Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-21
ruptcy. and slipping away scot free

while the men he had robbed stood
helpless on his sidewalk, hungry and
shabby and hopeless because the pit
tances they had put away in his bank,
the result Of slavery and sacrifice,
were gone-hopelessly gone! and they
were too old, or toe tired, or too filled
with hate, to earn it again.
The crowd surged and seethed
madly, now snarling like beasts, now
rumbling portentously like a storm,
now babbling like an infant; a great
emotional frenzy, throbbing with pas
sion, goaded beyond fear, desperate
with need; leaderless, and therefore
the more dangerous.
The very sight Of that luxurious
baby with her dancing ayes and hap
py smiles rolling in luxury called
to mind their wi little puny darling,
and hollow-eyed with knowledge
aforetime. Why should one baby be
pampered and another starved? Why
did the bank presidents daughter
have any better right to those wonder
ful furs and that exultant smile than
their OWN babies? A glimpse into the
depths of the rooms beyond the Shelf
ering plate glass and drapery showed
greater contrast eve than they had
dreamed between this home and the
bare tenements they had left that
morning. where the children were
crying for bread and the wife shiver-
ing with cold. Because they loved
their W their anger burned the
scrawny babies that f1ower-like child
in the doorway was hated with all
the vehemence OF their unframed ma
lures. Their every breath cried out
for vengeance, and with the brute in
stinct they sought to hurt the man
through his child, because they had
been hurt by the wrong done to their
children.
The policeman's whistle had done
Its work. however. The startled in
mates of the house had drawn the
beautiful baby and her small pre-
server within the heavy carven doors,
and borne them back to safety before
the unorganized mob had. time to
force their way in. Amid the cutlery
and the disorder no M had noticed
small band of companions set up an
cutlery, but even then no one heard.
The mounted police had arrived,
man who had fired the shot was ar
rested, hand-cuffed and marched
away. The people were ordered right
and left, and the officers horses rode
r~uthlessly through the masses. Law
and order had arrived and there was
nothing for the downtrodden but to
fee.
In a very short time the square was
cleared and guarded by a large force.
Only the newspaper men anne and
went without challenge. The threat
ening groups of men who still hover
ed about withdrew further and fur
ther. The wrecked automobile was
patched up and taken away to the
garage. The street became quiet, and
by and by some workmen came hur-
riedly. Importantly, and put in tenn
porary projections where the window
glass had been broken.
Yet through it all a little knot Of
ragged newsboys stood their ground
in front of the house. Until quiet was
restored they had .evaded each renew
ed command Of officer or, passer-b by,
and stayed there: whispering now and
again in excited groups and pointing
up to the house. Finally a tall police
man approached them:
CLEAR out Of this. kids!" he said
not unkindly. Here's no place for
YOU. Clear out. Do you hear me !?
You can't. stay here no longer
Then one Of them wheeled upon
him. He was the tallest of them all,
with fierce little freckled face and
flashing black eyes in which all the
evil passions of four generations back
looked out upon a world that had al
ways been harsh. He was commonly
known as fighting Buck.
"Mikky's in dare. He's hurted. We
kids can't leave Mick alone. He might
be dead"
Just at that moment a physicians
runabout drew up to the door, and
the policeman fell back to let him
pass into the house. Hard upon him
followed the bank president in a
closed carriage attended by several
men in uniform, who escorted him to
the door and touched their hats po-
litely as he vanished within. Around
the corners scowling faces haunted
the shadows, and murmured impreca-
tions were scarcely withheld in spite
Of the mounted officers. A shot was
fred down the street, and several po-