The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-08-18

Yes, l whom you know as John
Alnsley, the master rascal of my day,
was so silly as to think that / could
step from the shadow into the light
as easily, as swiftly as l had passed
from the light to the shadow.
thought l knew life.
| thought that man could change
his character as easily as he changed
his clothes. Well, was to learn diff
ferently.
But on this spring night built N.Y.
self air-castles. l had been down to
certain section of the city and had
closed deal with a "fence," a man
who bought from thieves their loot.
In recent memoir of mine | have
told how l outwitted Armand Cochet,
the notorious French criminal known
as the White Eagle. He had stolen
from Marcus Anderson, the million
alre, a casket containing all the An
derson jewels. had stolen the
casket from Cochet.
| had waited Il few days before at
tempting to dispose of any of the
jewels. Anderson, unaware of his
loss, had sailed for South America
on the morning after the theft. But
the profits of this latest venture of
mine had been SO tremendous that I
wished to use more than ordinary
caution in realizing them. | wanted
to dispose of the lot at one transac-
ton. was sick of stealthy traffick-
ing. l was gentleman, no vulgar
trader, and l would rather accept
less for the lot from one man, than
make more by peddling.
So had shown this fence the COM
plete Anderson collections; and he
had offered me three hundred thou
sand dollars, perhaps fifth of their
real value. But even that amount
was too huge sum for him to hand
| casually across counter. 1t would
take him a week to raise the money.
And in seven more days ! would be
independent, freed forever from the
necessity of crime!
So ! thought. l even congratulat-
ed myself that | was of such differ
emit clay from the ordinary criminal.
For your everyday thief is potentially
murderer, and worse. Devoid of
imagination, he steals because steal
ing seems easier than working.
Trapped, he kills.
On, l was philosopher, as | sat
| in the window of MY living-room and
looked out upon Central Park, with
its freshly green grass, its newly
leaved trees, the lovers walking alone
the shady paths, or drifting in their
boats on the little pond.
was unique in history l was a
criminal who could rid myself of
crimnality at will, who could cut my
self off forever from the ways of
wickedness. l felt more than savage
wrath; felt contempt, as l tossed
away from me the evening paper
with its glaring headline.
1t was a, sickening story beneath
the headline. 1t told of the discovery
by the police of evidence indicating
the identity of brute who had
shocked the city three days ago by
the wanton Staying of child.
The child had been alone in the
apartment where she lived with her
parents. A burglar had entered. and
finding the girl alone, had killed her
apparently for the sheer joy of kill
ing. The crime had been justified
not even by necessity. The child
could have been bound and gagged if
the man had feared that her outcries
would cause his capture. But the
little girl, seeing the intruder. had
asked him not to take Il locket which
was her mothers gift to her. En-
ragged at her request, he had struck
her. Her parents had returned later;
before she died, she had told them
the facts.
1t was one of those shocking
crimes that periodically make us won
der how far man is removed from
the beast. 1t sent whole city into
mourning, and made detectives out
of hundred thousand citizens.
And now the police had discovered
that Swede Thomassen, a notorious
jailbird, was the murderer. The
dragnet was spread, and the authori-
ties were confident that the man
would be apprehended within a day
or so. / fervently hoped so; l would
have killed him myself and known
no conjunction.
Swede Thomassen's career as the
paper gave it. And l saw that he had
begun as cheap gangster, had grad
uated into petty theft, had then be-
come highwayman, and was now a
red-handed murderer. 1t was at this
stage of my reading that began to
congratulate myself because l was so
different from Thomassen. This diff
ference made me the great success
that l was. For other thieves visual
lied, in their moment of ease, future
thefts; l visualized a life of right
eOusness.
! And now, with three hundred thou
sand dollars to be mine next week,
my plans became clean-cut, definite,
not mere chaotic hopes. 1t would be
simple. l would 60 to Australia. Il
would stay there two or three years.
Then would return to America. Il
would go to that city where l had
been born and brought up, and
where my family was known and re-
spected. l would join my fathers
clubs; / would enter into the civic
life of the community. l would even
and this was the compelling force
behind my plans-marry.
1t was spring; only few days ago
l had felt the urge to lead the nor
NAL life of men Of my age and tradi-
ton. l wanted to take pretty girl
motoring, to dance with her, to
squeeze her hand, to kiss her, per-
haps to make her love me, to love
her, to marry. could possibly do
all these things now: but if were