Evening star., 1925-02-01

auu COllGllIleu IsH ISTIttl
Crime. The capitals aro ex-
j cusable, for no less a critic
than the attorney general
himself in rising to state the case for
the crown thus described Mr.. Pogar-
tvs experiment..
1t was gem, a shining example OF
the higher art of transgre ssion-a
crime so perfectly conceived sc
scrupulously prepared and so immac-
ulately carried out that 1t placed Mr.
Jerold Pogarty at a stroke in a high
place among the worlds master Grim
inals. AS q work of art it stands
The lesser lights reverence 1t as a
guide and a model upon which to
mold their own efforts, and at least
one company promoter raises his hat
even now whenever the name of Po-
SaTty is mentioned.
1t was the only criminal offense
Mr.. Pogarty ever committed In his
life. He spent two critically, delig hit
full years in its consummation, al
though no could have finished the
matter off in couple of minutes had
he wished. But he preferred the
years to the minutes, which is why
he attained perfection.
1t succeeded brilliantly.
And yet 1t failed. II failed so la
mentally and SO needlessly that in
the a"I III moment "Heu lne CRASH
came and the law gazed into his eyes,
stark and maglignant, Mr.. Jerold
Pogarty laughed - laughed hyster-
ically at the comedy of his own error.
1t is a disturbing, yet nevertheless
unassaNable, fact that every man has
1T some time or another seriously
contemplated committing one really
worth while crime-one that would
place him and his family forever be-
yond the harassing worry OF the great
struggle. He has done that just as
assuredly as be has at some time or
another seriously contemplated the
question Of suicide.
Where Mr.. Pogarty differed, utterly
and entirely, from the vast majority
was that he was one of the mimi
restimal few who possessed the abil-
ity. the callousness, the courage and
the opportunity to transmute the
thought into the deed. And he pro-
ceeded to do so with the same calm.
orderly dignity that characterized
every other Action Of his smooth, un-
ruffled life
He began committing his crime on
r Saturday, exactly two years before
he actually took up his pen and wrote
a few figures on the wrong side of the
legal line. On that day several things
happened 70 Mr.. Pogarty that had
never happened before.
To begin with, Mr.. Pogarty got to
the bank that morning an hour late.
THAT had never happened before. For
20 years ID minutes 10 10 had always
seen Mr.. Pogarty hanging up his hat
on his own private peg. There was
never more than a few seconds in It
either way. Why should there be?
Mr.. Pogarty always caught the same
train, and the bank was only S47
steps from the station.
But that morning there had been a
suicide on the train, and that had
never happened before Some poor
half-deme ented creature, battered and
beaten in the great struggle and
lacking one of the essentials for COM
lnitting one really worthwhile job,
had suddenly grasped up at a courage
big enough to do the biggest job of
all.
Mr.. Pogarty gazed al the open door.
lie muttered Dear me!' and gazed
DULY around, as though to assure
himself that the compartment really
was empty.
He mechanically pulled the COM
nunication cord, and he had never
done that before. Because he was
the sole witness, he was requested by
a policeman to Just pop around to
the station, sir, just for a few min
utes, if you don't mind, sir-just a
mere formality. you know, sir-just
10 make out proper statement, SIR"
K 4 X
MIR. POGARTY popped around to
4VA the station by the side of a walk
ing uniform, and that had never hap
pened before.
He discovered that policemen are a
ponderously decent set of fellows, al
belt nearly as much addicted TO i'm
movable routines as he was himself
They made him an hour late. They
insisted on making him an hour late
They insisted on doing that as calmly
and as sincerely as they apologized
for SO doing.
He went up the bank steps slowly,
passed in through palatial temple
of counters and columns, counting
houses and cash, and went into his
own private office. AS he closed the
door he caught the warning whisper
of a junior clerk to his chum:
"Shh. boys! Old Pogarty has turned
up"
HIS hat stopped half way to the
peg.
Old Pogarty! He felt cold
clammy hand sliding all over his
skin. Old Pogarty! He had never
heard himself called that before. For
a painful moment the power of
thought slid out of his brain and his
face went tense, as though he awaited
the horrifio explosion of a shell he
had already seen drop. Then he
stared destiny straight in the eyes.
And destiny laughed at him.
He saw himself standing, bare
headed and bewildered. at the grim
halfway house on the crest of the
hill 1t was labeled THE Abattoir of