Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-20

/ winked from the stern Of the other
ship. For a moment the signals few
back and forth, and Golly chuckled to
himself.
ITS just as 7 planned it-just as
wanted 1t to be-" he murmured, rub
bling his hands. Now we'll have some
run. Watch me now"
At that moment a great beam or
binding light swept out from the land
and moved slowly across the water until
1t picked up the destroyer. So powerful
was 1t that both Golly and Capt. Ak
ness covered their faces and Shrank
away as it swept over them.
"Whack her up!" shouted Golly.
Every ounce of steam-every ounce
We've got to overtake that packet
ahead"
Flames few from the destroyer's fun
nelS. She shivered and shook under
the throbbing Of her engines, but the
great beam of light followed her re-
lentlessly, no matter how fast she
moved.
And then Golly, staring landward,
saw red pencil of light flashing to-
ward the destroyer, and moment later
the roar of an explosion was heard.
They could not see the shell strike the
water. for 1t fell outside the focus of
the light.
| Again came that long red flash and
something screamed overhead.
They're straddling u.s." whispered
| Aikness. They'll get us! They'll get
us! II only We could"
! A shell struck the destroyer amid
ships and terrific explosion followed.
Hundreds Of tons of water were thrown
high III the air and the sea was strewn
| with wreckage.
The boats from sister destroyer re-
manned for hours over the spot where
the Meridian had gone down, but thfY
| could find only one survivor little
man who was strapped to huge life
| buoy.
MY names Oaks" he said when
they hauled him aboard. "Golly Oaks.
I'm giving no trouble-I'm not that
kind of a man. I'm all for peace and
quiet and getting on well with every
body. Why 1 saved little baby once.
| The other fellows was for leaving her,
but couldn't bear the thought Of it.
Name of Lila Smith. She's beautiful
young lady now"
He became hysterical while he was
being taken back to London, and when
he found himself facing a group OF
stern-faced police officials in Scotland
Yard he feigned insanity. Not word
could be gotten out OF him, but a con-
fession was not necessary to the crowns
| case.
There was the testimony Of Raggit
!
that were necessary to end the evil
course of the leader of the india rub
Der men.
And Golly Oaks, in the prisoners
dock, heard the little old woman whom
for years he had regarded as mildly in
sane speak the words that were his
doom. His eyes blazed as she recounted
the things that she had seen, as she re-
vealed the plot that had resulted in the
burning of the old Pattison mansion
and the kidnapping Of the baby, Della
Pattison.
But it was against Raggit Lane that
| GollyS hatred seemed strongest. Lane
escaped death by turning Kings evil
dence, and the pleasure that he took in
making things as bad as possible for his
| old chief was most apparent.
The deeds of the india rubber men
were enough to make the most hard
ened persons shIdder Crime after
crime, tremendous game played for
huge stakes-and all planned by little
Golly Oaks and executed under his di-
rection.
John Wade and his colleagues uncov-
cred the South American cache to
which for years the plumber of the gang
| had been sent, to await the time for
final division, and this cleared away the
mystery that had surrounded long list
Of unSolved crimes for period of more
than 20 years.
But of the human beings who had
been the victims Of Golly's almost I'M
believable cruelty and greed only Lila
and Anna had escaped
After he had been sentenced to death
Golly tried to console himself with mu-
sic, and took to singing in his cell. The
other prisoners and the wardens who
watched him made bitter complaints.
But condemned men have their privi-
leges. He sang on the morning Of his
| execution, in his reedy falsetto, and,
when the trap dropped with O clang,
the warders were not half 50 sorry for
him as they had been for a number Of
other men who had passed out by that
same route.