The Sunday Oregonian., January 19, 1908, Magazine Section, Page 10, Image 54

to
THE SUXDAT OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 19, 1003.
- ' . ,
. James J. Brooks "has been called
"one of the bravest men that ever
lived." , and anyone who had the
privilege of his acquaintance will In
dorse this description. As an Internal .
revenue agent has was Instrumental '
In breaking up the Infamous "Whisky
Ring." which swindled" the Govern
ment out of millions of dollars. In
recosnltlon of his itood work. General
Grant appointed' Brooks chief of the
United States secret service, a posti
which he filled with distinction and
which he retained durlnic the admin
istration of President Mayes. After
leaving the Government service.
Brooks organized a private detective
agency. He died in Pittsburg four or
five years ago. -
I
I
fc. ........-.-
SO, VI.
ONE morning in the Spring of 1S78
General Grant sat at his desk in
the White House, puffing away at
the ever-present cigar and gazing blank
ly Into space, when his messenger an
nounced Senator Cameron, of Pennsylva
nia. "how him in at once," said the Fresl
aent. After the first greetings had been ex
changed, Senator Cameron exclaimed
with marked earnestness:
"Well, General. I have the man you're
looking for."
"Who is lie?" .
"James H. Brooks."
"DO you think he'll fill the bill?" . '-
'.'I'm sure of it. He fears neither man
nor the -devil; He is as straight as a
string and will be absolutely' loyal to
you."
It was in this manner that James J.
Brooks camo to be selected- to destroy
. the "whisky ring." a combination whose
operations were bringing scandal upon
the administration of General Grant.
Brooks immediately proceeded to New
Orleans, where, wilh the aid of compe
tent' assistance, he detected and de
stroyed the illicit distilleries and landed
their backers in tho penitentiary.
After that the intrepid revenue agent
transferred the- scene of his operations
to Philadelphia.- Strolling through the
thinly-populated section of Port Rich
mondthe northern district of the Qua
ker City he- noticed a thin cloud of
smoke arising from a bonfire that had
apparently been lighted by some mis
chievous boys of the neighborhood. He
carelessly scattered the smouldering em
bers with his foot and proceeded on his
way. A curious act on the part of a
sedate ...man! But he naa nis reasons.
That night a corps of Government de-
tcctives appeared on tho scene and three
notorious "moonshiners' and tneir as
sistants were arrested and sent to . jail.
A fully equipped still was. in operation
in a cave in the vacant lot. ana tne pre
tendeflly boyish lire had been lighted to
flis'ract attention from the smoke which
necessarily arose from the Illicit ais
tlllery.
Consternation prevailed among the vio
lators of the Federal law. Tho thought
of losine their profitable business drove
them to desperation. A council of war
was held in a saloon on water street ana
It was openly announced that $8U0 had
keen subscribed for the' purpose of "put-
tine Brooks out of the way." ane low
browed ruffians who were present knew
the meaninc of that phrase only too well.
But they all held human life cheap. anJ
three of the toughs vohinteered for the
' hazardous enterprise.. The trio, whose
names were to become infamous, included
"Bob" Ahern, who had appeared in the
criminal dock as often as he had fingers
and toes: Neil Barlow, a hackman with-,
out scruples, and Hughey Harrison, a
desperado who -was known as "the man
with the lazy eyes." Fifty dollars were
paid dowm as an- evidence of good faith,
and a portion of this was immediately
spent by the conspirators in celebrating
the anticipated success of their unholy
mission.
In the meantimo Brooks continued mak
ing his daily rounds unconscious of the
fact that a price was upon his head. He
was no self-advertiser, and he made ar
rest after arrest in the most matter of
fact way and without any blare of
trumpets. Sometimes prisoners were
captured with perfect ease and again
only after a struggle, but always it was
counted a part of an ordinary day's work.
Brooks at that time lived at the Old
Merchants' Hotel, a quaint structure on
North Fourth street, a survival of revolu
tionary times. The three consplratdrs
Ahern, Barlow and Harrison shadowed
him from morning until night, waiting
for a convenient time and place to ac
complish their bloody purpose. The utter
monchalance of Brooks disconcerted the
footpads such is the effect which a
really brave man has upon craven spirits.
One night they had him in a dark corner,
but the work was abandoned because
Ahern complained of a sore heel, which
Posth
T I
umous nonors
Statue Dedicated to the
IN the tree-bordered Place Dauphine,
Paris, there was unveiled and dedi
cated !ast Monday a statue to one
of the most spectacular and possibly,
too, one of the most able sons of
France Kmilo Zola." The SI years of
his life were filled with much of hard
thlp. many disappointments, and,
toward tho close, bitterest enmity, but
death brought an end to all that and
present-day Franc is practically as
one in honoring the memory of -the son
for whom she did none too much while"
living. Scarcely 13 months ago Zola's
remains were exhumed from their rest
ing place in one of the Parisian ceme
teries and reinterred with pomp and
circumstance in the Pantheon itself
the French Westminster Abbey.
The ceremonies fell most appropriate
ly, for it was on tho 13th of
January. ten years agt. that all
Paris was stirred by the Uppearance of
an open letter, addressed to the Presi
dent of the republic, beginning with the
now famous phrase "J'accuse." It was
that which reopened the Dreyfus case,
and so. indirectly, led to the tardy re
habilitation of the unjustly disgraced of
ficer. Zola himself never lived to see the
consummation of that greatest wish of
his life, but his country fully recognizes
the great part he played in its most
striking modern drama.
The statue is eloquent of it. Begun by
Constantin Meunler. the Belgian Sculp
tor, it was to- picture only Zola the au
thor, but Alexandre Charpentier, who
was chosen to complete the work on the
recent death of Meunier, broadened the
conception till, now it represents Zola the
patriot first, with the philosopher and
novelist held subordinate. The principal
relief on the pedestal reproduces the -historic
scene 'in the Assize Court, when
Zola appeared before the tribunal, sup
ported by Picquart and Clemenceau, tha
latter now Premier. Two other reliefs
suggest the man's literary and "doc
trinaire" labors, with figures of a miner
and a nursing mother, portraying, re
spectively, the ideas set forth in his
novels of "Travail" arid "Fecondlte"
"Work" and "Fruitfulness."
If. to one "conversant with the life
story of the man. it seem strange that
France should invariably crow so en
he peevishly said might Interfere with
his flight. .On another occasion, just as
they were ready . to strike the blow.
Brooks turned into Appletree alley and
was lost to sight in the turnings of that
narrow thoroughfare.
On one foggy night, however,: all the
conditions were favorable, ,atid it was
determined to do "the job.'' All that
afternoon and evening the three men
waited around the corner where .Brooks
was expected to appear. Neil arlow
was on hand with his yellowwheeled car
riage to carry the assassins to 'a place of
safety. Ahern and Harrison hid .within
the shadow of a big doorway. Presently
Brooks appeared, striding along at his
usual fearless gait. One of those sub
conscious flashes of the brain which
come to all, but which can be explained
by few, impressed him with the belief
that his life was in danger. Ho knew
that he had been shadowed, but he had
not altered his daily routine in the least.
As he reached the corner of the street
he paused for a moment. At that instant
Ahern rushed from his place of conceal
ment with a cocked revolver in his hand.
He aimed at the head of -the unknowing
detective. His hand trembled a bit as he
pulled the trigger and the ball instead
of going Into the brain penetrated the
back of Brooks. He fell to the sldtavalk.
As he did so Harrison joined his con
federate and, pulling out a blackjack,
began to. beat the wounded man about
the head. A mist spread over bis eyes,
but by a powerful effort he- opened them
and glanced up at his assailant. .A mask
that Harrison wore slipped down to the
lower part of his face, . and Brooks be
held his .eyes a pair of lazy eyes which
even the excitement of the moment failed
to rob of their habitual Indolence. The
next instant the men had rushed to the
corner and leaped into the carriage.- The
driver whipped up his horse. and the
vehicle dashed away. As it passed the
prostrate man he lifted his eyelids .feebly
for a second time and noticed that the
carriage wheels were painted a bright
yellow. The next moment he fell back
unconscious, but indelibly imprinted upon
his .memory was the vision of a pair, of
lazy eyes and two yellow carriage wheels.
Brooks hovered between life and death
for many weeks, but a naturally rugged
constitution spared him for his country:
When he left his bed his luxuriant black
hair was perfectly white the lasting me
mento of an awful experience. ' The au
thorities offered big rewards and the un
known offenders were bitterly denounced
Brooks said nothing, but at all times and
in all places he was haunted by the mem
ory ' of the lazy eyes and the. yellow
wagon wheels. He grimly resolved that
before he died he would see those eyes
staring at him from behind the grated
cells of the penitentiary.
For Weeks after his recovery Brooks
naunted the business section of the city
In search of the carriage with yellow
wheels. In that time he discovered many
vehicles painted that color, but not one
tnat impressed him as being the partic
ular wagon of which he was in quest.
His superiors urged him to take a much-
needed vacation. He agreed to drop his
work with a mental reservation. And
that reservation was his dogged determi
nation not to relax in his effort to dis
cover his assailants. He made several
trips to- the seashore, but after short
stays always returned to the city to pick
-up the scattered threads of his investiga
tion. ' '
One day, to his- delight, he discovered
a wagon that answered the description so
vividly pictured on the retina of his mem
ory. It. was an ordinary tumble-down
public hack, but the yellow spokes glis
tened in the- sunlight and filled the- de
tective s mind with visions of the man he
had sought bo long. At the moment he
saw the -hack the driver, a burly, red-
laced fellow, whipped up his spavined
nag. and with unprintable words urged it
to- greater.' speed. A conveyance was
standing by the curb.-Brooks jumped in,
shouting to the cabby:
"Keep that hack in sight if you Want to
earn a double fare.
The instructions were carried out to the
letter. The street was crowded with
trucks, trolley cars and express -wagons,
but the hack with the yellow wheels
threaded its way through them with un
believable ease and swiftness. Brooks'
cab kept the first team in sight alwaysl
Once or twice there was a blockade, and
the fear of losing his game almost re
duced the detective to the verge of nerv-'
ous prostration. But cabby invariably
caught up the trai; and followed the hack
wilh the certainty and swiftness of the
hound that io pursuing the fox. The race
finally led' them to the main street of the
city, and they went in a straight line
toward the river front. Within half a '
block of the wharf the cab became In
extricably tied up in a mass of wholesale
grocery trucks. The driver leaped off his
seat, and, opening the door of the vehi
cle, said:
"I'm afraid we're stuck, sir; but If you
make haste' you can overtake him."
Before. the man had finished speaking
Brooks was out m the street.
"Where Is he?"
The driver pointed to a hack just on
the edge of the wharf. :
"There he Is, sir." i
for Zola
Philosopher and Novelist-
thusiastic over his memory at his funeral
marching, thousands strong behind the
heavily draped, hearse, turning out -by
thousands again to witness his reinter
ment, and (undoubtedly) tilling the Place
Dauphine to its capacity to see the
dedication it must be realized that
Zola was, after all. so typical a present
day Frenchman that he may fairly be
considered th,e very personification 'of the
modern Parisian. When Nietzsche defined
him as "The delight to stink" he was
but grossly exaggerating - one trait in
the man's make-up, . even while exem
plifying,, his own clever but revolting cyn
icism. France thinks of Zola rather 'as
a patriot than as a realistic novelist,
and she is the more fond of him because
he was spectacular In his methods and
sentimental, in his mode of thought.
Born in the Frepeh capital on April 4,
1S40, inheriting all. the characteristics of
his French mother1 and none of his
Italian father's, edutated in Paris at the
Lycee Satnt Louis, though never grad
uating, Bmtle Zola spent all his 61 years
under the tri-color. They began in ex
treme poverty, and even when the clerk
in an obscure bookshop, had trained- him
self to novel writing and won a follow
ing, he found his popularity mercurial,
while the end and aim of his literary
labors was never denied him again and
again was he black-balled for the -Academy:
his bank account might grow stead
ily (and did), but he was never to sit
with the "Forty Immortals."
Let it be added that the despised candi
date will be -remembered long after the
very names of the vast majority of aca
demicians are quite forgotten. With all
the obvious faults of his style and the
unhealthy tone of much- of his work, it
still is to be admitted that no other has
drawn nearly so well the panoramas of
the gay city of today especially there
where the Seine curves beneath its fre
quent bridges, past the Cite and the
Latin Quarter, between the imposing Ho
tel de Ville and the majestic, gray bulk
of Notre Dame.
Novels With a Purpose.
Zola wrote all his life; wrote from a
great love of literary composition,-and
usually at so-white a heat as seriously
to impair his work. A chance to go
into a successful publishing house,
learn the business and climb, wu
Chief Brooks . and the. Man With Lazy Eyes
The detective thrnst his fare-in the
cabman's open palm. He said, more to
himself thai to the other:
"I believe he's going , on the ferry
boat." "That he is, sir; he's bound for Cam
den." l
Brooks made his way out of the crush,
and, gaining the sidewalk, ran rap icily
toward tha ferry-house. The gates lead
ing to the' boat were open and he could
' 's&aiTfns izAcr or
see the hack with the yellow 'wheels' go
ing on tne boat. The first bell had sound
ed its warning. Brooks calculated that
he would be in time with a few seconds,
to spare. -He reached the ticket office,
tossed In his pennies and received his bit
of pasteboard. As he turned around a
heavy hand fell on his shoulder and a
hearty voice cried out: -' ' '
"Well, of all things in the world! Jim
Brooks, as I'm a living man! This is a
cure for sore eyes!"
He recogfnized the man at once. It was
John Harkins, an old colleague, with
whom he had spent many a happy day 'on
spurned by the )uiig man that he
might give every minute to his writ
ing. His first novel, "Contes a Ninon,"
appeared when hewas but 24, and
scarce a year followed that did not
brings its, title to the rapidly growing
list: "La Confession de Claude" in
'fi.S: "La. Voen d'une Morte" in '66; "Les
-:V::V--;..;'.;
,.-,.o:. ,. vwj Sf ' fjj! I
the Pacific Slope. He had not seen, him
in -years. He paused long enough to
make some incoherent remarks. expressive
of the joy . he felt in the meeting. He
concluded with: . ' ;
"See . you later. r
The next itstant he was bounding
toward the boat. The. last bell had rung
while he was talking. The gangplank
had been pulled in, and as Brooks reached
ccwcEdzirr
the foot of the slip the iron gate closed
with a bang in his face.
He was furious. He stood there in his
impotent rage watching the boat as it
churned i its way toward the Jersey
side, carrying as the most valuable part
of :its- cargo one cab with yellow wheels.
His first impulse was to murder Har
kins the Innocent caus of his chagrin
but 'on second though? he compromised
by making an engagement to take dinner
with him. Brooks crossed the river on
the next' ferryboat, but all in vain. There
was no sign of the cab on the other side
of the river, and he returned to Philadel-
4
Mysteres de Marseille" and "Therese
Kaqutn" in '67: "Madame Ferat" in '68,
and so on. Between 1871 and '93 were
I
phia knowing that he would have to be
gin hit search-all over again.
, He never murmured. Pa'.tsnce and
persistence were his two strong traits.
One afternoon he was rewarded by a
second sight of tho' yellow-wheeled
carriage. This tme he did -not lose
sight of the vehfcLe. He followed it
to its destination, and in 48 hours had
secured a complete history of the team
and its : driver. The carriage was
owned by a liveryman, who hired It
out to Neil Barlow by the day. On
some- days. - by reason of dissipation,
Barlow did not call for the vehicle,
and dn such occasions it remained in
the -stable. It - was a significant fact
that the team was out on the day that
Brooks was attacked and that it did
not return to the stable until late that
night. Moreover, Nell Barlow had en
gaged the' team as usual on that day
and had given the owner 50 cents more
than the regular fee. The detective
was delighted with these discoveries.
published 20 novels under thB collect-1 hind them, their didacticism incrcas
ive title of "Les Rouqon-Macquart." I ing and their aggressiveness growing
"Man is mastered, by society" may bolder and bolder, till culminating in
He was morally satisfied that . Barlow
was one of the men who had tried to
murder him. From (that monfent Bar
low was spotted. At home and abroad,
waking and sleeping, he was kept
under constant surveillance.'
The detective next turned to the
task of finding the man with the lazy
eyes. It seemed like a ridiculous
quest, but he thought now that he
had one of the gang that it was not
hopeless. Indeed, he felt . somewhat
humiliated at having permitted the
thugs to escape at all. They had
clearly outwitted him. even though It
was done with the aid of a pistol and
a 'blackjack. He admitted that he
had been beaten. That could not be
helped, but .to stay beaten that would
be a disgrace. He learned among:
other things that Barlow was a pre
cinct politician. . He . had served time
for stuffing the ballot box, and was
one -of the parasites who make a living
by hanging onto the coattails of . those
who are more " fortunate in life. Rea
soning thus, it was not, difficult to
assume that his unknown associates
were also engaged in the National
game.
Consequently election night found
Brooks in the vicinity of the morning
newspaper offices mingling with the
patriots who were - scanning the 'elec
tion returns.. After a while the de
tective went up to the editorial rooms
of one of the newspapers where he
was intimately acquainted. . From this
point of vantage he not only learned
the latest news but also gazed out upon
the crowd ' that thronge the street
below. It was a wonderful sight. From
curb ' to curb the space in front of the
building was densly.packed with thou
sands of excited, cheering men. Their
faces were a study some handsome,
some scowling, but all filled with ab
sorbed interest at tthe sight of the re
turns which were being flashed over
the wires from every scjion of the
country. The' big electric arc lights
made the scene as bright as midday.'
Brooks scanned that array of upturned
faces with a professional air with the
intelligent interest . of one who is a
student of humanity.
- Suddenly ills gaze rested upon one
particular countenance that was dif
ferent from. all the- rest. What differ
entiated this man from all. the others?
he asked himself. The answer flashed
through his, brain instantly. It was
In the eyes! Those mirrors of the soul
that so often and so eloquently por
tray a man's character. Amid that sea
of eager, restless, ever-moving eyes,
this particular pair of optics remained
motionless. They were more than that.
They were absolutely languid. Sus
picion turned to conviction. Brooks
could have shouted for veiy joy. It
was the man with the lazy eyes! He
hastily summoned a special policeman
who was in the neighborhood.
"0'Le"ary," he said, "you know most
of the crooks in this town, don't your'
"1 do," replied O'Leary unboastfully.
"Well. get. your gaze on that man
down in the crowd there. Don't you
soe? About two rows from the car
track. He's standing next to a letter
carrier. Do you see whom I mean?
The man in the brown suit."
"I see now," said the officer after a'
pause. ' r-
"Do you know him?"
"I do," replied' the special with con
fidence. -
"-Who Is he?" '
"Why, that's Hughey Harrison."- .
"What's liis line?"
"Oh. everything he's what we call a
handy man."
"Well, I want him." ' -
"What is it for picking pockets?"
-, Brooks smiled grimly.
"I can't tell yet; It may be for some
thing more serious than that."
"Welli" said , the special,' "I'll try to
get him for you."
The two'menstarted downstairs and
made for, the street. The crowd was
so dense "that their progress was slow.
Finally they reached the spot for
which they were bound, but their man
had quietly ' slipped away. They
searched for au .hour after that, but
could find no trace of the fellow. Did
he know that he had been discovered?
Had he guiltily fled or merely left in
the natuj-al order of things? There
was no answer to these queries. In
any. event Brooks had his name and
his record- and that meant much.
The following- day the detective lo
cated the lodgings of Hughey Harri
son. It was a disreputable section of
the city and the landlady with the'
craft of her kind denied all knowledge
of the man. - Brooks, well armed,
haunted the neighborhood. He deter
mined to personally keep watch on
that particular house. He had an of
ficer detailed to assist him in case of
an emergency. Winter was approach
ing and the days "were .bitterly cold.
One hazy afternoon the door of the
lodginghouse opened and a medium
built man, dressed .in a storm coat, came
out of the house. The fellow had the
big collar of the .- garment pulled up
about his face, effectively disguising
be given as the theme of most of these
tales, which, moreover, may be held
l new style of novel a so-called
"bastard realism," wherein a series of
photographic slices of life are worked"
op to a romantic whole, with a strong
sensual flavor ever- present. "L'As
somnoir" is as realistic as de Mau
passant with none of de Maupassant's
polish and charm:-'La Debacle" is the
realism of Balzac without the least
suggestion of that master's Inspiration
and force.
All of Zola's stories had purpose be-
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his features. Giving the tip to his as
sistant. Brooks followed the man. They
had not gone many blocks when the
big-coated one realized that he was
being shadowed. He quickf-ned his pace
and soon reached a narrow street lined
with secondhand clothing stores. The
sidewalk was crowded and Brooks ex
perienced some difficulty in keeping his
man in view. At ttmes lie wes almost
within an arm's length of his prey:
again the pursued would be halt a block
in advance of the pursuer.
Presently the man disappeared in the
most unexpected manner. They were in
the. middle of the block and there were
no courts or alleys in sight. . But he was
lost to view as completely as if the side
walk had opened and swallowed him.
Near the spot where lie had distnpeared
were ttiree secondhand clothing stores,
differing in appear. .nec only by the
names on the creaking wooden signs
that -were suspended from the second
story windows. Kp.ch one was a perfect
wilderness of old clothes. Dummies ar
rayed in all the glory of checked and
striped suits confronted one at every
turn. Coats snd trousers hung suspend
ed from hooks, making a dense drapery
which almost entirely concealed the
doors and windows from sight. A barker
stood on each sidewalk imploring the
passers-by . to come in and purchase
clothing at prices which made the ordi
frary banarupt sales seem like the height
of extravagance. Brooks paused irres
olute for a moment. But it did not take
hfm long to form his purpose. He looked
at the three stores and jjhen dashed Into
the doorway of the. middle one.
The musty-smelling ship was shrouded
in semi-darkness and it -was some mo
ments before Brooks could get his bear
ings. He did so by degrees. A' long
counter ran the length of the room. At
the far end, standing in a doorway com
municating with a small living room,
were a man and a woman. Both were
elderly and the man wore a long gray
beard. Something in their attitude struck
the detective as being significant. Both
looked startled and they shrank from
Brooks as if he were infected with some
contagious disease. He knew his people
well enough to know that under normal
conditions they would give a prospective
customer the heartiest sort of welcome.
He was about to speak when a third
person emerged from the gloom behind
the counter. It was a young man ap
parently, although he was somewhat
stooped and wore green spectacles. He
approached Brooks with an affable smile
and, rubbing his two hands together, said
in a subdued voice:
"What can we do for you today?"
The detective hardly knew how to- be
gin the conversation. He answered at
random:
"I'd like to look at a coat."
The man behind the counter paused to
think. At the same- time Brooks' keen
eye detected a? big storm coat on the end
of the counter. He put his hand on the
garment.
"This just suits me; what's the lowest
price?" .-
The man started unconsciously. "
"That's not for" he began. then
stopped abruptly. He smiled in an apol
ogetic sort of way, and began again:
"I meant to say that it would not fit
you." "
The venerable couple stood In the door
way, their unsophisticated faces filled
with wonder. The detective turned . to
the salesman and said sternly:
"How do you know it won't fit me?"
The man smiled again and began to rub
his hands harder than ever. He spoke
gently. ' '"
"I merely' judged by your build."
Brooks felt in his hip pocket. He was
satisfied with what he found there. He
leaned over the counter until his face al
most touched that of the salesman. He
spoke slowly "and with deliberation:
"Come! It's time to end this fares!"
"What do you mean?" cried the tler,
straightening up.
Brooks did not speak. He acted. He
reached his arm across the counts and,
grabbing the green goggles, pulled tl im
from the astonished - face of the i s
man. A shout of dismay rang thro rh
the room.
There before the detective stood
man with the lazy eyes.
Those languid orbs never showed the
slightest signs of uneasiness. The man's
face twitched convusively, but his eyes
were almost motionless. Brooks dropped
the green glasses and covered the fellow
with his pistol.
"Come, Hughey Harrison!" he cried,
"the game's up!"
"You win," said the other sullenly. "I
surrender."
He was promptly handcuffed, much to
the relief of the aged couple ii the door
way. That same afternoon Neil Barlow,
the driver of the yellow-wheeled car
riage, was taken into custody; Har
rison and Barlow "squealed" on "Bob"
Ahern, who was with them In the con
spiracy to kill Brooks, and after a has
ty trial all three of the criminals were
convicted and given ten years apiece
in the state prison.
(Next week: "Chief Wilkle and the
Gold Certificates."
the final series of "Les Quatre Evan
gels." In these stories distinct -and
very clearly specified evils were set
forth, -and "B'econdite" and s'Travall"
made even more of a stir in the liter
ary world of the Continent than had
"Nana" or "La Reve." "Vcrite"
(Truth), third in the list, surpassed
Its fellows. Its inspiration was drawn
direct from the Dreyfus case, then an
affair of onry yesterday. The Roman
Church was attacked with unmitigated
violence, supposed practices within its
fold being exposed in a detail that was
certainly 'horrible and probably much
overdrawn. The trjal and conviction
of the Captain, however, had stirred
the novelist as he had been stirred by
no other spectacle of wrong, and
"Verlte" was simply the vent for his
wrath, as he hurled unbridled de
nunciations at the methods which he
-thought, largely, if not wholly, re
sponsible. ; ' The Final Tragedy.
. ' "Justice," which was to close this
series, was yet unfinished when,' on
September S, 1902. all Paris was
shocked by the news of the author's
sudden death. Suicide' was suggested,
but. the circumstances seemed to be,
in the light of further investigation,
wholly accidental. A defective chim
ney exhaling coal gas during the night
prostrated both M. Zola and his wife.
When they were disepvered his life
was extinct; Madame Zola recovered.
" Few events could have more excited
the volatile French capital, still stirred
by "D'Affaire Dreyfus," with all Its
political and religious ramifications.
An Immense wreath sent by the
prisoner of Devil's Isle lay on the
hearse as it passed through the crepe
hung streets; Anatole France, speak
ing at the grave side, dwelt with emo
tional force upon those weeks when
Zola was dedicating his every thought
and effort to reversing the unjust sen
tence that lay upon a wholly innocent
man; the tomb itself was inscribed
with the single 'word, "J'accuse." -"
WARWICK. JAMES PRICE.
So Bills.
' ' ' (Roseleaf.)
Visitor Is your father at home? '
Little Daughter What is your name,
please?.
Visitor Just tell him it Is his old friend.
Bin. .
Little Daughter Then he isn't in. I
heard him tell mamma if any bills came
he wasn't at home.