The evening world. Newspaper, October 23, 1922, Page 20

2 A New Sort of Governor and a ~~~ : Semen Kime necnamuanisbercrs New Sort of Family in the Executive Mansion Made a Fine Impression. MOFPIIER from a little town up-State vis one day to plead for the ted the Governor life of her son, a minor, who had been convicted of the wanton murder of a police officer while engaged in a robbery. The Governor had studied ghe papers in the case and had caused a private investigation to be made, In the course of this investigation he learned that the mother had refused to allow counsel for the defense to call her son to the stand to testify in his own behalf. For more than an hour the Governor listened to the mother, who was a fine type of woman fanatically devoted to her wayward son. The Governor had urged her to tell him everything about the boy. She had insisted that he had been crime of which he was convicted. a good boy up to the time of the “Why didn’t you permit your lawyer to place your son on the Stand in his trial?” asked the Governor suddenly. “He would have had to confess to twenty burglaries,” replied the mother, momentarily off her guard. WHEN HE LEARNED TO PLAY GOLF. Al Smith took up golf when he was Sheriff, It is traditional in New York that the Sheriff shall be ‘‘dined to adeath,”” and Al Smith attended more public dinners than any of his pre- decessors. His doctor advised him to go to French Lick Springs in Indiana and there Charles F. Murphy per- suaded him to knock a ball around the links. A! wasn't keen for the game at the start. He said it was too donesome. In Albany he worked night and day during his first six months as Gov- ernor and was beginning to show the strain. Adjutant General Berry, a physician, advised him to play golf. He joined the Wolfert's Roost Club on the estate that was formerly owned by J. K. Emmet and David B. Hill and picked as his opponent Chief Humphreys, for many years the head of the New York Central police force. Chief Humphreys hrs a line of spontaneous rough language that is delightful, and he took his golf seri- ously. Al says the Chief rose to heights of violent expression which have seldom been excelled one day when a mastiff belonging to a member of the club barked just as he swung his mashie for a shot. The bark dis- turbed him and he drove the ball into a lake. He had often boasted that he had never beeri in the water and the mis- hap made him furious. Then he proceeded to shoot six other balls in succession into the same lake. ‘The training at the Wolfert's Roost THE STORY TO DATE. ROWN, the butler of the Fifth Avenue mansion of Anthony Nan Cortland, finds his em- ployer dead and twelve guests unconscious around a table where the thirteen had gathered tor a convivial celebration of the Ace Club the night before. A goldfish in a bowl in the room is floating, dead. A strange odor pervades tne room. Capt. Stuart, an army officer, calls for Van Cortland to go for a ride 'n Central Park and discovers the state of aflairs After talking with Morrison, ihe chaufleur; Roberts, the valet; Ma- ne, the maid, and Brown, Capt. Stuart calls Police Headquarters and in < few Nunutes a queer-looking little man ap pears at the mansion and introduces himselt ap Mr. Furneaux of the detec- live force. Capt. Sivart, chosen by Furneaux to nouly Miss Mary Dixon, Van Cort- fands fiancee, ol his death, performs the disagieeable task, but 1s impressed by the fact that she shows ne deep ene! Discovery 1s made of a threatening typewntten note in which Van Cortland Was told he could never marry May Dixon burneauxs theory ts that the mur- derer, aller administering @ snockout draught to ihe party and pournng the Palance into the gold fish bow!, admin istered a deasiy dose to Van Cortland. The puter tells of a visit by Miss Baker and her tather to Van Cortland and a conversation in which the dead man made hight of the threatening note. Stuart overhears a conversation re in a deal in rubber stocks Capt Ciossiey, precinct commander causes the ariest ol a the Van Cor I-lanagan, Central jand manpion Path opposile ‘Ullicer Cortland dic f Maite Dixon invites Capt and sipter aie mn the Adirorita L100 tended at Marys suj sy \ m which Montagu loyn says that May Dixon agteeu to marry Van Coruand because he saved ner father from tail- tramp who fas a mig he claims to have lound be sho made the arrest: is scratcned while ex- .amining the ring and dies just a> Van Stuart to fey un the Dixon fat while tus tatner ks ated makes i cieai that the invitation is 24° Mary Dison adds the fact that Frank Club made Al a confirmed golfer. He spends as much time as he can spare at the game. It was while playing golf that he first felt the twinges of rheumatism that laid him up for sev- eral weeks prior to the Syracuse con- vention. THE CHILDREN AND THEIR ANIMALS, The people of Albany were con- tinually Interested in the Smith family because the children were always ap- pearing in public with strange ani- mals. Al Smith ts a lover of animals and animals love him. Dogs and cats follow him home, Besides the biz Smith dog, Caesar, the grounds of the executive mansion were the play- ground for an assorted collection of canines that appear to know they were, in a place where they would be tolerated. There was quite a sensation in Al- bany when the Governor abandoned the tennis courts on the Executive Mansion grounds and turned them over to the cuildren's ponies, But this was nothing to the sensation that was experienced when the Governor appeared downtown one afternoon driving a pony cart. He took the family to a circus and\jt required the combined moral suasidn of his wife and his mother to keep him from tak- ing home, a six-weeks-old lion cub which the circus management offered him for a pet. Heretofore in this narrat!ve I have referred several times to Al Smith's int'mate knowledge of the machinery of the State Government. It will not be pressing this accomplishment te saker's collection comprised a poison ting but she believes him innocent ot Van Cortland’s death. Capt. Stuart is surprised to learn that Mary Dixon has cherished a news- rer clipping showing his decoration y a French general with the croix de guerre. Ava dinner to former Ace Club members Durrane explains the theory that Van Cortlandt’s death was brought about by an outsider Stuart and Willie Dixon got to the Adirondacks with arms and amunition. Furneaux shows up in charge of Dur- rane's motorboat. Durrane takes the lace on the lake adjoining that of the Dixons. lurneaux discloses Miss Dixon his theory that the murder was done by one of the members of the dinner party who was in love with Mary Under Chief Winter's direction, all hands devote themselves to the solution of the mystery, keeping in mind the peculiarities of a neurotic individual, a former member of the Ace Club. to Stuart and CHAPTER XVIII. A Piece of Cardboard. tANK BAKER, though young in years and physically strong as an ox, had led too dissipated a since returning from France that near being drowned ill effects from the therefore, he went protest, and ylelded to Fr Nite he could and not exper to bed come feel any ment, When, under that he should endeavor he soon sank into the of sheer exhaustion, He sturdily declined, however, what Dur- rane ‘sedatly “I have no use for drugs in’ any shape," he said. ve me a stiff dose of whiskey, I'll be able ‘to eat no He was mistaken, After some hours af unconsciousness he opened his eyes and looked at his watch, ‘To his sur- the time was nearly 4 o'clock made up his mind to have what b led a “heart to neart” talk with Mary Dixon, and subsequently return to New York, He rose at last, dressed slowly, and went to the living room, where he found Durrane ensconced in an arm- chair, and resding “Peeling better?" erecting “Well, IT dunno," said Baker testily. “I fell pretty badly for that littestunt of yours this morning, but I couldn't re \ described a a Is when I wake up.” came the friendly Wes NINE NNT BNO OF lO MASTER MYSTERY STORY THE EVEN b ALPRED E. SMITH AT BIGHTEN. CAEL URMMDIBENE REM SER A PEREEOE urn ene ponen ne ING WORLD, MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1922. EVEN WHILE HE DELVED IN FULTON FISH MARKET AL SMITH WAS PREPARING FOR LEADERSHIP AMONG HIS FELLOWS. relate another incident, because it is really remarkable. A CALL ON HIS RECONSTRUC- TION COMMISSION, « One of his first acts as Governor was the appointment of a Reconstruc- tion Commission to study the govern- ment and formulate a plan for ita reorganization by the Legislature. Abram I. Elkus was Chairman of the commission and Mrs, Moscowitz was Secretary, ‘The other members were Alfred E. Marling, Willlam M. K. Olcott, John G. Agar and Mortimer Schiff. The bring myself to believe that you had gotten such a crazy idea into your cranium that you could bury every fellow who stood between you and Mary Dixon."* “Do you know what you have just said?" he inquired, “Sure I know. ‘The point ts do you realize what I meant by it?" “I'll supply all necessary explana- nations at the right time, if it ever comes. I'm beginning to think it came and passed on the day of Tony's death, “Now, I'll tell you, you leave Mary Dixon alone. She'll never marry you, anyway. One can see with half an eye that the gallant cavalryman has cut us all out, You dished my chance, and your own, if you ever had one, when you advised me not to lend the old man the money to clear off that mortgage, but to buy in- his shares stead, That let Tony in on the ground floor, And now, something else has happened—what it 1s 1 don't quite understand yet—which has put us again in the also-ran class, This morning's little game clapped the lid on tight. Hang ft all, you didn't bring 4 The » here to kill me, did you? maid came in with tea arrange small table, spread a cloth on it, set out the china and cutlery and addressed her employer “I brought two cups, Mr Durran. she said, “in case you would lik your tea now.’ “Thanks. Talking is dry work, I think I will take some Durrane sipped his tea so noncha- lantly that Baker was constrained to y “By jing, Phil, you sure have got the devil's own nerve!" After some minutes of thoughtful silence Durrane resumed the conver- sation. “I want to assure you,"? he sald slowly, ‘that I did not, to use your own phrase, invite you here in order to kill you. But let that p, You are perfectly safe in my hou You can go or stay as you choose. But, suppose you are Wrong us to Mary Dixon? Suppose 1 marry her, after all?) What then The food, in all likelihood, had brought back Baker's senses to their normal level, which was not a higa one by any accepted — intellectual standard. “If you marry Mary Dixon," he said, ‘you win, and I'm through, 1 don't see what else I can do. What committee engaged a staff of experts to formulate a report, and after weeks of work the report was ready and was submitted to the committee in its rooms in the Hall of Records. During the preparation of the re- port Gov. Smith had not consulted with the tnembers of the committee nor with the staff of experts. He came down from Albany in July with his secretary, walked into the office of the committee and was stopped at the entrance by the telephone switch- board operator, ‘Who shall I say it ts?’’ asked the girl. he MITH In His “Mr. Smith," replied the Governor. She did not know him and sent in for a member of the committee to come out and see ‘‘Mr, Smith.” This was the first meeting of the Governor and the full committee. The experts had prepared a chart 18 feet long illustrating the organization and functions of the 187—at that time— departments of the State government and their numerous bureaus and other subdivisions. The chart was about a yard wide and an extremely intricate affair. _ ‘The Governor looked it over for two or three minutes. Then he launched into a history of each of the 187 de- partments and of each of their branches. He +told when the depart- ments were formed and namea the legislators who had introduce! the bills. He named the legislators who were responsible for the bureaus and by LOUIS TRACY + COPYRIGHT BY EDWARD J CLODE . would be the use, anyhow?" This cryptic remark seemed to satis- fy Durrane, but Baker had not»done with him yet. “Look here!'’ he cried, thumping the table and making the crockery rattle. ‘There's a lot of talk about what you may or may not do. What about me? If you have one chance T certainly have fifty. Why should * give in?" With that, Durrane lighted a cigar- ette and strolled into the garden, Baker scowled at the retreating fig- ur “No, damn you!"’ he muttered, >robably I'm safe now. You could hardly stage a second attempted mur- der and hope to escape. ‘hen he, too, went out. was standing at the water's edge, watching Furneaux, industrious with a handful of oily waste and an almost equally oily cloth. Baker gave a glance in the direction Durrane of “Bellagio,” but none of its rest- dents was visible. He joined Dur- vane. Where's the other crowd?" he in- quired I don't know. ~I have not seen them we came back from our swim, Have you heard what they are doing Pierre?"" Non, m'sieur since I hev not spik wit . Cathareen to-day." “Well, leave that and tackle her now. something spotless engine, You may hear Pierre obeyed unwillingly “Where did you find the asked Baker “He was found for-me. He is the brother-in-law of the regular boatma. here,"* renchie?"* Looks a smart little chap have met him somewhere. remember his voice. “He comes from Montreal."* “Oh, that's It. TI go up there occa- slonally in winter for the sports, Won- derful mechanies, the French,"* “1 don’t think much of Plerre in that respect; he's useful in others."* Furneaux would have given a good deal to have heard those few simple sentences. Furneaux returned sooner than his master expected. The little man look- ed sulky. He announced that his efforts to obtain information had met T must I seem to with little success, He had learned, however, that the Dixons were to have a dinner guest, a New York lawyer, In the condiitons, the curiously as- sorted pair at Sans Souci could hardly intrude on their neighbors later, and, as the day wore, it be- came evident that they were not to be included in the dinner party. They smoked and read until it was time to dress, when Durrane asked to be ex- cused from wearing a dinne: jacket that night. “I'm going ashore about 9 o'clock,'* he said. ‘I hope you don't mind be- ing left alone. I have an appoint- ment that must be kept.’’ Baker knew of old that Philip Dur- rane could be us “tight as a clam" when he chose, Whatever his bust- ness ashore mfght be, he meant keer ing it to himself. After a cocktail, which Durrane pressed his companion to make two, not without setting an example, they went to thei. rooms Living as bachelors are supposed by their female relatives to live, though the critics would be astonished by the Lucullian habits of some New York misogynists, their meal began with soup. A butler, whom Durrane had picked up in the town, removed the plates after the first course, aud was vastly surprised at finding under his master's soup plate a white car¢ about fourniyches square, bearing black cross. Baker saw it, too, and started quite naturally at an object which could only be regarded as an extraordinary one, even though it need have no really sinister purport The butler muttered something under his breath, but Baker swore loudly, As for Durrant, both men were aware that his sallow fac livid, though so great was his power of self-control—a strangely incongru- ous attribute of the neurotic brain that he said not a word during some seconds. Durrane then looked at Baker and the latter was conscious of a lambent gleam in the brown eyes which he had had grown never before seen there. Is this a joke on your part, Frank?" he said, and his tongue moistened his lips the while as though they, were dry. ‘Joke!"" repeated Baker. ‘What sort of joke is that? It strikes me as the high sign. Let's have a lool at it." Baker did not realize then, though he remembered the incident after- wards, that Durrane hesitated a frac- tion of @ second before touching the First JOB crack. explained the purpose of each of them. He quoted from debates on some of the bills creating new ‘epart- ments, told why he had opposed some and favored others and, without con- sulting a note, showed that he was absolutely familiar with the most re- mote as well as the most important branches of the legislative and execu- tive structure of State government “One trouble has been,” he told thg commission, ‘that new bureaus have been formed without reference to old bureaus. Many of my colleagues in the Legislature, in utter ignorance of the form and functions of the Govern- ment, have succeeded in putting over bureaus to do work that was already being done by other bureaus. “ollowing this, he went into a de tailed statement of his ideas of recon struction, He named scores of bureaus that could be completely abolished and card with his fingers. Nevertheless, after turning it over, and finding that the bai as blank, he gave it to the other. The black cross had been inked in quite recently. The ink still had a bluish tinge. “There's nothing particularly funny about this design,’’ commented Baker, “It looks to me dike a sort of warn ing.”" Meanwhile our cutlets are growing cold," said Durrane. ‘ “Well, you're talking calmly, at any te,” and the speaker contrived to laugh. ‘As for me, I'm not worrying. I think I've had already all that’s coming to me to-day It was not a tactful remark, but It served, : ‘The dinner, though simple, well cooked and served in an appetizing way, did not em to appeal to either of the young men With the arrival of coffee and the proffer of cigars and cigarettes the spell seemed to be broken. Durrane even apologized I have been abominably neglectful, Frank,’ he said, obviously waiting until the bu had gone out. ‘But, you, better than any other person liv- ing, can understand that I have eau of mental disturba It will pass. ‘Tout tout tout lasse, Are you Frenchman enou, to understand that bit of philosophy ‘Everything everything per- ishes, everything palls?? I wonder It it is all trus “T dunno," came the blunt answer, but if I was you I'd get out of this nake a bee-line for South America, or Japan, or, better still, Central Af- rica He bent forward and whispered “I'l take a chance. Those fool have nothing on mv.” Durrane fayored him with ously contemplative stare. “I never imagined you were so mel- odramatic,"’ he purred, with all his wonted cynicism, ‘But Iam sure you mean well. PI remember I said that, will you? Things may which will tend to shake your faith— as for instance, that stupid folly of this morning; yet, with time, you may come to see that I am telling you the truth now."* With that he lighted a second clgar- ette, picked up the marked card, put it in a side pocket and went out Kor ‘some reason, which his rather sluggish brain did not trouble to analyze, Baker felt uneasy, He did 1 for some res ops a curi- ue OF NEW YORK LIFE happen_ fourth Ward Boy WhoBecaineGovernoi Picturesque Life Story of “Al”, Smith. Martin Green. How the Chief Executive Showed His Reconstruction Commission His Intimate Knowledge of the State’s Bureaus. man$ departments that could be wiped out or merged with others. “We had spent six months in find- ing out less than the Governor told us In an hor,” said a member of the commission in recounting this {nci- dent. ‘We should have had him make his talk in the first place."’ AS A MEDIATOR IN LABOR DIS- PUTES. As Governor and at other times Al Smith has shown remarkable ability as @ mediator in labor disputes. His success in this line has been largely due to his genial personality, which enabled him to get both sides in good humor on short notice, and to his unerring common sense which guides him to short cuts through technical- ities ond inaccuracies. In January, 1920, the cloakmakers' union and the cloak manufacturers, after a series of futile parleys, went on the warpath. Both sides placed ad- vertisements in the newspapers. The union leaders claimed that the manu- facturers had locked out the workers and the manufacturers claimed that the union had ordered a strike. Gov. Smith invited representatives of both interests to meet him in Al- bany. Large delegations of excite manufacturers and union leaders hopped on the Empire State Express one morning and 1 o'clock in the fternoon found them grouped in the reception room of the Governor's of- fice in the Capitol ch side claimed the other had violated the contract. Morris Sigman, President of the union, declared that the cloakmakers were starving; that the union had got beyond his control; that he could not regulate what he called “shop strikes."" Other union leaders and al manufacturers oke and everybody mentioned the seve the Governor. He glanced over it and asked who framed it. The visitors said a lawyer drew it up. ‘it BD uneenweee ane onBenwar a “Here is the cause of all the trouble,"* said the Governor, pointing to one of the clauses in the contracts “This te the most in the document a important clause 1 it is improper! drawn improper worded, Ti language can be read two ways, Ree write that clause and yow can settle your difticulties.”* THE STRIKERS WENT BACK TO woRK. He sug! i the language that should be used. The disputants ads mitted that his interpretation clarified the situation and opened the way te a settlement. All right,’ said the Governor, ‘We have the machinery here to help you straighten things out—the Labor Board. I am turning this over to d and, pending a settlement, ntial that the union send ite memb back to work. You can’s get anywhere otherwise The union leaders protested. To ge back to work would be a confession >» of weakness. Sigman declared thaé would be Impossible to send the strikers back into the ps. b. "Ci e over he Me cated ® d the Governor over with you privat Sigman took Governor to talk this alongside the said AL. of this w look here, Smith, great union “Sure,” “Now, me, Sige man,” Al Smith went on in a confle dential tone and with an tn smile, ‘we know damned well that It? you tell those people to go back to work they will go back to work.” “Sure,” agreed n The strikers went back to work, @ settlement was reached and there has been no strike in the cloakmaking (Me dustry since. Sigman,”* “you are President eplied between Sigman. out (Continued To-Morrow.) SSS ee 0 0 0 terms of subscription: One year, $10; six months, &: month, 85 cents. Address: Cashier, F-TOWN READERS: If you are*not convenient to a newsdealer and wish to re- ceive The Evening World, it may be hud upon the following three months, $2.50; one The Evening World, Park Row, New York. not even begin to understand Dur- rane’s pose. The man who had un- questionably tried to take his life a few hours earlier seemed to regret the attempt now. He had gone so far, indeed, as to hint that it was foolish ather than criminal! Again, he (Baker) had as good as told Durrane he regarded him as the murderer of Anthony van Cortland, yet the ex- traordinary fellow had begun by ac- cepting the charge without contradic- tion and ended by chaffing him for ving made It While these conflicting and trouble- some notions were jostling in his brain he heard Durrane come round the end of the house and walk down the plank path to the landing place Behind him followed the little engi- neer, Pierre. Then he caught the snorting of the engine, and the launch emerged from the boathouse, He was tempted strongly at that moment to_ stroll across to the Dixons’ place. He was alone, and an invalid of sorts, He stood well with Mary and Willie Dixon, even with that interloper, Stuart, and it was hardly likely any business would be discussed with the New York lawyer after dinner, since they had taken him out for a long country walk during the afternoon He had to summon all h solution to resist that impulse. Convention has its own fetters of steel, and Baker knew quite well that neither he nor Durrane was wanted by their neighbors that night, or they would certainly have been invited to dine Baker smiled sourly. He was not accustomed to being “left out’? on such occasions. “What beats me,"? he said to him- self as he rose and went out to smok in the fresh air, ‘is why I am here at all. Why on earth did Phil rush me up from New York, makiny it such a point that I should come at once? What game had he in mind? What game is he playing now? I give it up. Wish I was out of it.” The moon had not yet risen, th a silvery blue sheen was expanding “ eae the eastern hills. ‘The eurface People. Baker und Durrane arriving of the lake was invisible, a pall of tosether must have ex#cised a wholly, Utter blackness, save for the few opposite effect from Durrane arriving ghimmering streaks which reflected #!one. Yet that latter thing is whag Gistant lights, But the stillness of !Ppened. Bidding Furneaux awalg the night, and the eerie beauty. of a M8 return, which would not be dee scene suggested to the spiritual senses MYed many minutes, Durrane walked rather than visible to the m up to the house no appeal to Baker, whose curiosity was greatly stirred ‘by discovering that the motorboat was merely fot ing along by spasmodic Jerks in thi direction of Dixon's landing. He heard it stop there, and straightway jumped to the conclusion that Durrane had simply humbugged him, i was himself making a belated call, prob= ably with the hope of securin a te a-tete conversation with Mary Dixon, He first decided to follow. described this proceeding with the richness of diction such double dealing seemed to demand. He ited to make sure he was not mis: ken, and soon detected Dur id on the plank path, with its oe- casional boarded steps, leading to the Dixons’ house, Then he hurrief along the track, hardly a path, which gave direct communication between both residence If he stepped out he would arrive simultancously with the man who egregiously However, before crossing the divide ing fence, he halted and took thought, If Durrane had pretended he was go= ing to town, he, Baker, had equally pretended he was going to bed, and neither had the slightest right to carry their squabbles into the quiet household next door, Evidently, then, this headstrong young millionaire was still affected by the morning's adven- ture. Ordinarily bullheaded and pug= had hoodwinked him nacious, that night he somewhat re sembled a nervous colt, and was, equally ready to shy at shadows and’ magnify trifles into alarming mone sters Be the explanation what it might, Frank Baker certainly hesitated and stood still, And that absurdly small use promptly led t tragic sequel, Had he gone on and joined Durrane on the veranda at Bellagio, It is pose sible that events might have shaped themselves very differently that eve ning, even though a volcano of pase sion blended with insanity was ready, to pour out its scorening lava at any, moment, But convenuon controls neurotic lunatics nearly as forcefully s it holds within bounds the sluggish (Continued To-Morrow.) }