Movie Weekly (1922)

Page Twenty-four "It's a mystery," grunted Morrisey, "I can't make it out." This expression filled Blackey with unlimited confidence and yet he was still a trifle concerned about how Morrisey came to know him. "What's the mystery, Mr. Morrisey?" he asked him. And then, turning to Biddle, "Where do I fit in this mystery ?" "Maybe they think you robbed the bank," roared Henry. This remark brought a laugh from everybody, particularly from Blackey. "Mr. Morrisey," said Biddle, "has just come in from Philadelphia where he investigated the robbery last night of the Arlington National Bank, one of the biggest and cleverest burglaries in the history of American crime. He is satisfied that a new explosive has been discovered and he intimated that he wanted to talk with some first class chemist. "I'm at your service, Mr. Morrisey. What can I do for you, ' said Blackey, "and why do you think a new explosive has been discovered? I haven't heard of such a discovery in the realm of chemistry." "I have made a specialty of bank burglars," declared Morrisey. "I have known all of them from the days of Langdon W. Moore to the famous Jimmy Hope. I know their methods. I know that this new safe, the Harlan Automatic Time Locker, cannot be drilled. I know that bank burglars haven't used any explosive other than powder for the past twenty-five years, and I aKso kno.v that this new safe cannot be blown open with powder." "You're surely up against a problem," Blackey replied. "Ves, a tough one, but I shall work it out. I've had more difticult ones than this case." "Really," said Biddle, "this is a tremendously important matter to the American Bankers Association. We must get this new master mind of the underworld before he goes any further. I'm going to advise nflPerins! a $50,000 reward at our meeting tomorrow. We must set him before we have an epidemic of bank burglaries." "And that's what you're going to have," interrupted Morrisey, ".if we don't get this fellow quick." "Personally," said Henry, "I have a certain amount of admiration for this fellow, this master cracksman, as you call him. He must be a fellow of some merit even though he is a cracksman. He must be a man of ideas and imagination if he can defeat the safe-making brains of the country with his liquid explosive and I'm thinking what a constructive force he would be in society if his energies were directed along other lines. I should love to meet him. More power to him." It was perfectly obvious that this displeased Morrisey and Biddle', but Henry paid no attention to them and continued with his declaration: "And if we don't get away from the preposterous idea that prisons will reform criminals we're going to be confronted with more serious things than hank robbing epidemics. If we don't get away from the creed of selfishness, personal greed and the survival of the fittest, and devote more serious thought to the matter of how criminals come to be and why our big cities all over the country are filled with unfortunate women, we will be looking into the staring, white, stony eyeballs of race decadence which will ultimately spell social dissolution, and that is tremendously more tragic than a million epidemics of bank burglaries." "Moralizing again," laughed Biddle. "Has it ever occurred to you why men plunder your banks? Have you ever asked yourself, where do th:s? men come from and where do these unfortunate women come from and wherein they differ from you and your wives? Why all this outlawry, banditry and murder and social malajustment of every sort? Have you ever thought of these things and then sought an answer?" "Booze and drugs create most of our criminals," replied the detective. "Not at all, not at all," continued Henry more passionately than ever. Neither booze nor drugs in themselves were ever the sole, fundamental causes of any man committing a crime, or any girl drifting into a life of shame. They have been merely incidents in their downfall, not causes. If a man commits a crime while under the influence of a drug you immediately attribute the commission of the crime to the drug. That's the intolerable sophistry of society ! " ■'Henry, Henry," said Biddle rather indignantly, "surely you don't mean what you say. Your idealism has got the better of you." "I mean every damn word of it!" snapped Henry. "The truth hurts you fellows who are always thinking in a groove, you fellows who have everything in life that you want and who don't care a rap about those in the depths." "Henry's correct,"' said Blackey. "There isn't any such thing in this country as equality of opportunity, the ffolden rule and the brotherhood of man. It's a case of dog eat dog, the survival of the fittest, while the weak oerish. If education and physical culture were com pulsory up to a certain age, say twenty-one, there would be lest crime and a higher type of man and woman." "Prisons are a necessity." said Morrisey, "Criminals never itform." "Of course they don't reform," replied Henry, "because wc don't encourage reformation, because we view their protestationi) of reformation with suspicion. We hound 'hem from pillar to post, dog them from citv to citv. These social parasites must be protected, therefore they advocate prisons, detectives and electric cbairs. (iet more schools, more gymnasiums, make mental and physical training a compulsory thing and you can convert all your prisons into hospitals." Henry's denunciation thrilled Blackev and it gave him renewed energy and confidence. 'Tm not doing wrong when I plunder their banks," he thought to himself, "no — I'm not doing wrong, I'm right." Back and forth they debated the subject until nearly midnight, and when Biddle had paid the chei k and they all prepared to leave, Morrisey turned, to Blackey and said: "Can you come to my room tomorrow evening about seven, I should like to have a chat with you alone." "Ves, indeed, I will," replied Blackey. IMMV was stretched out on the divan when Blackey returned to the apartment. "Ha, Jimmv, old boy," he shouted, "how goes it? And where did you spend the evening?" At de Knickerbocker." J "At the Knickerbocker!" exclaimed Blackey. "Yep." Blackey's face lighted up with a smile of understanding. He moved over to Jimmy, placed his hand on his shoulder, patted him affectionately, and said: "So you followed me to the Knickerbocker?" "No," replied Jimmy, "I didn't follow y'. I was dere when y' got dere, all set for a gun play if dat mug Morrisey tried to nail y'." ■ "Ready to go the limit for me, were you?" "Y' went it for me in de park dat night, didn't y'?" "You're a game little fellow," said Blackey with a quiver of emotion in his voice, "and I'll never forget that little thing you did tonight." "What did he say? Is he on to anything?" "Not a thing," said Blackey. "How did he jet wise to your name?" "From my friend, Biddle, who is chairman of the American Bankers Association Protective Department." Blackey had never told Jimmy anything about his life's activities, but he now felt that Jimmy was perfectly trustworthy and loyal, so he rehearsed in detail what he had been and how he had come to be a bank robber. Throughout the recital Jimmy sat spellbound, his eyes flittered with admiration, and when Blackey had finished, he said: "I thought y' were a high class guy. I always knew dat dere was somjthing funny about y'. but I c.iuldn't dope out what it was. Count me in fifty-fifty on dat hospital fund for your friend, the Profes5:jr." "Vou feel that you want to help out on that, do you?" "Hook, line and sinker," replied Jimmy. "That's fine," said Blaikey, "and don't ever breathe a word to anybody about what I have just told you." "Dey could put mc in the chair," declared Jimmy, "and I'd croak before I'd squawk on y', Blackey. You can gamble your life that dere's no yellow in me." "I know that Jimmy," said Blackey, "I was only cautioning you." "I got y'." Blackey pulled out his watch. "Eleven-thirty." he said. "If we hustle wc can make the twelve-fifteen train for Trenton, get the money that we planted and be back in New York before three. Get those guns out of the wardrobe, fill and oil them, while I slip out of this tuxedo and dress." They arrived at the station just in time to catch the train. ".Say," remarked Jimmy, "we are coming back on a passenger, ain't we?" "Of course," replied Blackey, "why not?" "I'm glad of that." "What are you talking about, anyway?" Blackey inquired. "W'hat do you mean by saying you're glad of that?" "Dere's a bunch of nigger bandits runnirg up and down this road sticking up poor hoboes and throwing them off de trains and I didn't want to run into dem with all that dough on us." "Nigger bandits?" repeated Blackey. "Three of 'em.'' continued Jimmy. "Boston Shine, Memphis Yellow and Scarface Joe. They prowl the train while it's running, with a rope ladder, which they fasten on the running board to climb in and out of the box cars." "We're not going to ride any freight trains, Jimmy, so we won't meet them." Upon their arrival in Trenton they walked out to the woods where the money was planted. As they passed the watering tank, around which were a number of "weary willies," Jimmy pointed outthe Boston Shine and his two pals to Blackey. They had some trouble locating the plant, and before they got back to the station, the last passenger to New York breezed by them like a streak of greaseq lightning. While they stood in the middle of the track bemoaning their misfortune and del'ating the advisability of goin" to a Trenton Hotel for the night, a New York bound freight pulled in', the yards. "Let's ride this to Jersey Citv, " said Blackey, "then De can get the ferry or the Hudson Tube to New York. What do you say?" "And take a chance of being stuck up by the Boston Shine?" "Oh, Jo hell with the Boston Shine,"' snapped Blackey, "come on!" They got aboard the freight and were on their way tn Jersey Citv within a few minutes. As the "rattler" rambled through Jersev City at a forty-mile-an-hour gait, enveloped in a whirlpool of dust as it "rat tated, rat-tated" over the crossings, they heard a groan. They looked out the door, but saw nothing. Suddenly the fireman started to feed coal to the speed demon of the rails, and as be opened up the fin* box. it il'uminated the sky so that when Blackey looked out of the car up towards the engine, he saw three or four, men jump from the train one after the other. And as they passed him he heard groans. He continued to look. He then saw three forms climb up the rope ladder to the top of the train. Within a few seconds he saw them come down the ladder and enter another box car. Again be saw three or four forms jump from the train and as the train ramliled by tjiem, he heard more groans. When the train nulled into a cut, he saw another form leap in the dark, and bound back under the train. Within a few seconds they heard the wheels pass over the body, grinding it up. "Christ!" exclaimed Jimmy. "We'll be next!" snapped Blackey. They backed up in the corner of the car and awaited developments, knowing that it was only a matter of a few seconds before the Boston Shine and his murdering pal" would be after them. "Get ready, Jimmy," warned Blackey. lie had hardly uttered the words when the rope ladder came swinging into the car, and the Boston Snine. hat pulled over his eyes, and, gun in hand, came clambering down the ladder. His two pals followed him immediately. "They closed both door , lighted a candle and then shouted, "Hands up, by God, and get 'cm up quick as hell!" Blackey and Jimmy blared away at them with their forty-fours and in the gunning match the candle was blown out. They continued to fire at each other as the train pounded the rails and surged from side to side. Suddenly the door was pushed open and two of the coons jumped in the dark as the train dangled alonjf. Jimmy had fallen to the floor with a bullet in his MOVIE JVEEKLY shoulder. Blackey moved over to the door where the Boston Shine lay a corpse, with eyes wide open and his gun clenched tightly in his hand. "It was his life or ours," said Blackey, as he stood looking at the dead bandit, stretched out stiff on the floor. Jimmy's wound was a minor one, the bullet having just grazed his shoiildcr. He was more upset tlian hurt. Blackey tore up the tail of his shirt and bandaged the shoulder. It was close to three-thirty when they pulled into Jersey City and wehded their way to the Hudson Tubes for a train to New York. They alighted at Eighth Street and went direct to Blackey's laboratory. "I think we had better destroy these bonds," said Blackey. "Morrisey may get a fine on us if we try to dicker them." "Sure," replied Jimmy, as Blackey tossed them into a huge crucible and applied a match. "'We have «?3.':,0no,^' said Blackey when he had finished counting the money. "$235,000," he repeated, "$175,000 of which goes for the hospital. Are you satisfied with $30,000 fo. your share, Jimmy?" "Bet your life," snapped Jimmy, "tickled to death. V' can give the professor more if y' want to." "All right, that's fine," declared Blackey as he opened up his safe and put the money into it. "Say, say," said Jimmy, rather alarmed, "you're not going to leave all dat coin in dat phoney little pete, are y'? Why dat thing can be opened with a can opener!" Blackey smiled and replied, "That little safe is a damn sight more burglar-proof than that big automatic time locker that we blasted open in the Arlington National Bank. Put your hand on the combination." Jimmy grabbed the "com" and as he did so he let out a yell and went stumbling across the room. He scrambled to his feet, shouting: "What that hell ya got in that pete, anyway?" Blackey roared with laughter. "Well," he said, "do you still think my little pete can be opened with a can opener?" "The dough is safe in dere," answered Jimmy, "dead safe." After this demonstration they closed up the laboratory, got a taxi and proceeded to the apartment. "I have an engagement with Morrisey at seven in his rooms at the Knickerbocker," remarked Blackey as he undressed and prepared for bed. "What's he want to see y' for now?" "I don't knoWj" replied Blackey. "Say," said Jimmy rather seriously, "are y' sure he isn't on to anything? Are y' sure, clead sure?" "I hardly think so," answered Blackey deliberately. "I hardly think so," he repeated, "and yet there is a bare possibility that he may have something up his sleeve. It is possible, of course. However, it's his brains against mine and may the cleverest man win." "Be careful, be careful," exclaimed Jimmy. "I will," said Blackey as he turned over and closed his eyes. It was noon when Blackey awoke. The golden beams of the warm, mid-day sun were streaming through the curtains of the room. In the smooth, soft green of the park below, some children were romping, while a hurdy gurdy jangled forth the strains of the "Sidewalks of New York." A bird twittered in a tree just outside the window, as though it were trying to harmonize with the music and the voices of the children as they sang the chorus: "East side. West side, all around the town, etc." Blackey stood by the window, looked and smiled and drank in the rich, winey air as though it contained some healthful anodyne. Never had lite seemed more beautiful to him! He closed the window and picked np the morning papers on the front page of which he read: "Detective Morrisey says he has a clue to the Arlington Bank burglars. He would not divulge the nature of the clue or the source of his information, but it is known that the Arlington Bank officials had him on the phone at midnight. He predicts an early capture of the Durglars." "Huh," he grunted, "perhaps he has an ace up his sleeve." "Talking to yourself," laughed Jimmy from the bed. "Read this," replied Blackey as he got up, and handed him the paper. "Holy !" exclaimed Jimmy "What y' think of it?" "I don't know what to think or what to do." "I tell y', Blackey, dat guy is a wizard and I think we better beat it while the going is good." Blackey sat and soliloquized. In his imagination he went over every detail of the job from the time thnt he arrived in Philadelphia until he left the bank. He recalled what Barker, the bank president, and Morrisey had said about the gold tooth and the lisp in the voice, the artifices that he had resorted to for the purpose of concealing his identity. He was quite sure that he had covered up his tracks. He ridiculed the possibility of any definite clue and yet he realized that it was not absolutelv improbable. "Possible," he said to himself, "but damn improbable." He and Jimmy dressed and went out to get breakfast, after which they arranged to deliver the money to Haberly at the Post Graduate Hospital by a special messenger. They returned to the apartment about six, whereupon Blackey immediately prepared to keep his appointment with Morrisey at the Knickerbocker. Jimmy was decidedly nervous, but Blackey was as calm and as selfcontained as could be. "Don't nothin' ever worry y'," he asked Blackey. "No," laughed Blackej;, "nothing." "Watch your step tonight, old pal," he_ remarked to Blackey as he left the apartment for the Knic'-fcrbocker. "I'm all set, Jimmy," replied Blackey, smiling as he closed the door. When Blackey arrived in front of Morrisey's room on the eighth floor he heard him talking on the phone. He grabbed the door knob, then hesitated and listened: "Looks good," he heard him say, "I think I'm on the right trail." He opened the door. There in the room sat Barker, the president of the Arlington National Bank, the man to whom he talked as "Captain Worthington" when he planned the robbery. (Continued next week)