WORLD HAPPENINGS
OF CURRENT WEEK
Brief Resume Most Important
Daily News Items.
COMPILED FOR YOU
Events of Noted People, Governments
and Pacific Northwest, and Other
Things Worth Knowing.
John Wanamaker, internationally fa
mous merchant and ex-postmaster-general,
died at his home in Phila
delphia Tuesday. He was 85 years
old.
Children ol aliens would be granted
citizenship upon the naturalization of
either parent under a bill introduced
by Representative Cable, republican,
of Ohio.
Mrs. Irene Osgood, novelist and
playwright, died at her home in North
ampton, England, Tuesday after a
month's illness. She was born In the
United States and retained her Amer
ican citizenship.
Mason Mitchell of New York, Amer
ican consul on the island of Malta,
was shot and wounded Tuesday near
Laracca. His assailant escaped but
pursuit was taken up. Mr. Mitchell
was taken to a physician for treat
ment. Narcotics valued at $50,000 and the
names and addresses of about 1000
persons said by the police to be sell
ing agents and addicts, were seized
early Tuesday by Deputy Police Com
missioner Simon and a force of agents
in New York.
A verdict for the defendant was re
turned at 6:08 Tuesday night in the
suit for damages instituted by Miss
Frances Blrkhead, stenographer,
against Governor Lee M. Russell of
Mississippi, for damages based on
chargeB of seduction and other allega
tions. Wage boards at the various navy
yards and stations throughout the
country were instructed Tuesday by
the navy department to reconsider
their recommendations made recently
on wage scales for employes the com
ing year. The recommendations are
for increases.
A loan of $10,000,000 from the gov
ernment to the Chicago, Milwaukee &
St. Paul railroad was authorized by
the interstate commerce commission.
The authorization is for a loan to run
until March 1, 1930, and will enable
the company to meet maturing indebt
edness of a like amount which the
government now holds against the
road.
Surrounded by friends of France
and his own land, Georges Clemenceau
Tuesday night came to the end of his
"peace mission" and took leave of
the United States. He appeared in
the graud ball room of the Hotel Penn
sylvania, New York, before 1300 mem
bers of the American committee for
devastated France. Immediately after
he had spoken he motored to the
steamer Paris on which he departed
for home.
Batnbrldge Colby, secretary of state
In President Wilson's cabinet, an
nounced Tuesday that his law part
nership with the ex-prestdent would
terminate December 31 at the expira
tion of their co-partnership. The an
nouncement was made fnftn the local
offices of Wilson & Colby. Beyond
saying that the ex-president "is turn
ing his energies once more to subjects
which have long Invited him," Mr.
Colby made no statement as to Mr.
Wilson's plans for the future.
In a spectacular hold-up In the main
lobby of the livestock exchange build
ing In Kansas City late Tuesday, three
unmasked bandits obtained $96,000
and shot Thomas F. A. Henry, credit
manager of the Drovers National bank.
Henry is expected to recover. He was
in charge of a detail of five men sent
by the tank to get the money at a
postofflce sub-station in the exchange
building. They received the money In
five packages. Joined by Jack Kelley,
house detective, they started back to
the bank.
Federal relief for Astoria, Ore., in
the shape of a $3,000,000 appropria
tion for the immediate rebuilding of
streets, sewers and viaducts was ask
ed Tuesday in a telegram sent Presi
dent Harding and the Oregon con
gressional delegation by the general
relief committee. Unless the city re
ceives immediate government aid, it
was pointed out, the city government
will cease to function and bankruptcy
of the people will result. That the
situation is critical was the plea made
in the telegram.
VETERANS MAY REINSTATE
Rights of Ex-Soldiers to Insurance Is
Guaranteed by Congress.
It will be new,s to many World war
veterans to learn that the United
States Veterans' Bureau has inaugur
ated a reinstatement campaign for
the benefit of those who, either
through misunderstanding or inability
to meet premium payments, have per
mitted their term (war time) insur
ance to lapse.
Director Forbes announces that no
matter how long a time has passed
since the last premium was paid, an
ex-service man may easily renew his
term (war time) insurance contract
If he is in good health, or if he is
disabled provided the disability from
which he is suffering is due to service
and is not of a total and permanent
nature. Veterans will be particularly
Interested In learning that they may
reinstate $1000 or any higher amount,
in multiples of $500, of the amount
of insurance they carried while in
the service. It will also be of interest
to the public to know that over 500,
000 of the men who applied for in
surance during the war have contin
ued their policy in force and that
these ex-service mon and women are
carrying insurance protection amount
ing to the enormous sum of over three
billion dollars ($3,000,000,000).
The reinstatement requirements
have been made most liberal; in fact,
If an ex-soldier Is in good health it is
only necessary for him to furnish
medical proof of that fact, and pay
two monthly premiums on the amount
of term insurance to be reinstated.
Physicians have been appointed tyi
all of the branch offices of the bureau
where ex-service men can secure the
necessary medical examination with
out cost. Detailed information may
be obtained by writing to the U. S.
Veterans' Bureau, Washington, D. C,
but in the interest of accurate iden
tification and promptness, the person
writing should be sure to give his
full name, rank and organization when
in the service and if possible, his
serial number.
$200,000 TAKEN
IN RAID ON MINT
Denver, Colo. Masked bandits
shortly after 10:40 o'clock Monday
morning shot and killed Charles Lin
ton, guard of the Denver branch of
the Kansas City federal reserve bank,
stole $200,000 In currency and escaped
after waging a gun fight with armed
guards on duty at the United States
mint. Every peace officer In Colorado
Is combing the highways leading from
Denver In a search for the outlaws.
The money was being transferred
from the mint to a delivery truck of
the reserve bank standing at the curb
and was In 60 packages of $4000 each.
All of the money was in $5 denomin
ation, Police expected to be aided In their
search for the escaped bandits by the
fact that one, apparently the leader,
was shot seriously if not mortally by
a government guard on duty at the
mint as the bandit turned to fire a
volley at the guards as the car sped
away from the scene of the holdup.
An automobile carrying seven men,
two wearing masks and one drooping
over the edge of the machine, bleed
ing profusely, was reported to police
as having been seen speeding north
ward out of the city Bhortly after the
robbery. Denver police unhesitating
ly declared the robbery the most sen
sational daylight holdup ever execu
ted in Colorado.
All patrolmen and detectives of the
local police, department were armed
with riot guns and were being assisted
lu the search by the county and fed
eral authorities.
The disregard of the bandits for
human life marked the robbery, ac
cording to police, as one of the must
determined in police annals. With
sawed off shotguns, two of the bandits
bombarded the front door of the mint
as t hoy leaped from the automobile.
Fifty government employes summoned
by an alarm bell seized shotguns and
rushed to the doors or windows of
the mint, shooting at the holdup men,
who returned the fire and at the same
time calmly proceeded to load the 50
packages of currency into their own
car.
Fusillades of shots ripped through
buildings across the street and spat
against granite walls as the guards
and bandits exchanged shots.
Alcohol Deaths Grow.
Chicago. Deaths directly traceable
to alcoholism and poisonous "hootch"
have Increased more than 100 per cent
in Chicago since the ratification of
the Volstead act, according to figures
compiled at the psychopathic hospital.
Prior to the enactment of the Volstead
act the number of alcoholic deaths
averaged seven or eight yearly at the
psychopathic hospital, but 22 have
died from the effects of bad booze in
the first 9 months of the present year.
E
1ST II
5.
Aid Opposed Unless Allies Cut
Military Expenses.
COURSE UNDECIDED
Administration Foresees Difficulty in
Helping With Prospect Op
position by Congress.
Washington, D. C A statement is
sued Sunday night by Senator William
E. Borah makes clear that the contin-
gent of, Irreconcilable senators whose
views Mr. Borah represents will oppose
American governmental participation
in the efforts to adjust the German
reparations question unless the Euro
pean allied nations materially change
their present attitude toward Ger
many.
More than that Mr. Borah would
have the allies put their own house
in order before anything toward sav
ing Europe from chaos is attempted.
In fact, he holds that these things
which involve reduction of land forces
and other measures must be done
before any basis can be established for
the return of Europe to normal econo
mic and political conditions.
The Borah statement is further evi
dence of the extreme difficulties which
confront the United States govern
ment in its desire to be of assistance
In the current European situation.
Without the support of congress, at
least its moral support, the govern
ment's good intentions are immeas
urably embarrassed at a time when
there appears to be a hope that the
influence of the United States may
be exerted in the interest of a Euro
pean settlement. That this influence
is very great is conceded by officials
acquainted with the present state of
allied opinion, but beyond that hint
they are unwilling to suggest how
that influence may be exerted.
According to the official view the
existing endeavor to adjust the rep
arations problem on permanent basis
will be seriously hampered by too
much discussion and speculation in
the American press. The fear is ex
pressed that the hopes of statesmen
and people of the countries affected
will be raised to such a height by the
reports of expected action from Wash
ington that there is bound to be a
dangerous reaction among them, no
matter what the outcome of the exist
ing activities.
The most that appears to be pos
sible to say is that at this time the
government is feeling Its way with the
idea that some opportunity may be
presented which will give it a chance
to be of real assistance to Europe.
Nothing has yet appeared to justify
a statement that the steps Washing
ton is taking have progressed beyond
the stage of informal conversations
and inquiries.
Food Prices Advance.
Washington, D. C Both retail and
wholesale food prices increased 2 per
cent or more during November, ac
cording to figures made public by the
department of labor. Notwithstanding
the increase, the department said
there was a decrease of 5 per cent
for the year ending November 15 in
retail food prices, while wholesale
food prices increased about 1 per
cent during the year.
. As compared with 1913 retail food
prices In November were given as 46
per cent higher in Chicago and Pitts
burg, 44 per cent in Dallas and San
Francisco, 42 per cent ih Cincinnati,,
Cleveland, Los Angeles and Mlnneap
oils, 39 per cent in Omaha and Seattle,
and 35 per cent in Louisville and Port
land, Or.
Infant Mortality Low.
New York. One square mile on the
lower east side, where 500,000 persons
live, shows one of the lowest Infant
mortality rates in the world, Dr. Royal
S. Copeland, United States senator-
elect, declared in an address here. In
this crowded area, Dr. Copeland said
among every 1000 children born 60
die in the first year of life. In con
trast, he said, in the upper Fifth ave
nue district 100 of every 1000 children
die the first year.
Ship's Passengers Safe.
St. Johns, N. F. One hundred and
twenty passengers of the steamer
Prospero, which ran aground on Small
island, near Green's pond, on the east
coast of Newfoundland Saturday night,
were safely landed Sunday morning.
The vessel, which is owned by the
Newfoundland government, was re
floated later with Nos. 1 and 2 holds
damaged.
We Mardi Gras Mystery
H.
Cepyrlfht bf
DOUBLEDAY, PACE AND COMPANY
GRAMONT AND FELL
SYNOPSIS-Durlng the height of
the New Orleans carnival season
Jachln Fell, wealthy though some
what mysterious citizen, and Dr.
Ansley, are discussing a series of
robberies by an Individual known
as the Midnight Masquer, who, In
variably attired as an aviator, has
long defied the police. Joseph Mail
lard, wealthy banker, Is giving a
ball that night, at which the Mas
quer has threatened to appear and
rob the guests. Fell and Analey,
on their way to the affair, meet a
girl dressed as Columbine, seeming
ly known to Fell, but masked, who
accompanies them to the ball.
Lucie Ledanols, recently the ward
of her uncle, Joseph Maillard, is
the Columbine. At the ball, Bob
Maillard, son of the banker, a-galn
proposes to her and is refused. He
offers to buy some of her property.
A Franciscan monk Interests her.
He turns out to be Prince Gramont.
In his library Joseph Maillard and
a group of his friends are surprised
by the Midnight Masquer.
CHAPTER III Continued.
"You money trickster ! Do you think
I would spare such a man as you? You
draw your rents from the poor and
destitute,' your mortgages cover half
the parishes In the state, nnd in your
heart is neither compassion nor pity
for man or woman. Bah ! I could
shoot you down without a qualm!"
In his voice was so deadly a menace
that Maillard trembled.
"There Is nothing of mine in that
safe," he said, his voice a low growl.
"I have given it to my son to use. He
is not here." i
"That," said the Masquer calmly,
"is exactly why I desire you to open
it. Your son must make his contri
bution, for I keenly regret his absence.
If you are a criminal, he Is worse!
You rob and steal under shelter of
the law, but you have certain limita
tions, certain bounds of an almost out
grown honor. He has none, that son
of yours. Why, he would not hesitate
to turn your own tricks back upon
you, to rob you, if he could! Open
that safe or take the consequences;
no more talk, now!"
The command cracked out like a
whiplash. With a shrug of helpless
ness the banker turned and fumbled
with the protruding knob of the sate'.
With one exception all eyes were fas
tened upon this amazing Masquer.
The exception was Jachln Fell, who,
suddenly alert and watchful, had
turned his attention to Maillard and
the safe, a keen speculation In his
gaze as though he were wondering
what that steel vault would produce.
All were silent. There was some
thing about this Midnight Masquer
that held them Intently. Perhaps
some were inclined to think him a
jester, one of the party masquerading
under the famous bandit's guise; if
so, his last words to Maillard had re
moved all such thought. Thnt Indict
ment had been deadly and terrible
nnd true, as they knew. Bob Maillard
was not greatly admired by those
among his father's friends who best
knew him.
Now the door of the safe swung
open. The compartments appeared
empty.
"Take out the drawers and turn
them up over the table," commanded
the Masquer.
Maillard obeyed. From the last
drawer there fell out on the table a
large envelope, sealed. The Masquer
leaned forward, seized upon this en
velope, and crushed It Into his pocket,
"Thank you," he observed. "That
is all."
"D n you 1" cried Maillard, shaking
a fist. "You'd try blackmail, would
you?"
The bandit regarded him a moment,
then laughed.
"If you knew what was In that en
velope, my dear financier, you might
not speak so hastily. If I knew what
was In it, I might answer you. But I
don't know. I only suspect and hope.
And now, my friends au revolr!"
The Masquer sprang backward Into
the hall. The door slammed, the key
clicked. He was gone 1
Maillard was the first to wake Into
voice and action. "The other door!"
he cried. "Into the dining room "
He Hung open a second door and
dashed into the dining room, followed
by the other men. Here the windows,
giving upon the garden, were open.
Then Maillard came to a sudden halt,
and after him the others; through
the night was pulsating, with great
distinctness, the throbbing roar of an
airplane motor! From Maillard broke
a bitter cry:
"The detectives I'll get the fools
here! You gentlemen search the
house. That fellow enn't possibly
have escaped "
They hastily separated. Maillard
dashed away to summon the detec
tives, also to get other men to aid
in the search.
The result was vain. No one had
been seen to enter or leave the house,
and certainly there had been no air
plane about. The Masquer had not
appeared except In the library, and
now he was most Indubitably not in
the house. By all testimony, he had
neither entered it nor left it I
"Well, I'm d dl" said MalllarS,
helplessly, to Judge Forester, ' when
By
BEDFORD-JONES
the search was concluded. "Not a
trace of the scoundrel! Here, Fell
can't you help us out? Haven't you
discovered a thing?"
"Nothing," responded Jachln Fell,
calmly.
At this instant Bob Maillard rushed
up. He had just learned of the
Masquer's visit. In response to his
excited questioning his father de
scribed the scene in the library, and
added:
"I trust there was nothing Impor
tant among those papers of yours,
Robert?"
"No," said the younger man, "No.
Nothing valuable at all."
Henry Gramont was passing, ne
caught the words and paused, his gaze
resting for an instnnt upon the group.
A fulnt smile rested upon his rather
harshly drawn features.
"I just found this," lie announced,
holding out a paper. "It was pinned
to the outside of the library door. I
presume that your late visitor left it
as a memento?"
Jachln Fell took the pnper, the other
men crowding around him.
"Ah, Maillard I The same hand
writing as that of your letter!"
Upon the paper was penciled a
single hasty line:
"My compliments to Robert Hall
iard and my thanks."
Bob Maillard sprang forward, an
grily Inspecting the paper. When he
relinquished It, Fell culmly claimed It.
"Confound the rogue I" muttered the
banker's son, turning away. His fea
tures were pale, perhaps with anger.
"There was nothing but stock certifi
cates in that envelope and they can
be reissued."
The festivities were not broken np.
News of the robbery gradually leaked
out among the guests; the generally
accepted verdict was that the Masquer
had appeared, only to be frightened
away before he could secure any loot.
It was nearly two in the morning
when Jachln Fell, who was leaving,
encountered Henry Gramont at the
head of the wide stairway. He halted
and turned to the younger man.
"Ah have you a pencil, If you
please?"
"I think so, Mr. Fell." Gramont felt
beneath his Franciscan's robe, and ex
tended a pencil.
Jachln Fell examined it, brought a
paper from beneath his domino, and
"Did You Actually See the Midnight
Masquer Last Night?"
wrote down a word. The paper was
that in which the farewell message
of the Midnight Masquer had been
written.
"A hard lead, a very hard point in
deed!" said Fell. He pocketed the
paper again and regarded Gramont
steadily as he returned the pencil.
"Few men carry so hard a pencil,
sir."
"You're quite right," and Gramont
smiled. "I borrowed this from Bob
Maillard only a moment ago. Its hard
ness surprised me."
"Do you know, a most curious
thing"
"Yes?" prompted Gramont, his eyes
Intent upon the little gray man.
"That paper you brought us the
paper which you found pinned to the
library door," said Fell, apologetically.
"Do you know, Mr. Gramont, that
oddly enough there were no pin holes
In that paper?"
Gramont smiled faintly, as though
he were inwardly amused over the re
mark. t
"Not at all curious," he said, his
voice level. "It was pinned rather
stoutly I tore off the portion bearing
the message. I'll wager that you'll
find the end of the paper still on the
door downstairs. You might make
certain that Its torn edge fits that of
the paper In your pocket ; If it did not,
then the fact would be curious I I am
most happy to have- met you, Mr. Fell.
I trust we shall meet again, often."
With a smile, he extended his hand,
which Mr. Fell shook cordially.
Upon gaining the lower hall Fell
glanced at the door of the library.
There, still pinned to the wood where
it had been unregarded by the pass
ers-by, was a small scrap of paper. Mr.
Fell glanced at it again, then shook
his head and slowly turned away, as
though resisting a temptation.
"No," he muttered. "No. It would
be sure to fit the paper in my pocket.
It would be sure to fit, confound him !"
A little later he left the house,
striding briskly down the avenue.
When he approached the first street
light he came to a pause, and began
softly to pat his person as though
searching for something.
"I told you that you'd pay for
knowing too much about me, young
man!" he said, softly. "Whut's this,
now what's this?"
A slight rustle of paper, as he
walked along, had attracted his atten
tion. He passed his hands over the
loose, open domino that cloaked him ;
he detected a scrap of paper pinned
to it in the rear. He loosened the
paper, and under the street light man
aged to decipher the writing which It
bore.
A faint smile crept to his lips as ha
read the penciled words:
"I do not love you, Jachln Fell,
The reason why, I cannot tell;
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not love you, Jachln Fell!"
"Certainly the fellow has wit, if not
originality," muttered Mr. Fell, as he
carefully stowed away the paper.
The writing upon It was in the hand of
the Midnight Masquer.
CHAPTER IV.
. Callers.
The house In which Lucie Lcdanols
lived had been her mother's; the fur
niture and other things In It had been
her mother's; the two negro servants,
who spoke only the Creole French pa
tois, had been her mother's. It was a
small house, but very beautiful inside.
The exterior betrayed a lack of paint
or the money with which to have
painting done.
The Ledanols family, although dis
tantly connected with others such as
the Mnillards, had sent forth its flna
bud of fruition in the girl Lucie. Her
mother had died while she was yet an
infant, and through the years she had
companioned her father, an Invalid,
during the latter days. He had never
been a man to count dollars or costs,
and to a large extent he had outworn
himself and the family fortunes In a
vain search for health.
With Lucie he had been In Europe
at the outbreak of war, and had come
home to America only to die shortly
afterward. Once deprived of his fine
recklessness, the girl had found her
affairs in a bad tangle. Under the
guardianship of Maillard the tangle
had been somewhat resolved and sim
plified, but even Maillard would ap
pear to have made mistakes, and of
late Lucie had against her will sus
pected something amiss In the matter
of these mistakes.
It was natural, then, that she should
take Jachln Fell into her confidence.'
Maillard had been her guardian, but
It was to Fell that she had always
come with her girlish cares and
troubles, during even the lifetime of
her father.
At precisely three o'clock of the
Sunday afternoon Jachln Fell rang
the doorbell and Lucie herself admit
ted him.
"Tell me quickly, Uncle Jnchln!"
eagerly exclaimed the girl. "Did you
actually see the Midnight Masquer
last night? I didn't know until after
ward that he had really been down
stairs and had robbed "
"I saw him, my dear," and the little
gray man smiled. There was more
warmth to his smile than usuul just
now. Perhaps It was a reflection from
the eager vitality which so shone In
the eyes of Lucie. "I saw him, yes."
A restful face was hers not beau
tiful at first glance ; a little too strong
for beauty, one would say. The deep
gray eyes were level and quiet and
wide apart, and on most occasions
were quite inscrutable. They were
now filled with a quick eagerness as
they rested upon Jachln Fell. Lucie
called him uncle, but not as she called
Joseph Maillard uncle; here was no
relationship, no formal affectation of
relationship, but a purely abiding
trust and friendship.
Jachln Fell had done more for Lucie
than she herself knew or would know ;
without her knowledge he had quietly
taken care of her finances to an ap
preciable extent. Between them lay
an affection that was very real. Lucie,
better than most, knew the extraordi
nary capabilities of this little gray
man; yet not even Lucie guessed a
tenth of the character that lay be
neath his surface. To her he was
never reserved or secretive. Nonethe
less, she touched sometimes an im
penetrable wall that seemed ever
present within hlnn
"When t have finished with
the Masquer I shall take up hie
trail."
tTO BE CONTINUED.)
Silver Tongues.
Rev. Ernest F. Tittle of Evanston,
HI., says it's great to be a distinguished
orator, but that it is greater to tell
the truth!
-