Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-05-13

TINS feily r We, ana thln yr q Stuilu
back and wash Yer hands while some
poor divil wint to tn rope f'r it,
Where do we come in. is what I'd Ike
TO know
You are already IN" snapped
Hatch. "You know what the big fell
low at the capital thinks about it,
and where youll stand in the coming
election if you don't put out this fire
that Norcross is kindling. You're yell
low, Canadian That's all that Is the
matter with yon.'
Tell me wan thing" insisted the
diyekeeper, boring the chief CRATER
with his pin-point eyes. "Do you stand
f'r 1t If we do this thing up right?"
Hatch's eyes fell, and Henckel's big
body twisted uneaslly III the chair that
was grooming under his beer-barrel
weight. There was silence for little
space. and could feel the cold sweat
starting out all over me. hadn't
dreamed of stumbling upon anything
like this when started out to shadow
Kestler. They were actually plotting
TO murder the boss!
1t was Hatch who broke the still
ness.
Its up to you, Clanahan, and you
know it," he declared. you've had
your tip from the big fellow. The
railroad people must be made to get
into the fight In the coming election,
and get in on the right side. If they
don't; and If Norcross stays and keeps
his fire burning, you fellows lose out"
Clanahan sat back in his chair and
showed his hands into his pockets.
"Ye'd stirring me as II was a boy |"
he scoffed. "'Tis your own game firm
first to last. Dye think I'm not know
ing that7 IT'S bread and butther and
tn big rake-off for you, and little ye
care how tn election goes. Suppose
we'd croak this man in tn hot part
av tn p'litcal fight; what happens7
Half tn noospaypers in tn state d
play him up fr a martyr to tn cause
av good governmint, and we'd all 60
to hell In hand-basket!"
was cramped and sore and one Of
my legs had gone to sleep. but I
couldn't have moved II had wanted
to. My heart was skipping beats right
along while waited for Hatch's an
swer. When It came, the drumming
in my ears pretty nearly made me
lose 1t.
"Clanahan." he began, as cold as an
icicle. II didn't get you down here to
argue with you. You've bungled this
thing once, and for that reason you've
got It to do over again. We haven't
asked you to 'croak' anybody, as you
put 1t, and we are not asking It now"
"'Tis id little you lack av asking
It." retorted the divekeeper.
LISTEN" said Hatch, leaning for
ward with his hands on his knees.
Besides keeping cases on Norcross
here. we've been digging back into his
record few lines. Every man has
his sore spot. II you can only nnd 1t.
Clanahan-just as you have yours.
What IL I should tell you that Norcross
Is wanted in another state--f0r .
crime? Before he came here he was
chief Of construction on the Oregon
Midland. There was a right-of-way
fight back In the mountains-fifty
miles from the nearest sherih-with
the p. & s. F. Norcross armed his
track-layers, and In the blufiing there
was man killed"
Though It was q warm night, as !
have said, the cold chills began to
chase themselves up and down my
back. What Hatch said was perfectly
true. In the right-of-way scrap he
was talking about, there had been q
few wild shots fred. and one Of them
had found a p. 4 s. F. grade laborer.
l don't believe anybody had ever real
~ blamed the boss for 1t. But there
had been a man killed.
While I was shivering. Clanahan
said: "Well. what av it7"
'Norcross was responsible for that
mans death. II he was having trouble
over his right-of-way, his recourse was
to the law, and he took the law into
his own hands. Nothing was ever
done about it. because nobody took
the trouble to prosecute. A week ago
we sent q man to Oregon to look up
the facts. He succeeded in finding
brother of the dead man, and war
rant has now been sworn out for Nor
cross arrest"
"Well2" said Clanahan again. "Ye
have the stirring In yer own hand:
why don't ye pull itf'
That's where you come in" was the
answer. 'The Oregon justice issued
the warrant because 1t was demanded.
but he refused to incur. for his county.
the expense of sending deputy sheriff
to another state, or to take the neces-
sary steps to have Norcross extra
dited. II Norcross could be produced
In court, he would try him and either
discharge him or bind him over. as
the facts might warrant. He took his
stand upon the ground that Norcross
was only technically responsible. and
told the brother that in all probability
nothing would come of an attempt to
prosecute"