The Glenwood post., 1923-04-19
Illustrations by R.H-LNin8stone
,svs,o,r " lrr1s. sao.n., AND COMPANY

use "cat and mouse" methods; he was
using them now because that was
the only way his purpose could be
achieved
1--WE must go back to the quite seri-
Gus emergency to which I am indebted
for your faithful service. Five years
ago the American people appeared per-
fectly convinced that the only way to
win true happiness and perpetuate
prosperity was to accuse, condemn
and Jail for life-if execution were
not legal-the heads of the important
groups Of Industrial properties. Just
at that time. one of these men-one
of the most efficient but also, perhaps,
the one personally most obnoxious or
unpopular - committed one of his
,, gravest indiscretions. 1t concerned
the private use of deposits In national
banks; 1t was federal offense of the
most patent and provable kind. He
was indicted. Considering the temper
Of any possible jury at that time, there
was absolutely no alternative but to
believe the man under Indictment
must spend many succeeding years, If
not the rest of his life in the federal
penitentiary at Atlanta or Leaven-
worth.
snow, the man WIS III complete con-
troll of group Of the most valuable
and PROSPEROUS properties In America
Before his gaining control the prop
critics had been almost ruined by diff
| ferences between the minor men who
tried to run them; only the calling Of
Matthew Latron into control saved
those men from themselves; they re-
quired him to govern them; his TAX
ing away would bring chaos and ruin
among them again. They knew that.
Just before he must 60 to trial. La
tron himself became convinced that
he faced confinement for the rest Of
his life; then fate effectively inter
vened to end all his troubles. His
body, charred and almost consumed
by flames-but nevertheless the ide11-
titled body Of Matthew Latron-was
found In the smoking ruins Of his
shooting lodge, which burned to the
ground two days before his trial."
Avery was hunched in the seat
watching the blind man with grow
ing conviction and fear.
Santoine went on: "A young man
was shown to have followed Latron
to the shooting lodge; witness ap-
peared who had seen this young man
shoot Latron; second witness had
seen him set fire to the lodge. The
young man-Hugh Overton-was put
on trial for his life. l, myself, as a
witness at the trial supplied the mo-
tive for the crime; for, though I had
never met Overton, l knew that he
had lost the whole of large fortune
through investments recommended to
him by Latron. Overton was COD
victed, sentenced to death he escaped
before the sentence was carried out
became a fugitive without name,
who If he ever appeared would be
handed over for execution. For the
evidence had been perfect-complete I;
he had shot Latron purely for re-
venge, killed him In the most des-
picable manner. For there was no
doubt Latron was dead, was there,
Averyr"
"None," Avery said husklly.
"That was the time you came into
my employ, Avery, recommended to
me by one of the men who had been
closest to Latron. l was not connect.
ed with the Latron properties except
as an adviser; but many papers re
lating to them must go inevitably
through my hands. I was rather on
the inside in all that concerned those
properties. But / could not myself
see the papers; was blind; therefore
l had to have others serve us eyes for
me. And from the first, Avery. you
served as my eyes in connection with
all papers relating to the LatroT
properties. If anything ever appeared
in those papers which might have leo
me 10 suspect that any injustice hnt
been done in the punishment of La
irons murderer, 1t could reach me
only through you. Nothing of thai
sort ever did reach me, Avery. YOr
must have made quite good thini
out of It,"
"What?"
II say, your position here mus
have been rather profitable to you
Avery; have not treated you bndl.
myself, recognizing that you mus
often be tempted by gaining informa
tion here from which you might maxi
money; and your other employer
must have overbid me-"
II don't understand; l beg your par
don. Mr.. Santoine, but l do not follow
what you are tnlking about"
mo? Then we must go little fur
ther. This last year minor reor
ganization became necessary In som
OF the Latron properties My friend
Gabriel Warden-who was an homes
man, Avery-had recently greatly In
creased his interest In those proper
ties; 1t was inevitable the reorganIzf
tion should be largely In his hand:
During his work with the Latron pror
critics, Warden-the honest mar
Avery-discovered the terrible injus
tice of which speak.