Evening star., 1921-08-07


they were blythe nails. They fas-
tened Joe's ears SO securely! He was
proud of his workmanship. too
found Joy in each blow of the ham
mer. grin on his lean face.
Joe's ears had been too long!
Kiely would have liked to add Joe's
tongue. He might have done so had
1t not been difficult to catch. If Joe's
tongue hadn't been as long as his
ears, his ears wouldn't have been
nailed up. The clamor of his tongue.
in wailing yaps Of pain. however.
saved his tongue-that and its slip
periness.
Grasping Joe's ears in his hand
while Joe rolled on the floor. paving
at the places where his ears had been.
and yelping-Kiely went straight to
the bar and borrowed the hammer
and the nails.
The bartender expostulated mildly
when he saw what was coming Of
rather. going on! kiely looked at
him in that expressive way. The OBJ
lection ceased.
KieIy wanted others to see Joe's
ears there and take heed. Partfcu-
larly he desired Nick Burton to OBJ
serve.
Standing back to admire his work.
kiely ignored the loungers. They
kept at resptful distance. those who
were not looking after Joe: they
made no comment aloud. Some OF
them were for kiely: some were not.
Neither made any difference to him.
He was Kiely! He hooded approval
Joe had his shopping for Nick Bur
ton to thank for the trimming. The
quarrel really was between Burton
and Kiely. Joe was one of the pawns
called upon to bear the external brunt
of the conflict.
For months it had been blazing un-
der cover-in the gambling stratum
of the underworld. where Kiely and
Burton were fitting in a test Of
strength. Generally the police were
willing to let them fight it out Gam
blers' wars were in q way beneficial
tain citizens and others who had been
citizens prior to doing time-still
others who never had been citizens
and should not be. A gunman was
bound to drop here and there when
the gamblers fell out.
the Kiely-Burton feud had been sat-
isfactory in it's service. to the COM
munity There were five dead-one
on Kiely's side, four on Burton's
But they were only hirelings. Their
passing could not affect the outcome
principals to a speedier decision.
Had there not been such a racket
by the anti-administration news
papers. and those but lukewarm to-
ward it, over these street killings
Kiely would have had Joe put out fol
however. that on the next killing
some one would be pinched.
+ X + +
IA NY way you look at 1t, from the
1 - viewpoint Of the collectors. dis
ssnsion among the gamblers was bad
bad. 1t attracted public notice
and that, as it gained volume. notified
the police Of the state Of affairs. Then
there had to be a cleanup; too many
street shootings compelled the squads
to go out again with fire axes and
delve into the right places. there to
smash things. Thus must the people
be assured that the town never would
be allowed to become loose. Neces-
sariIy the lid had to go on for q
while. With the lid closed down pro-
lection was worth about as much al
German marks The graft ring was
robbed of it's revenue-an intolerable
condition!
So from both the inside and the out
side it was ground into the Kielyt
and the Burtons that somebody posi-
lively would go away II there was
any more rough stuff.
It was truce to remain In enec'
until the tumult died. when the bat.
tie for supremacy could be resumed
with its inevitable killings.
This battle started as purely q
matter of business. Kiely's rights
ton. For years this territory had beer
Kiely's. He had obtained his mandaH
by self-determination- own. OF
occasion ere this he had fought tt
uphold 1t. Likewise had he paid II
solid cash.
Everybody knew that Conny KielJ
controlled the gambling in this dis
trict. Where did Nick Burton gel
license to bulge in?
When first Kiely learned Of the ad'
vent of Burton he did not take 1t too
seriously. He sent word indirectly
that Burton should close up the craI
game he had opened in an apartmen
on one Of the good streets.
Nick Burton had just been frozer
but across the river. He had to locate
territory because once Kiely had pu
him out of business. They had beer
small fry then, he and Kiely, not ye
getting any of the silk-stockin&
money. The years had seen each O.
them grow. but Kiely always has
Witness his strangle-hold on a neigh
borhood which reached over all th'
levels from tenements and pushcart
to duplex apartments and limousines
From top to bottom. from pennies t.
no-limit tables. he was organized tt
take all corners.
Burton had been operating abou
twenty minutes. fguratively. whel
Kiely heard Of his arrival. HI
promptly DISPATCHED the hint to Bur
ton to get out.
But it happened that Nick Burtol
felt tough He was sore over havfnl
been forced to migrate. He had beel
prospering when the town across tn
river had decided 1t could get aloni
without him. and his soreness owe
this made him tougher than usual
When a henchman asked where n
that his new location would be Kiely'
back yard. The old grudge prompte'
fhe boast To save his face, he mad
good by biting into the silk-stockinl
end Of Kiely's country.
X * + \
vTHE message from Kiely to vacat
L did not improve Burton's feel
ings. He had issued the challenge
Kiely had replied by telling him. a
he would tell a bum, to beat 1t. Bur
toms answer came in the opening Q
a poolroom. He had to do something I
show that he was there to stay.
Kiely could have exerted pressur
upon folks who would have seen to