The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-10-29
By Harold MacGrath


onl The truth would not bring
back the wife and child. return the
II years wasted In a dungeon keep.
II might not bring bnck even the
mans faith In mankind.
kennedy went on. lie did not al
dress Bancroft particularly. what
had ] done that God should pile all
theae miseriea upon my beadf 1
had never hnfsnsd any human being.
I Ind played square, Aud her. !
stand. guilty of an Innocent mans
death. guilty ~ the death of your
father. II not by deed. by intent.
From y kindly man. something OF n
dreamer. I became piece Of ma
chinery. dedicated 20 destruction!
Rocked me. when ! was tbop.
Hnnds OF miles away and could not
defend myseifi For II years I had
nothing To do but think ana pinn,
think and plan. But your father
had hidden so elevcrly that found
him only that day"
Bancroft's head sank 10 his chest.
Innocent bystauheral This unhappy
wretch. Silas Bancroft ana SilaB
Bnrcroft's son. all three innocent
bystanders, rocked and puIverizesi
by ehnnceInedley. Bancroft thought
~ his fathers agony. never daring
10 throw his arm across hos sons
shoulder for fonr the emotion might
snip the slender thread by which bis
life hung.
~ knew nothing Of finance" con.
tinned Kennedy resumine his pac.
ing. THAT was your fathers
game. SO ] turned everything /
had into cash--borrowed on cali
loans-dumped II into his hands.
and sailed for South America.
sailed away" Kennedy laughao
again. II sailed away! When I re.
turned two months later my wife
was dead and buried. my child
gone. the savings Of years wiped
out. Why. ] didn't even know your
fathers brokers was that
trustfuli Immediately wrote TO a
friend Or mine In La Paz and turned
over tho mine 10 him IN trust. To
buy that mine had taken uD most
Of my ready cash; and would need
capital to work It. I then destroyed
all my luggage and paDcrs--any.
thing that would identify me AZ
kennedy--and started out to hi
your father. But first wanted one
more look at the old home where
had known such happiness. There
was crowd about the door. An
auctioncer wax chanting inside. The
world became red. ! pushed people
aside A policeman inierfered !
knocked him into the areaway. He
died almost instantly from concus
sion. An hour later / was IN the
Tombs for manslaugbter, under the
name OF Stewart the first that
came into my head Mansiaugh.
ter" Kennedy covered his eyes for
a moment. II suppose God wanted
to see Row much human being
could stand and selected me 10 ex.
pertinent on. So ! became Stew.
art. / was mngged and thumb.
printed and numbered. and slowed
away in n coffin.like cell OF gray
stone. | soon became trusty. due
to my education, and in a little
while they fell to calling me pro
fessor. l had killed policeman;
so the general run OF convicts
looked upon me with veneration."
The gas Jet began to whistle
nournfuliy. and Kennedy modi'
fled It.
"Of course, the frst thing I
sought, on being liberated. was your
father lie was In neither tele-
phone nor city directory-naturall
But In the end found him--a sec
ond too late. Imagine me. entering
that village home Of yours and find.
ing my books, my porcelain, my
chairs! Loot"'
But Bancroft now knew that II
was not SO. His father had rescued
these treasured objects out of the
crash. intending some day to restore
them to Kennedy, should Kennedy
ever return.
Kennedy once more paused In
front OF Bancroft. Il have here q
document. 1t is deed OF transfer
for the sum OF $4,000. 900 in cash.
stocks. bonds. realty-particularly
the house in Ninth street. These
$4,000 900 represent what now
should have had. including com.
pound interest for nearly 20 years
In the beginning ] had intended 20
Kill you. Hut it came to me that ia
so doing should become a hunted
man; and ! want to live the last
few years IN quiet. So decided
TO break you and shanghai you, nn,
even then the old Man OF tho Sea
would stiil h. on my shoulders
Wherever dropped You You would
find manual labnr ana. wnrk Noatt