The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-14

est and most desperate criminals
might still be at large.
Vance and had just settled back
! in our chairs for our second cup Of
coffee and cigaret when tnrric.
answering an impetuous ringing Of
the front door bell, ushcred the DIS
trict attorney into the living room.
"By all that's holy" he exclaimed,
raising his hands in mock astonish-
mcnt. New York's leading art CON
noisseur is up and about"
And am suffused with bushes ut
tho disgrace Of it, Vance replied.
1t was evident, however, that tho
district attorney was not in "A jovial
mood. His face suddenly sobered.
"Vancc, II serious thing has brought
me here. I'm in Il great hurry, aud
merely dropped by to keep my
promise. =. The fact is, Alvin
Benson has been murdered"
Vance lifted his eyebrows languid-
''Rcally. now" he drawlcd. allow
messy! But he no doubt deserved it.
In any event, that's no reason why
you should rcpine. Take Il chair and
have cup of Curric's incompatible
coffee" And before the other could
protest, he rose and pushed II bell
button.
Markham hesitatcd "A second or two.
ooh, we'll. A couple Of minutes
won't make any difference. But only
a gulp." And he sank into Il chair
facing us.
Friday. June II: 3 A. NJ.
John FIX. Markham, as you re-
member. had been elected district
attorney Of New York county on the
independent Reform Ticket during
one of the citS's periodical reactions
against Tammany Hall. He served
his four years, and would probably
had not the ticket been hopelessly
split by the political juggling of his
opponents. He was an indcfatigablc
worker, and projected the district
! attorneys office into all manner of
criminal and civil Investigations.
Being utterly incorruptible. he not
only aroused the fervid admiration
Of his constituents, but produced an
almost unprecedented sense of secur-
ity in those who had opposed him on
partisan lines.
He had been in office only II few
months when one Of the newspapers
referred to him as the Watch Dog;
and the sobriquet chung to him until
the end of his administration. In
deed, his record rs II successful prose
cutor during the four years of his
incumbency was such remarkable
one that even today it is not infre-
Guently referred to in legal and polit-
ical discussions.
Markham was a tall, strongly-built
man in the middle fortics, with
clean-shaven, somewhat youthful face
which belied his uniformly gray hair.
He was not handsome according to
conventional standards, but he had
an unmistakablc air of distinction.
and was possessed Of an amount of
social culture rarely found in our
latter-day political office holders.
When his nature was relieved of
the stress of duty and care, he was
the most gracious Of men. But early
in my acquaintance with him ! had
seen his attitude Of cordially sud-
denly displaced by, one Of grim au-
thority. II was as If new person
ality-hard, indonlitablc, symbolic of
eternal justice--had in that moment
been born in Markham's body. | was
to witness this transformation many
times before our association ended.
In fact, this very morning, rs he sat
opposite to me in Vance's living
room, there was more than Il hint of
it in the aggressive stcrnncss of his
expression: and l knew that he was
deeply troubld over Alvin Benson's
murder.
He swallowed his coffee rapidly,
and was setting down the cup, when