Part 35 (2/2)
”Let me off, Nan, that's a good fellow,” pleaded Keith, whose weariness had vanished. ”I'd be delighted to go at any other time. But this is too rich. I must see what the gang has to say.”
”I suppose I could drop Ben Sansome a note,” a.s.sented Nan doubtfully.
”Do! Send the c.h.i.n.k around with it,” urged Keith, rising. ”I'll get a bite downtown and not bother you.”
The gang--as indeed the whole city--took it as a great joke. Of those Keith met, only Jones, the junior partner, failed to see the humour, and he pa.s.sed the affair off in cavalier fas.h.i.+on. That did not save him from the obligation of setting up the drinks.
”I'm going to fix this thing up in the morning,” he stated confidently.
”Between you and me, there's evidently been a slip somewhere. Of course it ought never to have been allowed to go so far. I'll see this man King first thing in the morning, and buy him off. Undoubtedly that's about the only reason his paper exists. Wonder where he got the money to start it? He's busted. It can't last long.”
”If it keeps up the present gait, it'll last,” said Judge Caldwell shrewdly. ”Me--I'm going to send in a subscription tomorrow. Wouldn't miss it for anything.”
”It'll last as long as he does,” growled Terry, ”and that'll be about as long as a s...o...b..ll in h.e.l.l. What you ought to do, Jones, is what any man of spirit ought to do--call him out!”
”He announces definitely that he won't fight duels,” said Calhoun Bennett.
”Then treat him like the cowardly hound he is,” flared the uncompromising Terry. ”Take the whip to him; and if that isn't effective, shoot him down as you would any other mad dog!”
”Surely, that's a little extreme, Judge,” expostulated Caldwell. ”He hasn't done anything worse than stir up Jonesy a little.”
”But he will, sir,” insisted Terry, ”you mark my words. If you give him line, he'll not only hang himself, but he'll rope in a lot of bystanders as well.”
”I'll bet he sells a lot of papers to-morrow, anyhow,” predicted Keith.
”I hope so,” bragged Jones. ”There'll be the more to read his apology.”
Evidently Jones fulfilled his promise, and quite as evidently Keith's prediction was verified. Every man on the street had a copy of the next day's _Bulletin_ within twenty minutes of issue.
A roar of delight went up. Jones's visit was reported simply as an item of news, faithfully, sarcastically, and pompously. There was no comment. Even the most faithful partisans of Palmer, Cook & Co. had to grin at the effectiveness of this new way of meeting the impact of such a visit.
”It's clever journalism,” Terry admitted, ”but it's blackguardly; and I blame Jones for pa.s.sing it over.”
The fourth number--eagerly purchased--proved more interesting because of its hints of future disclosures rather than for its actual information. Broderick was mentioned by name. The attention of the city marshal was succinctly called to the disorderly houses and the statutes concerning them; and it was added, ”for his information,” that at a certain address a structure was actually building at a cost of $30,000 for improper purposes. Then followed a list of personal bonds and sureties for which Palmer, Cook & Co. were standing voucher, amounting to over two millions.
The expectations of disclosures, thus aroused, were not immediately gratified, except in the case of Broderick. His swindles in the matters of the Jenny Lind Theatre and the City Hall were traced out in detail.
Every one knew these things were done, but n.o.body knew just how; so these disclosures made interesting reading if only as food for natural curiosity. However, the tension somewhat relaxed. It was generally considered that the coa.r.s.e fibre of the ex-stone-cutter, the old Tammany heeler, and the thick skins of his political adherents could stand this sort of thing. n.o.body with a sensitive honour to protect was a.s.sailed.
The position of the new paper was by now firmly established. It had a large subscription list; it was eagerly bought on the streets; and its advertising was increasing. King again turned his attention to Palmer, Cook & Co. Each day he treated succinctly, clearly, without rhetoric, some branch of their business. By the time he had finished with them he had not only exposed their iniquities, he had educated the public to an understanding of the financial methods of the times. His tilting at this banking firm had inevitably led him to criticism of certain of their subterfuges to avoid or take advantage of the law; and that as inevitably brought him to a.n.a.lysis and condemnation of the firm's legal advisers, James, Doyle, Barber & Boyd, a firm which had heretofore enjoyed a good reputation. Incidentally he called attention to duelling, venal newspapers, city sales, gambling, Billy Mulligan, Wooley Kearney, Casey, Cora, Yankee Sullivan, Martin Gallagher, Tom Cunningham, Ned McGowan, Charles Duane, and many other worthies, both of high and low degree. Never did he fear to name names and cite specific instances plainly. James King of William dealt in no innuendoes. He had found in himself the editor he had wished for, the man who would call a spade a spade.
The _Bulletin_ twice enlarged its form. It sold by the thousand. Its weapon of defence was the same as its weapon of offence--pitiless and complete publicity. Measures of reprisal, either direct or underhand, undertaken against him, King published often without comment.
At the first some of the cooler heads thought it might be well to reason with him.
”The man has run a muck,” said old Judge Girvin, ”and while I am far from denying that In many--perhaps in most--cases his facts are correct, still his methods make for lawlessness among the ma.s.ses. It might be well to meet him reasonably, and to expostulate.”
”I'd expostulate--with a blacksnake,” growled the fiery Terry.
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