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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1923)
into a chair at the table of the two Devines. "I dislike to seem to offer advice to a distinguished member of the bar, but if I were you, I’d gag the loquacious physicians of your cli ent. Jonathan Cornwallis, I hear talk to the effect that their gar rulity has cost their patient and your client, millions already.” . “You hear truth,” declared the senior Devine. “If the accident to the old gentleman had been fore seen, and his doctors bribed, it couldnq have worked more strong ly to his disadvantage.” “Who's behind the bear raid?” Pelham asked. Devine shrugged. “Simmons & Ueidy are the brokers handling practically all of the selling in Fed erated Motors. Why?” Pelham’s forehead wrinkled. “What sort of firm are they? Seems to me that I've heard rumors about them.” “Well,” replied the elder Devir.e cautiously, “I respect the libel laws highly. But I will say that if they hadn’t" had excellent counsel they’d have been suspended last winter.” “Who are their clients in this at tack on Federated Motors?” asked Pelham. Young Devine laughed. “If we could answer that, don’t you think we’d have been to see them?” - “Why, we’d have arranged some sort of compromise,” ejaculated the elder lawyer: Young Devine vented some of the anger within hint. “You’d think that Simmons & Ueidy knew the ex act moment when old Cornwillis was going tq have his accident. They’d been selling quietly from the moment the exchange opened, and the minute that news of the ndshap reached {lie exchange, their floormen began unloading with both hands. It couldn't have been timed prettier.” Pelham's brow came. closer to gether. "Unless this accident, which prevented the closing of the amalgamation, had occurred, the stock would have gone 'way up, wouldn’t it?" “Bound to,” assented Tony De vine. _ "No sane trader, then, would have tried to bear the market on Federated Motors?" asked Pelham. “So sane one.” answered the el der Devine emphatically. "And it didn't look like a spon taneous movement, this selling? It looked like an organized plan, eh?" The two lawyers exchanged glances. "What are you driving at?” demanded the older man. Pelham Ignored the question. "Since they were so close to bank ruptcy and suspension last winter, have Simmons & Leidy numbered - any big operators among their ell- „ entele?” The Devines shook their heads. Tony answered: "They've barely kept above water." "It wouldn’t be possible to find out whom they're acting for?" in quired Pelham. “AVe’ve tried,” said the elder De vine, "but there are no leaks in that office.” "Suppose I try?" suggested Pel ham. “What are you driving at?" ask ed the senior lawyer again. “I made a suggestion: do you wish to retain me?” fenced IV i ham. "A'ou’re retained," said the for mcr senator. >. The more Jimmy Pelham thought about the bear raid on Federated Motors, the more he became con vinced that design, not coincidence, had timed the beginning of the eelbng operation. If Pelham could find out who had learned of the accident at about the moment of its occurrence, lie would be near to know ing who was b< hind the bear raid. • Of course, some stock speculator, passing in his own motor, could have seen the collision between Cornwallis’ limousine and the other cars. But, even had he recog nized the old man”, and seen that lie was unconscious, he would hard ly have assumed that his accident was serious. No sensible man would have risked hundreds of thousands on such a chance. And yet, according to further informa tion given him by the Devines, thousands of shares of Federated Motors had been offered for sale the minute the exchange opened, a good two hours before news of the accident had become public. The accident had occurred at 9:30. The old man must have been In Dr. Beck-re's hospital by 9:45. Between that time and 10 o’clock, informa tion as to the financier’s condition must have reached the client of Kimmons & Beidy. Who had given that information? I!y Tuesday morning he had defi nitely learned that only one tele phone call had been recorded in the central office aa having been made from the hospital between the hours of 9:30 and lti:45. That call had been put in at five minutes of 10, and was to Mrs. Cornwallis. And the Cornwallis telephone had not been used for on outgoing call, until after 11 o’clock. Clearly then, uw Information U3 to the injury to the financier had come from neither the hospital nor his home. Senator Devine, by Tuesday, was close to nervous prostration. For the attacks on Federated Motors seemed to have gathered new vigor began to quicken, for the aame lawyer had represented all three men. Pelham called upon him and plumped a question at him: “Who retained you to act for the chauffeurs Involved in the accident to Jonathan Cornwallis?” The criminal lawyer lost his smile. "That’s funny," he said. “I’ve been puzzled myself. I won V ••Make It two millions if you will kiss me again like that,” he said. over the weekend. The stock slumped badly on Monday, and sank even lower on Tuesday. At first almost jesting in his retaining of Pelham’s services, the lawyer, catching at a straw, was frantii in his appeals to the detective to ‘‘do something.” Pelham went to the police sta tion to which Cornwallis’ chauf feur, and the drivers of the taxicab and truck, had been taken on the morning of tffe accident. Here he learned that, in view of Cornwal lis’ condition, the three chauffeur* had been held on heavy bail. Ten thousand dollars in each case. Downtown he found out the name of the lawyer who had represented the drivers. And now his pulse r—1 11 - — dered why the same man was In terested In all three. However, he had a fairly plausible reason. He said that he was representing a new insurance company. Said that these three men all had policies protecting them, guaranteeing them lawyers in case of trituble that arose from accidents that occurred in the line of their employment. He paid me a fee and put up thirty thou sand dollars in cash as bail.’’ "I don’t see anything in that to puzzle you. Casualty Insurance isn’t anything new,” Pelham as sented. The lawyer grinned. "That’s what I thought, until, quite by ac cident, I learned that the Chauf feurs' Interstate Casualty company has no existence.” Pelham uttered an exclamation of dismay. He left the lawyer’s of fice and raced uptown in a taxi, inwardly moaning because he had not got to work on this case—if If really proved to be a case—days earlier. , That there had been clues he was certain after an interview with the housekeeper at the home of Mrs. Cornwallis. Tho* financier’s wife was unable to receive him, but the elderly maid who attended to the domestic management Informed him that Gaffney, Cornwallis’ chauffeur, had not been around the premises since the accident. A visit to the rooming house, where Gaff ney had been living, revealed the fact that tho chauffeur had not been seen there since the * morning of his employer's last ride. Another visit to the police sta tion gave Pelham the numbers of .the taxicab and truck which had figured in the collision. He tele phoned Jerry Tryon and suggested that Jerry put men to work run ning down the owners of those cars, and also finding, if possible, their chauffeurs. Then he went to the bank where Simmons & Leidy kept their account. Bankers are very reluctant to di vulge Information concerning their patrons, but In these days the name of Pelham had a magical effect. He told what he wanted, addressing himself to no less a person than the president o^the bank. “Simmons & Leidy? A week ago Saturday they deposited $300,000.’’ ’ Was that unusual?" asked Pel ham. "Well, even the amount would be a bit unusual for them; they had been carrying a small balance since their difficulties with the exchange authorities last winter. But a de posit of $300,000 In cash Is unusual at any time.” Pelham pursed his Ups. "That Is funny,” he conceded. "The rest Is funnier still," de clared the banker. "As you know, they have been doing all the sell ing of Federated Motors. They’ve made a profit of close to $10,000. 000. And most of that amount has been withdrawn.” Pelham leaned eagerly forward. "That's exactly what I want to hear. To whom have their checks been payable?" "To cash." replied-the banker. "But that’s Incredible,” cried Pelham. "Nevertheless. It's true. They’ve deposited in one afternoon, checks from fifty brokerage houses. On the next^day they have come to tha bank, one or the other of the part ners. accompanied by bodyguards, and have withdrawn as much as a million dollars In cash.” ABE MARTIN On Extravagant Speech \n ever’ day street scene In the IT. fl. When Miss Tawney Apple re turned from a l-'ord ride th' other evenin,' she remarked, 'It wuz simply wonderful.-" Th' way th’ word ‘‘wonderful’’ Is bein' abused an’ debased these days calls fer a stingin' rebuke. Ever'buddy’s over workin' it. Even ole Jake Bentley that lives almost three miles off th’ road has caught on. We nsked him how his wife’s liver wuz actin’ this summer, an' he said, ‘‘Well, sir, It's jest wonderful.” Th’ expression, "Fine an’ dandy” had a long run, an’ is still encountered now an’ then in th’ sparsely settled river counties nri' on dollar excursions. An’, strange as it may seem, th’ ex pression found Its greatest popu larity ’mongst those who looked jest th' reverse o’ fine an’ dandy. Generally th' folks that speak of a 20-cent dinner, or a certain dand ruff cure, ns bein’ simply wonderful are usually folks that have never been beyond th’ confines o’ ther own township. Still we wuz talkin' to a woman th' other day that had been around th' world an* she referred t' a new egg lifter she'd bought as th' most wonderful thing she had ever seen. Hut ever'buddy's overworkin’, "wonderful.” Th' film wuz wonderful, th* cantaloupe (s wonderful, th' eierk wuz wonderful, th' trip to Carmel wuz wonderful] th' new baby is wonderful, th' rain, an' even th’ soup, wuz wonderful. These things might be good, or nice, or tolerable, or out o' th' usual, or even extraordinary, hut they-all eorue many leagues from even up proachlng th' wonderful. Think of a full grown, beautiful, well edu cated an’ refined young miss sayln,' “Th' bologna was perfectly wonder ful,” upon her return from a pie tile. Think o’ dnssln' hofogna right along with Nlngnry Falls or th' seven Sutherland sisters. Our real wonders nro very few. numberin', we believe, not mnre’n seven, In eludin' tli’ collosus at Rhodes, th' bangin' gardens o' Babylon an' th’ temple of Artemig at Kphesus. We have many things borderin' on th' wonderful, but exceptin’ a really good cantaloupe, tber's nothin’ t’ eat among 'em. Wo have some trips thst are quits unusual, hut ther not In Indlanny. We have some exceptional sunrises, very toothsome Ice cream an' bologna, hut ther not Wonderful hy a long shot. Lampin' th’ loop on n blcyili Is wonderful, an* how some people gM hy comes dangerously near bein' wonderful, hut tiler's nohuddv malt in' wonderful speeches, wellin' won derful books, or servin' wonderful food, nn' I her hnln't nothin' won derful In th’ whole United Slates hut Nlagary Falls. But this Is an age of extravngnnres, not alone 111 money expenditures, but In forms of expression as well. < nnvrlirht 1»21 Pelham stared at him. "Why?” ha demanded. The banker amiled. “You’re the one to answer that, not L" a • • • a • s Pelham aat up late that night, going over the matter with Jerry Tryon. “The only thing,” said Jerry, to ward the end of their talk, "that^^ seems to shed any light on the ation is the mention by Carey, tm banker, of the Gray Ghost.” “I don’t see where he comes in,” "That’s .exactly the point,” re torted Tryon. “When you don’t see his hand, you, can sort of figure that It's there, somewhere.” Pelham chuckled. "Jerry, you're an old woman.” “Maybe so.” Jerry was stubborn. “You and I certainly do differ on the Gray Ghost. One day you Bee him everywhere, and he don't even creep into a corner of my eye. Next day I spot him in something, and you're colorblind so far as he's con cerned." Pelham laughed again. But long after Jerry had left the apartment. Pelham sat staring into the flames in his fireplace. He admitted to himself that he had suspicions that something crooked lay behind the bear raids on Federated Motors. The speculation of the Gray Ghost would tie such only in name; in reality It would be an operation conducted with the certainty of m engineer repealing a proved prob lem. The Gray Ghost would pick his stock; he would make its fluctua tion, its rise or fall, absolutely cer tain. He would pick a stock of which great things were expected along a certain line and cause op posite things to happen. But why not be specific in ms dreamy theorizing? The Gray Ghost picked Federated Motors; be arranged for an accident; be planned to capitalize that accident. Pelham rose from his chair, laughed at his own absurdity; this was a little too far fetched. Next morning he ordered Slim Dickenson, the Maine guide whom he had brought from the woods 'js his personal attendant—and friend ■ 1° go to the oillces of Simmons & Leidy and open an account. "I want to find out who is the client that is raiding Federated Mo tors.” he told Slitn. “and why mons Leidy make such tremen^^ dous cash withdrawals from their bank.” He himself sought the sc.ne of the accident and made hltnseif known to the policeman on du y in the neighborhood, who was properly impressed at meeting the Gray Ghost's great opponent. "A private matter officer.” Pel ham explained. **We've been trying to trace the drivers of the truck and taxi. It seems that they either had false numbers or you didn't read them correctly. Tryon's operatives had reported that the numbers given by the v liceman were registered a* bel-n g to owners of r.irv ■ i state. ^ The officer shook his head I Rot those numbers right," he i< lured. "Catch me making a tak*> when a person like Mr i’ n wallis la injured. "Say,’** he add* ' that ambulance surgeon droj i-**! '-tunething out of bis pocket ? ^ ,nK as you are working f r Mi. < ornwallia or his wife, you |*r**b *Wy "dll see the doctor before I •1 t irne to pet ttfUttdl tO his 1 Would you give him this* ’ He handed Pelham a small lemh caae, Pa!ham took it U carelessly into his pock* t. < eoure** I will," h** promis* ' I d say that old b**y forms * must have a terrible case of h« *it trouble to be unconscious th s I long," declared the poli*. ? j "Ho wasn't evan touched I *'Wall, h* s nn t>it i man I Pelham. I Iuckenaon returned to r* Its. * apartment that afternoon with i i* port of his experiences. *‘7'here's a bunch of workmen in the office of Simmons A L* ly. Milkin' alterations. Busy then »11 the time, fearin' down pnrtlt and buitiliiiK new onw. \V* II. 1 took a look around. They Iwn couple of safes, but, believi in* 1 wouldn't trust a nickel of min- .n one of them. Old fashion* >1 !| that any ye**? could blow j "And yet Simmons A I.* id} j hi •iiKiiiR about 11,01.0,000 I cash to their offices. "But' they don't trust t safes." lie declared dranmt! !•• j I'elhnm paid him the? compliment of excitement, "do on. Slim "The workmen fill <iuit at noon; (I onfinunl on I’nge Thrrf ' AIIVKRTISMIFNT j HowMany Pounds Would You Like to Lose in a Week? If you are fat ami want '* * weight. 1 will *«ml you a ^ fAumuM Hot f>F«t treatment .» kdft : »• •• i *»• not Mad aay •¥! your name snd address **?.., hV l 1 b«> t a tor It ». 222* Com »'ola H'lH • j t’lty, Mn