J
E
OF
Brief Resume -Most Important
Daily News Items
COMPILED FOR YOU
Gventa of Noted People, Governments
and Pacific Northwest, and Other
Things Worth Knowing.
The residence of Sir Thomas Henry
Grattan Esmonds, a free state senator,
at Gorey, county Wexford, Ireland, was
burned to the ground Saturday.
A Reuter dispatch from Helsingfors
Tuesday said Premier Lenine of soviet
Russia had an apoplectic stroke Mon
day. His condition, the message add
ed, Was said to be serious.
A woman with her head almost sev
ered from her body and the body of a
man with two bullet wounds in his
head were found Monday by the house
keeper of an apartment building in
Mount Auburn, a suburb of Cincinnati.
A bloodstained hatchet was found on
the floor near the bodies.
Formal demand that Impeachment
charges be brought against State
Treasurer Thompson and State Audi
tor Turner were made to the Kansas
, legislature Tuesday in a special mes
sage by Governor Davis.
The state supreme court upheld
Tuesday the validity of the Iowa bonus
law. Affirmation of the lower court's
decision that the bonus law is valid
practically assures soldiers, sailors,
marines and nurses who served from
Iowa in the world war adjusted com
pensation at the rate of 55 cents a day.
The village of Draschl, in the prov
ince of Placenza, Is threatened with
burial under a landslide caused by the
infiltration of water from the upper
Blopes of the Apennines. The move
ment of the earth already has en
gulfed several houses and burled some
livestock. The population has evacu
ated the village.
The German population of the Reck
linghausen district has been ' warned
by General Lalgnelot, commanding the
district, it was announced Tuesday,
that if any further French troops are
assassinated or ambushed, the burgo
master of Buer, who Is held as a hdst
age, together with four other town of
ficials, will be shot at once as a meas
ure of retaliation.
Brigadier-General Frank T. Illnes,
the new director of the veterans' bu
reau, said Monday his policy for opera
tion of the bureau would be based on
elimination of "red tape", in handling
veterans' claims, preventing the "hard
boiled" methods in treatment of vet
erans and a speeding-up of hospital
work so as to give immediate relief
wherever needed.
The request from China fof the
abrogation of the Slno-Japanese treaty
of 1915 was received In Toklo Monday
by the Japanese foreign office. The
Japanese reply to China has been
drafted for submission to the cabinet
next Tuesday. The nature of the re
ply may be judged by the government's
repeated statements that such a re
quest will be flatly refused.
Tresldont Harding was reported
here Tuesday to have had a hand In
the publication by the Washington
Post of the nnmes of prominent citi
zens of Washington, officers of the
army and navy and officials of the
state department which were found
listed In papers seized by prohibition
officers in a recent raid on premises
of a capital bootlegger. The list is
now bolng referred to as Washington's
"Booze Who."
In an effort to determlno the truth
of numerous reports in the last two
years that the alkali lake near Hay
Springs, Neb., Is inhabited by a hide
ous, prehistoric monster, citizens of
that place have begun preparations to
drag the lake in the near future. A
large crowd is expected to gather for
the event. The "mysterious monster"
has been seen by a halt dozen proml
nent cltizeus of this community, ac
cording to reports.
Claims of material reductions in ap
propriations for the fiscal year 1924
under those of 1923 were made in
statements Inserted Tuesday In the
Congressional Rocord by Chairmen
Madden and Warren of tlio house and
senate appropriations committees. At
the same tlmo Representative Byrnes
of Tennessee, ranking democrat of
the house commlttoe, asserted that
when the deficiencies for the next year
were totaled the outlay would amount
to more than that of 1923.
WORLD HAPP
S
CURRENT
WEEK
GERMANY'S NOTE IS SECRET
What Result Will Be Is Still In Doubt.
Ruhr Evacuation Is First.
Berlin. Whether Germany's last
memorandum on the Ruhr situation
and the reparations question will prove
a useful contribution to possible early
endeavors through third parties to
force a breach in the Franco-German
Impasse, so far has brought out' only
a limited amount of speculative dis
cussion in German political and finan
cial circles.
The memorandum, delivered in
Washington and London last Friday,
while addressed to the American and
British governments, to Inform them
of the German view of the situation,
incidentally was Intended to be made
available to France and Belgium
through diplomatic channels, it was
officially explained Monday. The
American government has decided to
keep the' contents secret. Official
quarters declined to comment further,
except to declare that it was up to
Frence to create an atmosphere, which
would be conducive to negotiations
and that the memorandum could be In
nowise regarded as a formal attempt
to obtain the intervention of an Anglo
Saxon power in the Ruhr situation.
Foreign Minister Baron Von Rosen
berg has not suffered from lack of
counsel, which is being showered on
him from many quarters, semi-diplomatic
and otherwise a circumstance
which Is continually stimulating ru
mors of impending negotiations.
Parliamentary .leaders who are reg
ularly consulted by Chancellor Cuno
and Baron Von Rosenberg continue to
concur in the current interpretation of
the government's position that no basis
for negotiations can exlBt until tan
gible assurance Is given Germany that
the Ruhr will be definitely freed from
military occupation the instant a new
understanding with respect to repara
tions is reached. Any suggestion that
the occupation be reduced by zones
will be promptly rejected by the Ger
man government, It is declared.
On this point the government, it is
declared, has the complete support of
the relchstag, the socialists in particu
lar contending that every vestige of
Franco-Belgian armed control or oc
cupancy would be a detrimental factor
to the fulfilment of any reparation pro
gramme. . It was. emphasized again that Ger
many must go to the conference table
unfettered, and that any resumption of
reparations negotiations must proceed
from a new starting point as the Ger
man government considers the London
schedule of 1921, which Is now sup
posed to be effoctlve, not only obsolete
but practically incapable of enforce
ment. Russia Taxes Aliens.
Moscow. The government has de
creed that all foreigners residing in
Russia, with the exception of diplo
mats, consular officers and persons
who have made special arrangements
through their connections with a con
cession, are subject to the same taxes
as are levied on the Russians.
The present income tax takes 80
per cent of all salaries of more than
$100 monthly.
Quake Jolts Dalmatla.
Belgrade. The earthquake felt in
several cities in southeastern Europe
Thursday caused considerable damage
along the Dalmatian coast, especially
at Rngusa and Cattaro. The Catholic
cathedral and other buildings at Sara
jevo Buffored, while a tobacco factory
at Mostar was so badly damaged that
It was unable to operate. So far as is
known there were.no casualties.
Lenine Still on Mend.
Moscow. The general health of
Premier Nikolai Leulno was reported
by the attending physicians Monday
as good. The bulletin Issued by the
doctors said there had been a further
Improvement In M. Lenine's arm and
leg. while speech had remained un
changed. ,
Farm Situation Better.
Kansas City, Mo. The conditions of
the farmer in the middle west are on
the upward trend, Henry C. Wallace,
secretary of agriculture, said here
Mouday. The farmers' purchasing
power is greater today than it has
been for the last 2 years, he said.
Earl of Carnarvon III,
Cairo, Egypt. The earl of Carnar
von, who has been supervising the ex
cavations at the tomb of King Tut
ankhamen, la suffering severely from
blood poisoning. His ailment presum
ably is the result of an Insect bite.
1
DELEGATE AVERS
Peace Counter-Proposal Pointed
To As Evidence.
ACCEPT SOME TERMS
Possible Differences in Interpretation
of Text, According to Nation,
Is Possible.
Paris. The Turkish counter-propos
als to the Lausanne peace treaty
draft are "replete with evidences of
Turkey's pacifism, all the conditions
conforming to the Angora govern
ment's desire for peace and independ
ence," declared. Hussein Raghib Bey,
the Angora representative here.
Raghib Bey, who sat up throughout
Saturday night digesting the text of
this lengthy document, which reached
Paris by courier, forecast possible dif
ferences in the interpretation of the
text, according to which nation was
doing the translation. His digest di
vides the Angora project into two
parts, the first being given over to
those parts of the Lausanne treaty
which are acceptable to the Turks,
and the second to the sections which
their propositions have modified.
In the first part Is Included Turkey's
acceptance of a delay in the solution
of the dispute over the Mosul oil
fields between Turkey and Great Brit
ain for one year and its reference to
the league of nations for settlement
if no agreement is then reached; the
granting of Karaghatch, the Adrian
ople suburb, to the Greeks; the draft
treaty solution for the freedom of the
streets, and the treaty's adjustment
of the minorities problem. Turkey
likewise accepts the appointment of
three neutral judges of Turkish courts
for five years and agrees to reorganize
the department of justice, these stipu
lations being in line With the allied
plan for solution of the question of
the status of foreigners in the Turkish
courts.
In the second part of the digest the
modifications noted include the re
quest that the frontier line between
Greece and Turkey run through the
middle of the river Maritza Instead
of along the left bank and for the
possession by Turkey of the island of
Castellorlzza, part of the Dodocanese
group, thus leaving Italy 11 of the
Islands. Turkey claims that Castel
lorlzza practically belongs to the Ana
tolian coast.
The Turks further propose to dis
tribute the "public debt" among the
allied governments which by the treaty
are confirmed in their possession of
territory which belonged up to the
time of the armistice to the Ottoman
empire. It is argued that it Is unjust
to ask the Anatolian faction of that
empire to sustain the burden of the
entire pre-war debt. This proposal in
cludes the debts contracted in the
name of the empire during the war.
BUZZARD WORST
DURING 35 YEARS
Omaha, Neb. The worst blizzard
since 188S struck Nebraska and west
ern Iowa late Sunday night. The tem
perature dropped to 9 degrees below
zero at Omaha. It is feared that there
was loss of life in the state. Highways
are blocked with snow drifts, towns
snowbound and many trains stalled in
snow-fllled cuts.
At the height of the storm here fire
broke out in the block at Fourteenth
and Douglas streets and swept
through halt a block, causing a loss
estimated in excess of $250,000. The
entire business district of Omaha was
endangered. One fireman was hurt.
The firemen experienced unprece
dented difficulty In fighting the fire
which, whipped by the gale, appeared
several times almost beyond control.
The intense cold turned the water to
ice and all the men became encrusted
with it. The blinding snow added to
the difficulty.
The flames swept' through the
Beddeo Clothing company, Dan's Shoe
and Clothing company and the Vir
ginia cape.
Child Burned to Death.
Great Falls, Mont. A 3-year-old
child of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rablk
perished and the parents were burned
terribly in a fire which destroyed
their home at Scoby, Mont., early Sat
urday. Roblk, ill of influenza, rescued
one infant, saved his wife and made
vain attempt to save the other child.
Cut oft by flames, Rablk himself was
rescued by a 10-year-old daughter.
Rablk and his wife are In a critical
condition at a hospital.
TURKEY
The Mardi Gras Mystery
d u nmrrDn tnwrc
J ft, WftXVtf Jl.
Copyright by Doubleday, Pax ft Co.
CHAPTER XI Continued.
17
"Tell him' yourself," Gramont
laughed, good-humoredly. "Gumberts
is coming out day after tomorrow, is
be? That'll be Friday. Hm 1 I think
that I'd better bring Fell out here the
same day, if I can make It. I proba
bly won't see Gumberts until then
I'm not working in with him and he
doesn't know me yet but I'll try and
get out here on Friday with Fell. Now,
I'll have to beat it in a hurry. Any
message to send?"
"Not me," was the answer.
Gramont scarcely knew how he fle
parted, until be found himself scram
bling back through the underbrush of
the Ledanois place. .
He rushed Into the house, f.mnd the
fire had died down beyond all danger,
and swiftly removed the few things
they had taken from the car. Carry
ing these, he stumbled back to where
he bad hidden the automobile. He
scarcely dared to think, scarcely dared
to congratulate himself on the luck
that had befallen him, until he found
himself in his own car once more, and
with open throttle sweeping out
through the twilight toward Pnradis
and Houma beyond. A whirlwind of
mad exultation wni seething within
him exultation as sudden and tre
mendous as the past weeks had been
uneventful and dragging.
Gramont, in common with many
others, had heard much indefinite
rumor of an underground lottery game
that was beingworked among the ne
groes of the state and the Chinese vil
lages along the gulf coast. And now
he knew definitely.
Lotteries have never died out In
Louisiana since the brave old days of
the government-ordained gambles,
laws and ordinances to the contrary.
No laws can make the yellow man and
the black man forego the get-rich-quick
heritage of their fathers. On
the Pacific coast lotteries obtain and
will obtain wherever there Is a China
town. In Louisiana the days of the
grand lottery have never been forgot
ten. The last two years of high
wages had made every negro wealthy,
comparatively speaking. The lottery
mongers would naturally find them a
ripe harvest for the picking. And who
would gravitate to this harvest field
if not the great Gumberts, the un
caught Memphis Izzy, the promoter
who had never been "mugged!"
Here, at one stroke, stumbling on
the thing by sheer blind accident, Gra
mont had located the nucleus of the
whole business 1
Gradually his brain cooled to the
realization of what work lay before
him. He was through Paradls, almost
without seeing the town, and switched
on bis lights as he took the highway
to Houma. Sober reflection seized
him. Not only was this crowd of
crooks working a lottery, but they
were also managing a stupendous
thievery of automobiles, in which cars
were looted by wholesale I And the man
at the head of it all, the man above
Memphis Izzy and his crooks, was
Jactiin Fell of New Orleans.
Did Lucie Ledanois dream such a
thing? No. Gramont dismissed the
question at once. Fell was not an un
usual type of man. There were many
Jachln Fells throughout the country,
he reflected. Men who applied their
brains to crooked work, who kept
themselves above any actual share In
the work, and who profited hugely by
tribute money from every crook in
every crime.
To the communities in which they
lived such men were patterns of all
that wealthy gentlemen should be. Sel
dom, except perhaps In gossip of the
underworld, was their connection with
crime ever suspected. And this
thought was sobering to Gramont
never Bid they come within danger of
retribution at the hands of the law.
Their ramifications extended too far
Into politics; and the governors of
some Southern states have unlimited
powers of pardon.
"This is a big day!" reflected Gra
mont, dismissing the sinister sugges
tion of this lust thought.. "A big day I
What It will lead to, I don't know.
Not the least of It Is the financial end
of It the oil seepage! That little
Iridescent trickle of oil on the water
means that money worries are over,
both for me and for Lucie. I'm sorry
that I am mixed up with Fell; I've
enough money of my own to drill at
least one good well, and one Is all
we'll need to bring in oil on that place.
Well, we'll see whnt turns up I My
first job Is to make sure Hammond Is
safe, and to relieve his mind. I'll have
to leave him in Jail, I suppose"
Why did Fell want to "get some
thing" on Hammond? To this there
was no answer
He drove to Houma to find the town
abuzz with excitement, for the news
of the sheriff's murder had stirred the
place wildly. Proceeding straight to
the courthouse, Gramont encountered
Ben Chacherre as he was leaving the
car.
"Hello, there 1" ho exclaimed. "Lost
my road. Where's Hammond?"
Chacherre jerked his head toward
the courthouse.
"In yonder. Say, are you going
back to the city tonight?"
"Yen." Gramont regarded him.
"Why?"
"Take me bnck, will you? I've misted
the last up train, and It you're- goln'
back anyhow I won't have to hire
car. -I can drive for you, and we'll
make It In a couple of hours, before
midnight sure."
"Hop In," said Gramont, nodding
toward the car. "I'll be back as soon
as I've had a word with Hammond.
No danger of his getting lynched, I
hope?"
"Not a chance," said the other, con
clusively. "Six deputies up there
now, and quite a bunch of ex-soldlers
comln' to stand guard. You goln' to
fight the case?"
'No," said Gramdht. "Can't fight a
sure thing, can you? I'm sorry for
him, though."
Chacherre shrugged his shoulders
and got Into the car. .
Gramont was much relieved to find
that there was no danger of lynching.
which had been his one fear. It was
with much persuasion that he got past
the guard and Into the courthouse,
where he was received by a number
of deputies in charge of the situation.
After conferring with them at some
length, he was grudgingly taken to the
ceil occupied by Hammond. The lat
ter received him with a wide grin, and
gave no signs of the grueling ordeal
through which.he had passed.
"Listen, old man," said Gramont,
earnestly. "Will you play out the
game hard to the end? I'll have to
leave you here for two days. At the
end of that time you'll be free."
The listening deputies sniffed, but
Hammond merely grinned again und
put a hand through the bars.
"Whatever you say, cap'n," he re
joined. "It sure looks bad"
"Don't you think It," said Gramont,
cheerfully. "A lot of things have
happened since I saw you last I I've
got the real murderer right where I
want him but I can't have him ar
rested yet."
"It's a gang," said Hammond. "You
watch out, cap'n, I heard 'em say
somethln' about Memphis Izzy re-
"Will You Play Out the Game Hard
to the End?"
member the guy I told you about one
day 7 Well, this is no piker's game I
We're up against somethln' solid"
"I know It," and Gramont nodded.
He turned to the deputies. "Gentle
man, you have my address if you wish
to communicate with me. I shall be
back here day after tomorrow at
least, before midnight of thnt day. I
warn you, that if anything happens to
this man In the meantime, you shall
be held personally responsible. He Is
Innocent."
"Looks like we'd better hold you,
too," said one of the men. "You seem
to know a lot!"
Gramont looked at him a moment.
"I know enough to tell you where to
head In if you try any funny work
here," he snld, evenly. "Gentlemen,
thank you for permitting the inter
view I I'll see you later."
The coroner's Jury had already ad
Judged Hammond guilty of the mur
der. Returning to the car, Gramont
had Ben Chacherre drive to a restau
rant, where they got a bite to eat.
Twenty minutes later they were on
their way to New Orleans and Gra
mont learned for the first time of Jo
seph Malllnrd's murder by the Mid
night Masquer, and of the arrest of
Bob Muillard for the crime.
CHAPTER XII
The Ultimatum.
Upon the following morning Gra
mont called both Jachln Fell and Lucie
Ledanois over the telephone. He ac
quainted them briefly with the result
of his oil Investigation, and arranged
a meeting for ten o'clock, at Fell's of
fice. It was slightly before ten when Gra
mont called with the car for Lucie.
Under the spell of her smiling eager
ness, the harshness vanished from his
face; it returned again a moment la
ter, for he saw that she, too, was
changed. There was above them both
o cloud. That of Gramont was secret
and brooding. As for f.ucle, she wns
In mourning. The murder of Joseph
Malllard,' the arrest and undoubted
guilt of Bob Malllard, dwarfed all else
in her mind. Even the news of the oil
seepage, and the fact thnt she was
probably now on the road to wealth,
appeared to, make little Impression
upon her.
"Thank heaven," she s.ld, enrnestly,
as they drove toward Canal street,
"that so far as you are cone'erned,
Henry, the Midnight Masquer affair
was all cleared up before this tragedy
took place I It was fearfully impru
dent of you"
"Yes," answered Gramont, soberly,
reading ber thought. "I can realize nis
ewn folly now. If this affair were to
be laid at my door, some kind of a
case might be made up against me,
and it would seem plansible. But,
fortunately, I was out of it in time.
Were we merely characters in a
standardized detective story, I suppose
I'd be arrested and deluged with sus
pense and clues and so forth."
"Your escape was too narrow to
joke over, Henry," she reproved him,
gravely.
Tm not Joking, my dear Lucie. I
learned nothing about the tragedy un
til late last night From what I can
find In the papers, it seems agreed that
Bob was not the real Masquer, but
had assumed that guise for a Joke. A
tragic Joke ! Since he was undoubt
edly drunk at the time, his story can't
be relied upon as very convincing.
And yet, it's frightfully hard to believe
that, even by accident, a son should
have shot down his own father "
'Don't !" Lucie winced a little. "In
spite of all the evidence against him,
in spite of the way he was found with
that aviation uniform, it's still awful
to believe. I can't realize that it hag
actually happened."
"According to the papers, poor Mrs.
Malllard has gone to pieces. No won
der." "Yes. I was there with her all day
yesterday, and shall go again today.
They say Bob is terribly broken up.
He sent for his mother, and she re
fused to see him. I don't know how it
Is all going to end ! Do you think" his
story might be true that somebody
else might have acted as the Masquer
that night?"
Gramont shook his head.
"It's possible," he said, reluctantly,
"yet It hardly seems very probable.
And now, Lucie, I'm very sorry Indeed
to say it but you must prepare your
self against another shock in the near
future."
"What do you mean? About the
oil"
"No. It's too long a story to tell
you now; here we are at the Malson
Blanche. Just remember my words,
please. It's something that I can't go
Into now."
"Very well, Henry I Do you think
that it's possible your chauffeur, Ham
mond, could have learned about the
drinking party, and could have "
Gramont started. "Hammond? No.
I'll answer for him beyond any ques
tion, Lucie. By the way, does Fell
know anything about Hammond hav
ing been the first Masquer?"
"Not from me," said the girl, watch
ing him.
'Very well. Hammond got Into a bit
of trouble at Houma, and I had to
leave him there. It was none of his
fault, and he'll get out of It all right.
Well, come along up to our oil meet
ing 1 Forget your troubles, and don't
let my croaklngs about a new shock
cause you any worry just yet."
He was thinking of Jachln Fell, and
the girl's closeness to Fell. Had he
not known that Fell was responsible
for Hammond's being in Jail, he might
have felt differently. As It was, he
was now forewarned and forearmed,
although he could not see what ani
mus Fell could possibly have against
Hammond.
It was lucky, he reflected grimly,
that he had never breathed to a soul
except Lucie the fact that Hammond
had been the first Masquer 1 Had Fell
known this fact, his desire to lay Ham
mond by the heels might have been
easily fulfilled and Hammond would
probably have found himself charged
with Milliard's murder.
They found Jachln Fell dictating to
a stenographer. He greeted them
warmly, ushering them at once into
his private office. N
Gramont found it' difficult to con
vince himself that his experiences of
the previous afternoon had been real.
It was almost impossible to believe
that this shy, apologetic little man In
gray was in reality the "man higher
up 1" " Yet he knew it to be the case
knew It beyond any escape.
"By the way," and Fell turned to
Gramont, "If you'll dictate a brief
statement concerning that oil seepage,
I'd be obliged I Merely give the facts.
I may have need of such a statement
from you."
Gramont nodded and joined the
stenographer In the outer office, where
he dictated a brief statement. It did
not occur to him that there might be
danger in this; at the moment, he wag
rather off his guard. He was thinking
so much about his future assault on
Fell that he quite Ignored the possi
bility of being placed on the de
fensive. Within five minutes he had returned
to Lucie and Jachln Fell, who were
discussing the condition of Mrs. Mall
lard. Gramont signed the statement
and handed it to Fell, who laid it with
other papers at his elbow.
"I suppose we may proceed to busi
ness?" began Fell. "I have drawn up
articles of partnership; we can apply
for Incorporation later If we so desire.
Lucie, both Henry Gramont and I are
putting twenty-five thousand dollars
Into this company, while you are put
ting In yuur land, which I am valuing
at an equal amount. The stock, there
fore, will be divided equally among
us. That ts understood?"
"Yes. It's very good of you, Uncle
Jachln," said the girl, quietly. "I'll
leave everything to your judgment"
The little gray man smiled.
"Judgment is a poor horse to ride.
Here's everything In black and white.
I suggest that you both glance over
the articles, sign up, and we will then
hold our first meeting."
Gramonf and Lucie read over the
partnership agreement and found It
perfectly correct
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
A good husband Is one who lets
his wife get her fall clothei be
fore he lays In the winter tupply of
coal