follow this ex-
ample. They detailed widespread
efforts by labor unions and social
list leaders to avert any tie-up In
Germany.
Reports Conflict.
Dispatches from Holland as
serted that German socialists
were working against the strike
and quoted Count Won Reventlow,
in the Berlin Tages Zeitung, as
denying that the socialists were
aiding in suppressing the strike
scheme.
AS against this. other Berlin in
formation asserted that the social
is organ, Vorwaerts, today warn
ed its readers in flaring type not
to join any movement which
would curtail the output of mu-
nitions.
May | may be a fateful day
for democracy in Germany" de-
clared the newspaper Germania,
conservative Catholic organ.
A Food Strike.
Most interest here conferred on
what may happen in Austria Hun
gary. For weeks past ever since
news of the Russian revolution
reached Emperor Carl's people
There have been persistent rumors
Of peace moves from the dual
monarchy and 1t is known the ma
ton Is suffering greatly from
lack Of food and general WEAKNESS
with war.
The general strike in the CEN
trail empires is primarily to voice
protest of the people against insult
ficient food.
According to best obtainable in
formation, the strike leaders
count only upon a tie-up Of all
Industry for "a hours-simply as
showing the people and the gov
ornment of the strength of the
Workmen and the necessity for
listening to their complaints.
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30

men committed a grave indiscre-
ton. Ii was a federal offense of
the most provable kind. He was
indicted. Considering the temper
Of any possible jury at that time,
there was no alternative but to
believe that his conviction was
certain.
Now, not only the man himself
but his closest associates contem-
plated this certainty with dismay.
They required Matthew Latron to
govern them; his taking away
would bring choas and ruin among
them. Latron himself became
convinced that he faced confine-
ment for the rest of his life; then
fate effectively interviewed to end
all his troubles. His body, almost
consumed by flames-but never
theless the identified body of Mat
thew Latron-was found in the
smoking ruins of his shooting
lodge which burned to the ground
two days before his trial.
There were, of course" San
tome went on, many of the VIC
lent and passion-inflamed who
carped at this timely Intervention
OF fate and criticised the accident
which delivered Latron at this
time. But these were silenced
when Latron's death was shown
to have been not accident, but
murder. A young man was shown
to have followed Latron to the
shooting lodge; a witness appear
ed who had seen him set fire to
the lodge.
THE young man-Hugh Over
ton-was put on trial for his life.
|, myself, as a witness, supplied
the motive for the crime; for,
though ! had never met Overton
| knew that he had lost the whole
OF a large fortune thrugh invest
ments recommended to him by
Latron. Overton was convicted,
sentenced to death; he escaped be-
fore the sentence was carried out
became a fugitive without a
name, who, IL he ever reappeared
would be handed over for execu-
ton. For the evidence had been
perfect-complete; he had shot
Latron purely for revenge, killed
him in the most despicable man
ner. For there was no doubt Lat
ron was dead, was there, Avery?"
Santoine waited for reply.
"What?" Avery said huskily.
81 say there was no doubt Lat
ron was dead?"
None"
THAT was the time you came
into my employ, Avery. recon-
mended to me by one of the men
who had been closest to Latron.
was not connected with the Lat
ron properties except as an adj
wiser; but many papers relating
to them must go inevitably
through my hands. I was rather
on the inside in all that concerned
those properties. But / could not
myself see the papers; I was blind;
therefore, / had to have others
serve as eyes for me. And from
the first, Avery, you served as my
eyes In connection with all papers
relating to the Latron properties.
II anything ever appeared In those
papers which might have led me
to suspect that any injustice had
been done In the punishment of
Latron's murderer, 1t could reach
me only through you. Nothing of
that sort ever did reach me, Avery.
You must have made quite a good
thing out of IT,"
II don't understand; / do not
follow what you are talking
Iabout."
Nor Then we must go a littl,
The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-04-30

u. S. VESSEL
TORPEDOED
Continued from Page ~

Continued from Page -
fighting men to die.
The Vacuum is a cargo carrier,
property of the Vacuum Oil COM
pany, of New York.
Captain S. S. Harris was in the
one lifeboat still missing, with the
American blueiackets and their
lieutenant and other members of
the Vacuum's crew still unac-
counted for.