The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-09-01

ten. The last two years of high
wages had made every negro wealthy,
comparatively speaking. The lottery
mongers would naturally find them a
ripe harvest for the picking. And who
would gravitate to this harvest field
IT, not the great Gumberts, the un-
caught Memphis Icy, the promoter
who had never been, "mugged"
Here, at one stroke, stumbling, on
the thing by sheer blind accident, Ora
mont had located the nucleus Of the
whole business! -, ---
Gradually his brain cooled to the
realization of what work lay before
him. He was through Paradis, almost
without seeing the town, and switched
on his lights as he took the highway
to, Houma.- Sober reflection seized
him. Not only was this crowd of
crooks working a. lottery, but they
were also managing d stupendous
tthievery Of automobiles, in which cars
were looted by wholesale! And the man
at the head Of it all, the man above
Memphis Icy and his crooks, was
joachim Fell Of New Orleans.
Did Lucie Ledanois dream such a
thing? No. Gramont dismissed the
question at once. Fell was not an un-
usual type of man. There were many
joachim Fells throughout the country,
he reflected. Men who applied their
brains to crooked work, who kept
themselves above any actual share in
the work, and who profited hugely by
tribute money from every crook in
every crime.
To the communities in which they
lived such men were patterns Of all
that wealthy gentlemen should be. Sell
dom, except perhaps in gossip of the
underworld, was their connection with
crime ever suspected. And-this
thought was SOLDERING to Gramont-
never did they come within danger of
retribution at the hands Of the law.
Their ramifications extended too far
into politics; and the governors Of
some Southern states have unlimited
powers of pardon.
"This is big day!" reflected Ora
mont, dismissing the sinister sugges-
ton of this last thought. "A big day!
What it will lead to, I don't know.
Not the least Of it is the financial end
OF 1.-THE oil seepage! That little
iridescent trick1e of Oil on the water
means that money worries are over,
both for me and for Lucie. I'm sorry
that I am mixed up with Fell; I've
enough money Of my own to drill at
least one good well, and one is all
we'll need to bring in oil on that place.
Well, we'll see what turns up! My
first Job is to make sure Hammond is
safe, and to relieve his mind. I'll have
to leave him in Jail, I suppose"
Why did Fell want to ''get some
thing" on Hammond? To this there
was no answer.
He drove to Houma to find the town
abuzz with excitement for the news
of the sherifrs murder had stirred the
place wildly. Proceeding straight to
the courthouse, Gramont encountered
Ben Chacherre as he was leaving the
car.
Hello, .there!" he exclaimed. Lost
nv road. Where's Hammond7"
T.. Chacherre jerked his head toward
the courthouse.
I'm yonder. Say, are you going
| back to the city tonight?"
yes" Gramont,, regarded him.
"Why!"
take me back. will you? I've missed
the last up train, and II you're goin'
back anyhow I won't have to hire a
car. I can drive for you, and we'll
make it in a couple of hours, before
midnight sure"
"Hop in," said Gramont, nodding
toward the car It'll be back as soon
! as I've had a word with Hammond.
| No danger Of his getting lynched, I
hope?"
mot chance" said the other, con-
clusively. "Six deputies up there
now, and quite a bunch Of ex-soldiers
comm to stand guard. You goin' to
fight the caseT
mo" said Gramont. "Can't fight a
sure thing, can you? I'm sorry for
him, though"
Chacherre shrugged his shoulders
! and got into the car.
Gramont was much relieved to find
that there was no danger Of lynching,
| which had been his one fear. It was
! with much persuasion that he got past
the guard and into the courthouse,
where he was received by a number
Of deputies in charge of the situation.
After comforting with them at some
length, he was grudgingly taken to the
cell occupied by Hammond. The lat
ter received him with wide grin, and
- %tl|tMlkknEIRl 800.