The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-06-29
The Blind Mans Eyes

Before his gaining control, the prop
critics had been almost ruined by dlr-
ferences between the minor men VINO
tried 70 run them only the calling or
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 go TO trial, La
tron himself became convinced that
he faced confinement for the rest or
his life; then fate effectively inter
vened 10 end all his troubles. his
body, charred and almost consumed
by flames-but nevertheless he iden-
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; a witness ap-
peared who had seen this young man
shoot LatrOn q second witness had
seen him set fire to the lodge, Inc
young man-Hugh OvertOn-Was put
on trial for his life. l. myself, az a
witness al the trial supplied the mo-
tive for the crime; for, though l had
never met OvertOn, | knew that he
had lost the whole Of a large fortune
through investments recommended TO
him by LatrOn. OvertOn was con-
victed, sentenced to death he escaped
before the sentence was carried out
became q fugitive without a name,
who If he ever appeared would be
handed over for execution. For the
evidence had been perfect-cOmplete
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,
Avery?"
None" Avery said huskily.
THAT was the time you came into
my employ, Avery, recommended to
me by one of the men who had been
closest TO Latron. / 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. l "a rather on
the inside in all that concerned those
properties. But l could not myself
see the papers | was blind therefore
| had to have others serve as eyes for
me. And from the first, Avery, you
served as my eyes in connection with
all papers relating to the Latron
properties. If anything ever appeared
In those papers which might have led
me TO suspect that any injustice had
been done in the punishment Of La
irons murderer, it could reach me
only through you. Nothing Of that
sort ever did reach me, Avery. You
must have made quite a good thing
out Of it,"
"What?"
II say, your position here must
have been rather profitable to you,
Avery; l have not treated you badly
myself, recognizing that you must
often be tempted by gaining informa-
ton here from which you might make
money; and your other employers
must have overbid me-"
81 don't understand; l beg your par
don, Mr.. Santoine, but I do not follow
what you are talking about"
mo? Then we must go a little fur
ther. This last year a minor reor.
ganiZation became necessary in some
Of the Latron properties. My friend,
Gabriel Warden-who was an honest
man, ~Avery-had recently greatly in
creased his interest in those proper
ties; 1t was inevitable the ~reorganiZa-
ton should be largely In his hands.
During his work with the Latron prop
critics, Warden-the honest man,
Avery-discovered the terrible injus-
tice Of which / speak.
II do not need to draw your atten-
ton, Avery. to the very peculiar con-
dition which followed Warden's death.
Warden had certainly had communica-
ton with Overton Of some sort; Over
tons enemies, therefore, were unable
TO rid themselves of him by delivering
him up to the police because they did
not know how much Overton knew.
When l found that Warden had made
me his executor and l went west and
took charge Of his affairs, their diff
culties were intensified, for they did
not dare to let suspicion Of what had
been done reach me. There was no
course open to them, therefore, but to
remove Overton before my suspicious
were aroused, even If 1t could be done
only at desperate risk to themselves.
"What l am leading up to. Avery, Is
your w connection with these
events. You looked after your own
interests rather carefully. I think, up
to a certain point. When-knowing
who Eaton was-you got him into q
polo game, 1t was so that, II your in
terests were best served by exposing
him. you could do so without reveal.
ing the real source Of your knowledge
Of him. But an unforeseen event
arose. The drafts and lists relating
to the reorganization of the Latron
DrOpertieS-cOntainin0 the very facts.