Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-04-23
Charles ]. McGuirk

Through the dinner. David sue
cumbed to the mans charm.
"A man Of your ability" Dale told
him, rs wasting time IN public Office.
You could do much better In private
practice"
Il could" David admitted. But ]
like public service like TO think ]
am doing my bit toward making life
more tolerable for a lot Of people here
in the city"
admired his effrontery. by eliminating
the rackets? Don't you know that it
will prove only temporary? Human
nature doesn't change. Soon the rackets
win be in fun swing again"
IT think not, David disagreed.
Crime left long enough unchecked de-
Stroys itself by arousing public opinion
| against 1t. 1t doesn't know moderation"
And how do you feel about the men
| you sent to prison?" Dale asked.
Il have no feeling at all toward
| them. Some Of them, I suppose, are
! likeable persons. But they had broken
| the law. had one advantage, however.
tried them before q high type, an
unreachable, what the press calls q
blue ribbon jury. So they went to
| prison"
Then you consider them human
beings" Michael Dale said eagerly.
You do not consider them rats?"
@As told you before. Mr.. Dale"
David smiled II do not consider them
personally at all. But If I did, I'm
afraid would consider them rats. Still
not holding anything against them. AS
reasonable man, / can imagine that
there are quite number Of hkeable
rats. If human beings would forget this
propaganda about their being bearers
OF bubonic plague and other lethal
diseases"
Thomas Napier laughed and Michael
Dale stared at him.
Il wouldn't want you to be after me,
Mr.. Hobson," he said slowly. cot
course, there's no reason why you
should be and even If there were, am
sure man like me would never allow
a man like you TO put him behind |
prison bars. Nevertheless, I'd hate to I
have you on my trail. You are that !
most dangerous thing, a materialistic !
idealist."
Il am sure a man like me would
never allow a man like you to put him
behind prison bars"
Now what had Michael Dale meant
by that9
David Hobson thought it over as the
days went on and the more he thought,
the more interested he became.
Looking at the calendar one after
noon, he noted that it was the 18th.
just a week since Michael Dale had
hurled his challenge. For he was con-
WINGED the words carried a challenge.
Doggedly, David reviewed all the
material he had waded through. There
were plenty of signs of Dale's criminal
influence but not shred Of evidence
that would warrant his asking for an
Indictment.
Sitting in his office, he thought back
over the conversation he had with
Michael Dale over the dinner table
that night. And suddenly, the name,
Fat Levanti popped into his mind.
Michael Dale had said he was his !
friend.
David tensed in his chair. He re- I
membered Levanti, the labor racketeer,
BIT the trial nearly a year ago. A rugged,
Square-headed man with an iron jaw.
AS tough as they came. And he was
Michael Dale's friend. He was tough, J
but sometimes prison !
changed a man and Levanti had been
n Sing Sing 10 months now. He called
Cd Hargan, his assistant. S
Ed" he said 1T want an undercover
nan to be sentenced to Sing Sing for
IN indefinite term not later than day 3
lfter tomorrow. Think the police have
'SThe police always have" Ed smiled. :
Up in Sing Sing the days pass slowly.
When a man becomes q number, min
ties crawl on leaden feet and the days d
rop into the past with a dull thud.
The most trivial thing becomes inn Il
'ortant after a while and q fish" q
lew prisoner, an event Of absorbing 2
interest. :
thus Fat Levanti, the labor racket .
er, going into the 18th month Of 8
entence which might end In 20 years :,
r which might go right through the q
EST Of his life was childishly interested =
I the new prisoner who was locked In a
he cell next to his.
whats your name, buddy2" He :
Thispered hoarsely through the bars y
nat night. What are you in for?" q
"Amati." The man growled. "A stick z
Mines Ievanti." Fat whispered T
They threw the book at me on a labor .,
acket rap" Amati began TO laugh. n
What are you laughtn at?" q
Hello, suckerl" Anau chortled. u
You're Mike Dale's stooge, amt you? u
he boy that took the rap for him.
oppose he told you he'd get you outta II
ere. Well, here you are and there he al
on the outside, sittin' on top Of Park
venue" ca
"Who did you say you WASP" n n
Nobody to you, sucker. Nobody to
1u." -
The 18th, the -2Oth-22d-
It'll
Two men watched the short February
ays slide across the calendar.
Down in the city, District Attorney
avid Hobson watched their passing
lefully. Every day gone brought him
-. k " uSAes 81 Every Gay pIolgnC