Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-17

which had evidently stumped the de.
partmcnt, ] went to Chief Burke and
offered my services as rank amateur.
He accepted, because of my father $
former reputation, | think, but events
proved my theory to be correct. And
since then he has called me in on sew
cral unique cases. OF course, it has
been sheer luck"
"And something more" The com e
missioner tapped his chair arm with his
tortoise trimmed glasses. Chief Burke
would never have put the Reuhl and
Van Vrenken cases in your hands, my
boy. to say nothing of this present af-
fair. if he hadn't known the stuff there
was in you. The Hartshorne case
promises to be one of the biggest we We
had in the East for years
"It is in connection with that that
I have come to YOU" Paul responded,
Every one knows, sir, how you cleaned
up New York during your term in OF
fee and stamped out gambling ny
breaking up the ring who thought they
had YOU buffaloed. l want to get
line on one or two of them.
"Thc boys weren't all bad OBJ
served the commissioner tolerantly'
"Some of them were straight enough
and ran their games on the square, out
I was out to put the lid on the city and
I did it,"
| "Did you know Chris WATERFORD
asked Paul.
The commissioner chuckled.
II did-and liked him, man TO man.
I l. MI
of his houses; the fools who went mere
to play trimmed themselves and ne
grew rich before his game was smut
down all overthe country.
Where is he now?'
Retired and living in Chicago Is
big place facing the lake. lie ge't
ting on in years now, as ! am anu l
heard that he went blind some niue
time ago. But what had old Chrls 10
dc with the Hartshorne case!
Nothing, personally, but some Oh
his former associates may be IN pos
session of information which will be use
full to me-" Paul replied. did you
ever hear of any women working IN
with him? Making a play for rich
men. likely patrons, and bringing them
to one of his various establishments
to gamble, getting their rake-ott from
the victims lossesY'
They all did that" The commits
sioner shrugged. 'The proprietor of
nearly every gambling house in the
country has a staff, and you would be
astounded at the class of women who
augment their incomes in such a way
not women who frequent actual gam
bling houses, but the wide open resorts
and So called private games. Chris al
ways encouraged his women friends,
at a percentage, to introduce their
acquaintances but he gave them Il
square deal when they came and a run
for their money, at least, and helped
many a player out when he went
broke"
did you know of any women as
sociates of his seven or eight years
ago."
That was long after my time" The
commissioner shook his head. Eve
been out of office more than fifteen
years. l couldn't recall any of them
now"
How about Jimmie Bayard's
crowd?"
e. Broken up. They were comparative
pikers, and there is little profit in their
operations in these times" responded
the old man. Jimmie himself went
to Europe a short time before the war
started and I haven't heard of him
since: his associates drifted into more
lucrative fields
Paul rose, and as an after thought
asked somewhat indifferently:
Have you heard during the last
few years of woman who identified
herself with their type Of enterprise
known as Annie Halsey?"
The commissioner pondered for mo-
ment.
mo" he said at last. Chris Wa
terford might know, though. He had
trained memory for faces and names
and he kept in touch with all of his
fraternity. great and small. He WASH t
in Jimmie's class, you know: Jimmie
was plain crook but old Chris played
the game differently and he was an
artist in his line. He would be the
one to give you the information you
want, if anybody could. How is the
case coming on, Harvey?"
Slowly, but I'm beginning to see
daylight, ] think Paul answered
gravely. 81 have a good physical de-
scription of the murderer and an idea
as to the identity of near relative
Of his, but I've got to substantiate II
with proofs before can bring any pres
sure to bear. Good by. commissioner
thank you for seeing me-.
I'D like to have helped you, but I've
been out of the running too long, Tim
afraid" the commissioner remarked nc
they shook hands. You re young. with
a future before you and the chance ~ n
lifetime in your hands. Good luck to
you, Mr.. Harvey"
CONTINUED TOMORROW