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Prominent Pfo
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VIGOROUS YOUNG PROSECUTOR
rMWlSKSHHH 1 iiMn TIP Wllili H
ITH tho passing of tho
sailing vessel from tho
E,cn has gono tho son's
romnnco. Romnnco
cannot llvo without Its
villains, Boarding mas
tors, bucko mates, but
lying captalnB theso
"wcro tho villains of sea romance, and
they arc gone, or going, with the sail
ing craft they lived In.
Chief among thorn In their genera
"tlons was tho boarding master of sail
ortown. Though ho novor went to
sea, ho was tho henvy villain in every
plot that delivered the unlucky sailor,
or tho unlucklcr landsman, into the
handB of captains and mates. Mostly
they wero sneaking, brutal, cunning
HcampB, theso boarding masters, own
ers of low dives along tho water-,
front, which they mlBnamed sailors'
boarding houses. They hung in tho
wake of incoming ships, mado friends
with tho easiest marks among tljo
crews and baited or bullied thorn Into
their dens. There pooY Jack Tar was
1ept and entertained with bad whisky
and worse women until his monoy
was gone. Then ho waB shipped
aboard somo vessel, after signing
away one or more months' unearnod
wagos In payment for an Imaginary
board bill and a "donkey's breakfast,"
' aea slang for a straw bodtlck. "Blood
money" and "doad horso," the sailors
called this robbery. Tho captains al
ways paid it, taking tho sailor's, "ad
vance note," which was certain to
Ue paid out of tho debtor's "hide" or his wages.
Boarding masters of this class were petty ras
cnls. They doalt in men nt rotall. The brothers
John and Peter Sherman, of lrvlngton, on the Pa
cific coast, were of another typo. They dealt In
men wholesale, shipped entire crews. Their
boarding houses wero licensed by the govern
ment. Captains bargained with them openly.
The shipping commissioner of tho port winked
nt their devious ways. A crowd of thugs, run
ners and hangers-on Berved them and thrived by
their favor. They were men of substance and
owned or controlled as part of their business ev--cry
saloon, dance hall and resort In tho crooked
streets and dark alleys about tho wharves. Upper
lrvlngton drow a deadline about tho waterfront
and seldom ventured ovor it outside of business
hours. Jack and Pete Sherman were kings of
Jrvington'8 sallortown.
Kvery autumn saw a big fleet of "wind Jam
mers'ships of 2,000 to 3.000 tons register lying
off lrvlngton. Tho wheat of the new northwest
was In their holds, consigned to ports In Europe
or Indlu. by way of the six-months' Journey
round tho Horn. The whoat fleet, lrvlngton
called It, and when the wheat fleet came, upper
lrvlngton stirred Itself, sallortown roused to
vicious life, and the sallortown kings reaped a
harvest of blood money.
No captain shipped a crew from lrvlngton un
til ho had done business with tho kings and paid
their price. Captain Drown, of the bark Cnrmnr
thnenshlre, lenrnod that to his cost. Ho put into
lrvlngton for a cargo at a tlmo when ships were
plonty and men hard to get. Ho was uncon
cerned, for hlB men had been shipped In England
and would not bo discharged until the home port
was reached, Captains of deep-laden vessols ly
ing in tho stream eyed tho CarmnrthnenHhlrc's
crew enviously. Jack Sherman quietly sent a
man or two aboard tho "llmojulcer" to visit and
smugglo In forbidden whisky, ny twos and
threes Captain Drown's crow left him and were
hidden about sallortown. Tho lrvlngton police
. wore asked. to bring them back, but however hard
they looked for deserters they didn't find any.
Then ono dark night the rest of tho crow van
ished over the side, to tho last man, after knock
ing tho breath out of Captain Drown, and tricing
tho mate up to tho main flforall. And before the
astonished captain could recover breath enough
to roar for "law" Jack and Pete Sherman had his
men shipped In one of tho waiting vessels and
away. Next day tho captain was waited on by
tho kings, who blondly offored to find hlra a new
crew ot ?50 tho man. He roared again to the
British consul, to his shipping agents, to the po
lice, who wore sympathetic but helpless, Nobody
could bo found to oven hint that tho kings had
any hand In the affair and tho shipping commis
sioner's records were clear. He had shipped no
deserters that he knew of.
But Captain Drown swore that If he couldn't
get back his men, or get tho dogs of, Justice to
ven bark at tho kings, ho at least would pay
them no blood money for n new crew. So ho
went to another port and brought u now crow ta
lrvlngton by steamer. His bark was hauled out
into the stream and hor crew kept close In hor
forecastle. That night she was boarded by
masked men. who swept hor now crow over the
bows Into tho stream. Gossip had It that somo
of thorn were drowned. Captain Drown gave up
and paid the Sherman boys 75 Instead of $50
each for n crew, and put to sea In a hurry
"They're blcedln' owlno. but they're kings of
sallortown," ho said.
The namo of
Sherman was novor
coupled openly with
the story of thnt
night rnld. but tho
kings shipped nil
tho crews from lr
vlngton afterward.
No ship went to
sen short-bunded, However blind tho shipping
commissioner might bo In other ways, ho saw
to it that the shipping laws were obeyed as to the
number of men required for types and tonnago of
ships. A man might never havo soen tho sen,
but If he were not too drunk to say ho was an
able seaman and to sign his name to the shlp'B
articles; that settled It. ne would probably be an
able seaman or n dead greenhorn bofore his ship
reached port
This official insistence on tho lotter of the law
sometimes caused tho kings to do strange things.
Toward the end of the season they wero at times
hard pushed for one or two men to fill out a
crew. Then did all men In Ballortown not In tho
kings' special favor hunt cover and stay hid un
til the last ship was out of flight beyond the bar.
For Jock and Pote were no respecters of persons.
All men looked alike to them, and they sent' to
sea more than ono who hold himself too acuto to
be trapped Into an unwilling voyage. Woll-edu-catcd,
well-dressed and companionable, tho kings
mixed with tho best and worst that drifted Into
their realms, and onco In their clutches no man
escaped from them except by tho opon sea.
Jimmy Hunter, Yale man and cowpuncher,
went down to the waterfront nlono ono dny,
against the advice of the upper town, to seo tho
sights. Ho was wlso to tho world and had n
year's thirst and pay with him. Ho mot the kings,
who wore glnd to seo him. Just ono moro man
was needed for tho squarc-rlggor Good Hope, then
lying in tho strenm waiting for a crew, with hor
captain. Black, swearing at Jack and Peto for
delaying him. Tho kings attonded to Hunter's
thirst and wero friendly, oven confidential. No
secret was made of their trade. They told him
stories of shanghaied sallormon nnd of crows they
had stolen from ono ship for another. Ho was
much. Interested. Jack took him up to tho ship
ping commissioner's to see tho crow of tho Good
Hopo shipped. Ho was even asked to and did
sign his nnmo once or twice "as a witness." A
friend from tho upper town risked a broken head
to warn him. , Out tho Sherman boys wore also
friends nt least three hours old and, anyhow,
he could tako care of himself.
At last he caught Pete In an attempt to drug
his whisky and left tho kings, with a laughing
comment on sallortown ways. Well outsldo tho
deadline he stopped In a quiet saloon. It was
late and be and tho lonesome bartender had a
nightcap together. When he came nllvo next
morning he was ut sea in tho Good Hopo nnd n
beefy English mate was kicking him In tho ribs.
Of tho months that followed Hunter novor
told much. Ho learned sailors' work; ho had to.
Ho picked up a scar or two from tho English
mnto's brass knuckles. Also ho acquired a deep
desire to kill the kings of sallortown, Captain
Black and the mate.
At last he found himself in tho consul's ofllco
at Dunkirk, Franco, dressed In the clothes ho had
on when he mot the Sherman boys. For n won
der, they had sent them aboard with him. He
was In United Stntes territory again, and, first
off, he would squaro yards with Captain Black.
But the consular agent was a Frenchman who
would neither speak English nor understand
Hunter's French unless ho wanted to. Captain
Black lolled In an ofllce chair and grinned while
Hunter told his troubles. Whon ho had finished,
without a word of comment the consular agent
spread out two papers, tho ship's article and an
"advance note." "Eea thoos votro nom?" he
asked. It was. Ho remembered his signing "as
a witness" and was dumb. AftT the
"advanco note" and a preposterous
slop chost charge had bcon deducted
from his wages, they handed blm
tho balance, a pitiful little plo of
small silver, and told him to ge"'. out
It wns against tho law, of courrti, but
ho didn't know that.
Ho was sot adrift, almost without
monoy, In u land of strnngoM. A
hostile land, too, for tho gendarmes
In front of tho ofllco eyed him with
disfavor. Ho wns desperately lono
ly, nnd felt tho grip of circumstance keon upon him. Ab
ho wnndered about tho strango streets ho discovered,
sewed In the lining of his coat, an onvolopo, until then
unnoticed, Its contents wero four onc-hundrcd-dolla bills
.. .. lrvlngton. OoV If.
Air. .Jnmen Hunter.
Dcur Hlr: Hero's your dust. Wo kept your nun. 1 would
only innko troublofor you. Wo nro not thlovea. only
boarding masters. You would net drunk and wo needed
men. ltldo your monoy till you get ashore. You will
need It nil, for Black Is certain to turn you ndrtf'. dead
broke. Quit boozlnc and bo a man.
Yours truly.
P15TKR SHERMAN.
Tho friendly faces of Undo Sam'a greenbacks
gavo him courage Ho mado plans and ncled on
them then and there. Meotlng, that English mato
In tho street, ho gavo him n most artlsth'- beat
ing, paid a line, and took tho next boat for Lon
don town. Incidentally, ho forgot all about hla do
slro to travel six or seven thousand miles ood kill
tho Ballortown kings. What spasm of virtue caused
thorn to give him back his monoy ho novo? know.
They wero not noted for doing such things.
Thnt the kings so continually escaped punish
ment was small wonder. Tho men Injured never
had a chance to tell their stories until Uoy were
nshoro in some foreign land. Consuls in foreign
ports could not libel ships or detain captains on
their unsupported word. The ships papers wero
ulwnyn straight, at any rata on tho face of them.
Tho most that could bo done was to report tho
case nnd there it ended. Tho Sherman boys on
tho other Bide of the earth nover hoard even an
echo of it. The witnesses against them wcro scat
tered over the seven seas and prosecution could
not touch them,
Tho United States district attorney and his staff
did their best to keep tho Shermans within tho let
ter, at least, of the- shipping lawa, but they had
hard sledding. In ono caee tho kings wero Indicted
Charllo Maraden, tho atar witness for tho prosecu
tion, was locked up In Jail for snfekeoplug, Chnrllo
Mnrsden disappeared. Tho Jailer told "a story of
masked men, guna and general confusion, but could
Identify no ono as having takon part in tho Jail
delivery, With tho witness gono, prosecution halt
od. Long afterward Charllo Morsdon enmo back
and told a moving tnlo. He had been bound,
gagged and carried aboard n .ship Just as she
sailed, Whon released at sea, ho was told that
ho had been regularly shipped and was led a sorry
llfo aboard. In foreign ports ho appealed In vain
to consuls, who shqwed him his namo forged, of
course on tho ship s nrtlclcs and laughed at him.
When ho finally worked his way back to lrvlngton
his story nwakoned Interest and new prosecutions
wore begun. Tho Shormnn boys hnd well-paid
lawyers who dragged out tho cases with adjourn
ments and legal tangles. lrvlngton wan too busy
to be long excited ovor tho wrongB of n few sail
ors. Prosecution faltered and paltered along Its
usual dismal way, and what at last brought the
sallortown kings up with n round turn wns tho
united public opinion of lrvlngton directed against
them.
lrvlngton suddenly waked up to find Itsolf a blot
on tho mop, Unoxplalned dead men nro no good
advertisement for any town; neither aro mysteri
ous disappearances of strangers within its gatcB to
be desired, If their friends make a fuss about thom.
Captains who refused to bo held up for extrava
gant blood money, and to play villain nt small
profit, avoided the port. Business was falling off.
Upper lrvlngton wnn hit whoro It lived and tho
Sherman boys wcro notified to quit.
Tho kings of sallortown havo abdicated. Stoam
vessels make voyages so short that "advance
notes" aro no longer prizos. teamen's unions
have given a measure of protection ovon to deep
water Bailors, who seem to havo fewer rights and
more hardships than most men. The bullying cap
tain, the bucko mato and tho boarding master have
all been singed by tho feeble and tardy flro of
United States maritime law, Tho rallroadB had
thou shnrcln tho revolution. But what really
caused the Sherman boys to beeomo prlvnto citi
zens wns tho wrath of upper lrvlngton, When It
was hit in Ub pockot and Its self-esteem that up
set the kingdom of tho sallortown tyrant.
Strtto'a Attornoy Edmund Burke, who prose
cutes tho ovll doors in Sangamon county,
whoro tho capital of Illinois la locntod, has Boon
to It that John E. W. Wayman, who holds tho
samo Important position In Cook county, most ot
which la Chicago, does not get all tho limelight
that goes with tho legislative brlbory scandal In
qulry.
Tho young state's attornoy at Springfield lost
no tlmo In getting busy whon ho heard that -there
had boon boodllng among tho Btato'a lawmakora.
"If any of thnt monoy passed hore In Sangamon
county- I want to know about It," ho Bald, "and
I'll do Bomothlng In tho way of Indicting people
myself."
Mr. Wayman didn't llko to havo tho youn
Democrat at tho Btato capital "butting In" and
mado somo such comment, which Immediately brought forth a caustic rejoin
der, in which tho Sprlngflold prosecutor used tho word "plot." This Btlrrcd
things up to a llvoly pitch and tho brlbory Investigation took on a personal
tlngo bo far as McBara, Burko and Wayman wcrq concorncd.
Tho attornoy general of tho slato, Mr. Stead, then took a hand and tried
to assist Mr. Wayman by having tho Inquiry started by Burko nt Sprlngflold
stopped. Judgo Robert B. Shirley, howover. Bald Mr. Burko had a right to go
ahead with his probing so long-as ho did not lntorfcro with tho Investigation
In Cook county. Should thoro bo such intcrferonco, said the Judgo, ho would
then stop tho Sprlngflold end ot tho quiz until such tlmo as Mr. Wayman
would not bo Interfered with.
Mean tlmo tho people ot Illinois wcro wondering. Ono thing they thought
of woa that Wayman was oloctod on a Republican ticket and Mr. Burko was
a successful Domocratlo candidate Whothor thoro Is any significance In thin
difference iu politics is only a matter ot guesswork. It Is a safer bet that
it Is tho zcalousness ot both prosecutors and their dcalro to get to the bot
tomor should wo Bay ''tho man higher up" that prompted thom to takeffc
courso whloh soumod to indlcato that thoy wero fighting each other Instead
of lighting bribers and perjurers.
Mr. Burko is a graduato of tho University ot Michigan. Ho was gradu
ated from that Institution, of learning 11 years ago nnd returned to Sprlngflold
to practise law. Ho hna been actively Interested In politics for tho last eight
years and wns thrlco cloctod a momber of tho board of supervisors of Sanga
mon county.. In 1008 tho Democrats of tho county put him on tho ticket for
Btato'B attornoy and Mr. Burko had no troublo in being elected.
ON HER DIGNITY.
CURTISS ON AN AERIAL WAR
Tho next tlmo two nations aro at war It Is
to bo hdpod thoro will bo no next tlmo airships
will swarm like deadly Insects over tho old-fashioned
navies, dropping tholr torrlblo poison In tho
shapo of picric acid bombs boforo tho unwloldy
mon-of-war aro able to retaliate
This Is tho Idea ot Olonn H. Curtlso, aviator,
who says tho hugo battloshlp Florida, recontly
launched, and other Drendnnughts will bo usolcaa
In a battlo with nn aerial fleet.
"Moro than 1,000 noroploncB can bo launched
for tho prlco ot a slnglo battloshlp," ho adds.
"I was much Interested In tho launching ot the
Florida. I hbartlly subscrlbo to tho preparations
wo aro muklng to defend our country from nil
aggression. But I do not bellovo that wo aro
going nbout It In the right way In view ot modorn
conditions. BattleshlpB havo been impressive englnos of war, but their day
1b practically done. It Is as sure ob death and taxes that tho airship will
supcrsedo tho great floating structuro of steel with Ub immense gun.B
"Imaglno, for lnstanco, that a hostllo floet Is anchored 20 miles off Now
York. Supposo It consists of somo of tho most poworful ot modorn vcsaola
llko tho Florida. Boforo It could begin to sholl tho city our fleet of aeroplanes
would start from tho Now Jorsoy flats. Supposo wo havo only 200 of thom.
Each is ablo to carry 200 pounds of bombs.
"Bombs wore used In tho South African war which weighed not more
than ten pound b, Thoy wero mado ot plcrlo acid. So far as I know, thero
1b nothing more deadly. Tho mlasllcu can bo hurled down on such a broad
target as a war vessel with great precision.
"During the day tho aoroplanos could soar away at a groat height. They
could bo painted tho color ot tho sky. Before tho lookouta on the hostllo fleet
could dlscorn tho mosqulto-llko flyers tho aeroplanes could swoop down and
blow tho warships to pieces. Boforo the ships could bring any ot tholr clumsy
guns Into action tho aeroplanes would bo oft nnd safe.
'Boforo another year has passed away many nations will devote the, mil
lions thoy aro now spending on Drondnnughta to building fleets of aeroplanes.
It is inevitable."
HEADS A WASHINGTON CLUB
Mrs. Aloxandor Whlto Gregg, wife of Ropro
Bontatlvo Gregg of Texas, who waa olected presi
dent ot tho Congressional club In Washington re
contly, Is ono of tho most attractive and accom
plished women In tho congressional set, Repre
sontntlvo Gregg 1b now serving hlB fourth term In
congress. Whllo In no sonso n clubwoman, -Mrs.
Gregg haB .alwayB tnkon n great interest In the
Congrebslonnl club, n unlquo organization the
momborflhlp of which Is composed oxcluBlvoly ol
tho wives of senntorB and representatives.
Mrs. Grogg, who was previous to hor marriage?
MIsb Mary Brooks of Palostlno, Texas, Is a mom
ber of an old Virginia family which aottlod In tho
Lono Star stato during her lrifnncy. She la espe
cially popular among tho southern contingent in
Washington. Roprcsontntlvo and Mrs. Grogg havu
a dobutanto daughter, MIbb May Gregg, and three sons. During tho social
season thoy occupy a house at No. 1737 Corcorun street and entertain fro-
quently.
Mrs. Gregg's soloctton as president was groetod with much enthusiasm
by tho other club mombors. The election was called to All tho vacancy caused
by the resignation of Mrs. Jamos Brock Perkins, widow ot Representative
Porkins of Rochester, N. Y. Tho club gives an cntortalnmcnt very Friday
afternoon. Those wore postponed during May in deference to Mrs. Taft, who
entertained Friday afternoons at a series of gardon parties.
EDISON SPRINGS A NEW ONE
"I should llko a drink of water," said the young
man, politely.
"You'll havo to wait until mother comos down
stairs," said the young lady, haughtily, "I want
you to understand that I never go Into tho kitchen."
Thomas A. Edison, wizard of tho electrical
world, haa brought forth a npw idea that will not
provo popular with the great army of persona
who make tholr living by clerking In tho storoa.
Mr, Edison la nothing If not original and hla now
schomo has Its Interesting points.
An automatic store, which might bo called u
clorklosB store, la the "wizard's" schomo, Mr,
Edison says It will decrease tho cost of living and
be a boon to mankind. Ho has given thought to
tho great number of clerks that would bo thrown
out of employment If his Idea should bo cnrrlod
Into effect, but ho saya It would permit thom to
dovoto tholr tlmo to somothlng that would benefit
them and tholr country moro than tholr present
occupation does(
Ho Ib reducing to paper tho plana that have
long occuplod hla brain for an automatic store. Whon these plans arp com
plote ho hopes to boo salesmen replaced by automatic -vending dovlceB hvmoat
Btores. Tho ctiBtomor noed but walk up to a Blot machine, drop In tho proper
coin, and his bundle, neatly wrapped, will bo dollverod In bis hand. Almost
the only omployooa such, a storo would need -would be tho men to attend to
tho machines and thoso In the central otntlon to overlook their operation.
Tho customor. for oxaraplo, will drop Mb coin, turn tho pointer to Indl
cato tho particular klud of gooda ha wUhes, and touch tho button. Tho ma-
chluo will do tho rest.
