The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-02-03
The Wreckers
Francis LyRde
Continued Rum Yesterday
CHAPTER <NIv.
The Dead Inc


Tho DcadIinc
We found the three disappointed
afternoon callers already on hand
when we reached the headquarters,
Fred May was back from his din.
ner. and he had let them IN as far
as the antc-room. The boss said.
Good evening. gentlemen" as pleas
ant as n basket OF chips: told Fred
he might 20. and invited the wait.
Ing bunch into the private office.
swapping on tho lights as he opened
the door.
In the big room he Indicated the
sitting possibilities. and the three
callers planted themselves In u
semicircle at the desk end. No
introductions were needed. ono OF
the pair Hatch had brought with
him was lawyer named Marrow.
whose home town was Sedxwick: a
sharp,noscd. fcrreteyed man who
figured as one OF the many local
counScls" for Red Tower. The other.
Dcdmon. was a political place
hunter who had once been sheriff
OF ArrOWn~dd county
You've kept us cooling our heels
In your waiting room for Jus, about
the last time. Mr.. Norcrossr' was
the spitcfui way In which Hatch
opened fire. We've come 10 talk
straight business with you this
trip. and II will be more to your
interest than ours II you1l send
your clerk away
While they had been dragging up
their chairs and sitting down. had
heard Fred May lock up his type
writer and so. and had been listen
lnr anxiously for some noise that
would tell me Tarbcll was on deck
j thought I heard tho door Of the
outer office open again Just as
Hatch spoke and IL comfortsd me a
whole lot.
The boss didn't pay any attention
to Hatch's suggestion about sending
me away: acted as IL he hadn't
heard II. Opening his desk he took
a box OF cigars from a drawer and
passed IL. Dedmon. the ex.sheriff.
helped himself. but the lawyer and
Hatch both refused. With this con
ccssion 10 the small Inequalities
the boss swung his chair TO face the
trio.
My time Is yours. Eentirmen.-
he said. and Hatch jumped in like
a man fairly spelling for n fight.
For ak months. Norcross, you've
been moving a pretty wide swath
out hero In the tall hills You've
been posing as n little tin god be-
fore the people Of this state. and
all the while you've been knitting
and siuxwing and black lacking pri.
vate capital and private bushes.
wherever and whenever they have
happened to get In your way. Now.
at the end Of the lane. by Jupiter,
we've got you dead 10 righu--you
and your damned railroad-'
ecu; out as many. Of the person
| aiities AZ you can. and come TO the
point" suggested the boss quietly.
You think haven't any point
10 come tor barkcd ths CRATER.
with rlslnx anger. I'm show youi
You've beaten US in tho courts and
your imported lawyers have"
Excuse me. Mr.. Hatch.- was the
curt interruption. -Abuse isn't ar.
gument- State your case. IL you
have one
.'oh. I've got the case. all right.
You've been keeping your finger on
the pulse. or you think you have.
but can wise you up TO a few
things that have got away from
you. You thought you we're the
only original truss-bustcr when you
started your scheme OF locally.
owned elevators and warehouses
and coal and lumber yards and ran
10 tell you that your fine haired ne.
tie deal to rob US began 10 die
about as soon as II was born"
How so7- inquired the boss. jus,
as tho Major KendrIck hadn't al.
ready given him his pointer about
the how.
I'm the way that everything Of
that kind is bound 10 die. II wasn't
a month before your little local
stockholders began 10 get together
and swap stock and sell IL. In a
very short time the control Of the
whole string Of local plants was in
the hands OF n hundred men. To
day it's In the hands OF less than
twenty. with John Marshall at the
head OF them"
| This time the boss let out a notch.
80 far. you haven't told me any.
thing new. Go on"
IF should name Marshairs
bunch. you'd know what's coming
10 you But we needn't 70 into
statistics. Citizens Storage a
Warehouse Is now q consolidated
property. and John Marshall. Henok.
ell and / control n majority Of its
stock. How does that strike your
ut strikes me that the people
most deeply interested have been
exceedingly foolish TO sell their
birthright. But that is strictly
their own business. and not mine or
| the railroad company's"
walt" Hatch snaried. TITS go.
ing to be both yours and the rail.
road company's business. ba<ore you
Iare thru with IL. Marrow. here
represents Marshall. and I represent
Henckei and myself. What are you
going to do about those ground
leases7"
Nothing at all, except 10 insist
upon the condition under which
they were granted by the railroad
company"
Meaning that you are going to
try to hold MS TO the fixed percent.
age charge for handling. packing.
loading and transferring"
Meaning just that. II you raise
The unconditional ma rkef. nrlce charge