Evening star., 1920-02-29

" Suo stuuent OF crlmlnoloty are the
master minds who have descended. or
Al. men who are shot out from that
abyss. tossed up from that maelstrom,
those who We're once iliustrious, real
suns. In the Intellectual or social firma-
MeRts, appeal most powerfully to our
sense Of the dramatic From riches to
prison. The pillar OF society writhes In
his shameful cell. The master OF men
sW g in the quarrics. The aristocrat
tolls with felons. Epic tragedies. What
resurrection after that cruciflxion? 1t
ID n question OF absorbing interest"
When Hogg Tredways. specialist in
crime, spoke in this fashion to me this
friend, the Rev. Horace Francie. chap
lain Of Chains PRISON., I felt that he
had some particular person in mind. |
waited in silence.
'How often have wished to meet
, that genius Of finance, Walter Minshull
Dresslar?" Tredways continued. ut is
unlikely that ever shall IT was years
and years ago when a crisis urged him
to take one step outside the pale OF the
law. He CHANGED the snap Of the lions
jaws. but the Jaws snapped. That was
4 on the other side OF the Atlantic, so
4 that the case scarcely comes within our
\ reach. ] wish 1t did. l would give
h decent sum to encounter Dresslar, who
has been out some time now But no
4 one knows whore he is. OF course not
A man Of his caliber would never ex-
/ htbit himself for curiosity's finger to
point at
a'fYou, my dear Francie, bring to me,
Onsrare occasions. men who have been
inaprison, whom you believe to be in
nccent; and I use my poor talent to
clear them. But you cannot bring
Drssslar. And was he innocent? He
said he was. Could ] roll away the
stone Of his supposed guilt? Impossible
I 1t was matter Of profound finance;
I in that web Of figures. Of calculations.
Il should become enmeshed. choked,
strangled. But, oh, how / should like
to know just what that genius is do
ing now"
A few weeks after Tredways had ac-
knowledged this desire. having an hour
to spare dropped into his club. 1t is
called the Oddments Club, and Is within
sound of the Piccadilly traffic. Tired
ways was not there, but, as had no;
como to see him, 1t hardly mattercd.
There was good sprinkling OF men in
the smoking room, mostly in evening
clothes. I had ensconced myself in a
4 divan chair and was reading an
!, evening paper. when I was startled by
1 hearing some one remark:
4 'Lepellier has gone under-yes. These
high hnanciers have their day and cease
to be. They swell like bubles. beautiful,
iridescent, and then--a drop of dirty
water to show where they burst, That's
like Lepellier now: like Walter Minshull
Dresslar, who went to prison. l knew
Dresslar, that is to say, knew him for
tive minutes. You smile? But ii was
. the most dramatic. the most exciting
tho most poignant five minutes of my
enough"
Z The speaker had my attention in
stAntly. He had been addressing fel-
4 low member on the subject OF the sui
eide of Lepellier, we'll known on the
Paris bourse. Although his words were
quietly spoken they were so striking
~ to attract the attention OF many OF
those around about him, and the inter-
est spread quickly. He became aware
Of this, and edged away from the fire
place toward a chair. That he would
not be permitted to shut himself up in
this shyness was evident from the ex-
pression of the others faces; and this
was soon intimated to him.
"Come on with the yarn, Standsh,"
urged some one. immediately.
Sorry" was the answer. I'm afraid
/ went little too far. and"
"And you must 60 in with it," inter-
ruptSd another. 1--WE want to hear
about the most exciting five minutes
I. Of your life
S,andsh flushed uncomfortably. lie
had never sought the limeliyht at the
Oddsnents. being a small, silent sort OF
man. With the others, I attempted to
break down his diffldence, while kept
IN eye on the door in the hope that
Tredways would appear. Here, was a
9olden chance. and must seize 1t for
him. that was all there was to 1t.
ut does not begin very much to my
credit said Standish as soon as we
eot him started. ut happened. years
and years ago. l wonder how many Of
ua sitting here were once poor. l mean
who have known the rags of want--the
nctuai enaw Of the unfed stomach? !
knew them. and I remember. I am not
arniy,$r iuto dAlnila Of how and uhy. suf-