Picture Show (May-Oct 1920)

6 Picture Show, August 1th, 1920. Real Crime Storicr expioits* or FAMOUS DETECTIVE toed FOR THE FIRST TIME IN" THE PICTURE SHOW LOutlaw ©f tike Beep] Every detail of these stories, which have been filmed by the Selznick Film Company, and will shortly be shown over here, is taken from real life. Trje crooks described are men whose criminal careers are to be found in the American Police Records. In the film version the part of the real detective is played by Herbert Rawlinson, otherwise the stories are an exact representation of events which actually happened IN the fast dying twilight of a summer day, San Francisco s Chinatown is pulsating and virulent with the hectic life of the quarter. WILLIAM J. FLYNN, p™83 .f^A * Chief of the United humanity drift from States Secret Service, the Seven Seas and meet in the mael New York City. * strom sweeping around the corners where East greets West, and are sucked up and lost in the populace tide eddying through the narrow channels. From the open windows of shops and balconies of restaurants lights splash the taxi -trails whoro the swift movement of the hurrying throng raises a breeze heavy with the perfume of incense and strange Oriental odours. The squeak of fiddles, beat of brass, and raucous cries of sweetmeat vendors mingle with the soft thump of padded feet and chatter of mixed tongues. Chinatown is oponing to the evening as hoavily scented flowers unfold to the dawn. Night, the silent partner of crime and love, is curtaining th Kingdom of the White Poppy. Over all is tho suggestion of an illusive, intangible,but very real mystery. To Stephen Arnold, Secrot Service agent, with a special eye on the Chinese, who stood just opposite where tho district began, Chinatown — not tho Chinatown of to-day, but of before the firegazing intently into its garish streets, it represented something else. To him it appeared as a huge, yellow dragon, fat and blinking somnolently, unsatiated with the victims pouring into its red maw. And, as ho gazed, he saw in fancy the dragon outlined shadowly over tho quartor, its vicious head protruding from the filth, its fat body crushing tho victims struggling to get out from under. As ho peered at tho thing, tho monster's jaws opened, and moro victims — women, girls, men — walked into tho yawning cavern whero they wero swallowed up and lost. The musings of the agent wore brokon by an. individual, much tho worso for having flirted ovortly with strong liquor, who staggered into him, almost knocking him down. Arnold pushed the man away from liim, but before ho did so a note had passed from the hand of tho drunk to that of the detective. Arnold gazed aftor the man for an instant, and,, crossing to the glare of an elootric light, opened the note and road : " Puget May Rafferty is back. Went into hor father's place an hour ago." Tearing the note into bits, he throw tho pieces into tho street. As he stood .on tho comer, ho did some quick thinking. Tho law against tho immigration of Chinese into tho United States was being violated. Every weok or two new facos appeared in Chinatown. It was tho belief of officials dial, on organised gang was rosponsiblo for the importation of the yellow man. William J. Flyun, .chief of the Secret Service, hail issued flat ordors that the gang must bo brokon up and tho importations stopped. Arnold, known to tho department oporativos as " Lightning," the crack man of tho sorvico, as usual when anything big was pending, had been picked for the job. With Kane, liis assistant, he had hurriod to the west coast. It was Kane who had just slippod him tho note. Word of his coming had boon tipped off to tho gang, and for a few weeks there had boen nothing doing. But Lightning had reason to beliovo that somo Jnove was ponding. • Tho return of Puget May strengthened this belief. The thin trail that the agent had been able to pick up since he had arrived in San Francisco pointed to a man i and a woman as the loaders of the smugglers. The woman was May ; the man he had beon unable to place. He decided upon a bold move. Ten minutes later Lightning swung through the door of Dan Rafferty's dance-hall. It was early evening, and there were not many persons in the place. Lightning bought a cigar at the bar and asked for Rafferty. A jerk of. the bar -tender's head indicated the back room, and the detective entered. A poker-faced man sat at a desk, making entries in a book. _ At tho agent's entrance, ba swung around and sized up lus visitor. " Where's May ? " Lightning asked. " Why ? " " She's mixed up in this Chinese smuggling, and I want hor." For a brief instant Rafferty glared at the detective, his hand stealing toward an open drawer. With a swift movement, he leaped to his foot, a revolvor pressed against Lightning's stomach. " It's a lie ! " he snarled. "' and even if it ain't, you or no other copper is gonna take her ! " " Put down tho gun, Dan," Lightning replied coolly. " I know all about her. Shooting mo isn't going to do you or her any good." Rafferty hesitated glaring ; then threw liis weapon on tho desk. With a nod of his head, ho motioned for the agent to follow him. In an upper room a young girl was playing with a pack of cards. At their entrance she looked up. Rafferty seized her by the arm and jerked iier to her feet. " You'ro in on this Chink business," lie ea:d. " Who put you up to it ? " Tho girl drew back, hor blue eyes blazing, as she gazed from hor father to Lightning. " Ami ovon if I am," she replied, " who's going to prove it ? " For answer, Rafferty swung a vicious blow at hor face. Tho girl dodged and ran around tho table. As Rafferty started to follow, Lightning soizod his arm. " That will do, Dan," lie said. " That isn't going to help you, oitlier. Leavo her to me." Rafferty paused, and Lightning turned toward tho girl, who had recovered her possession and was regarding them with a supercilious smile. " I'm going to give you a chance, May," Lightning said to her. " Take the night to think it over, but don't try to got away, bocouse I have a tab on you. I want to know who is bock of this smuggling. Come up to my hotel in tho morning and bring the information. Be sure and come ; if you don't, I'll como down ami got you." " Oh, she'll come all right ! " Rafferty interrupted. " If she don't, sho'll havo mo to deal with ! " With a scowl at his daughter, Dan loft the room with Lightning. The girl, who had said nothing, watched thorn go down tho stairs. After they loft, she followed, and walked into tho danco-hall. Noither Lightning nor hor father wore to bo seen. Calling ono of the girls, she askod her to go out, got a taxicab, and wait in tho back-street. T The Girl's Scheme. EN minutes later she peered out of a door in tho rear of tho placo thut looked out on to a littlo court. Tho coast seeming clear, she darted across the court into HERBERT RAWLINSON, another build wno plays the part of Stephen ing, and soon Arnold — " Lightning " — on stood in the the screen, shadow of another entrance on the back-street. A taxicab pulled up a few feet away. The girl ran to it, entered, and it drove off. Close to the shipyard district of San Francisco is an old, abandoned dock, known as Shirley's Wharf. It was the rendezvous for the loungers of the water-front wliose means of existence was, by the police, regarded as questionable^ Li a lone shack on the wharf several men were rolling dice. " Joe " Fay, known as the " Fog," stood by the door, smoking a pipe and watching the game. % A man clambered from a sailing schooner tied at one side of the dock and burst into tho shack. " Secret Service men are in the shipyards disguised as labourers ! " he said excitedly. Tho men stopped their game and jumped to their feet, crowding around tho newcomer and the Fog, to whom he had addressed bis remark. The Fog eyod the bearer of tho startling news. " How do you know ? " he asked. " Leary overheard the plan. Look hero ! " The man ran to the window, the Fog and his companions following him From the window they could see tho night gang at work in the shipyards, about a hundred yards away. " About twenty of that gang am 'tecs ! " tho man sa:d. They've got wiso Chinks ore comin' in somewhere near here." The opening and closing of the door interrupted them. The Fog wheeled as Puget May entered and went straight to him. " You've got to move quick, Joe ! " she said. " Arnold was down to the old man's to-night " and threatened a pinch ! I don't know whother it was a bluff or not, but he is on to me." The news disturbed the Fog, and he uttered an oath. Soveral of the men ran outside and clambered aboard the boat. Whatju come down here for ? " tho Fog inquired of May. " Wanna get the whole gang sniped ? Howday you know you wasn't trailed ? Oh, I took good care of that ! " May replied. " Beside, Arnold expects mo to meet him in tho morning and squoal." The girl laughed. " Looks bad ! I'm fixed about pickin' up those Chinks to-morrow night. Arnold's got that shipyard gang packed.' " You've got to I " May retorted. " All our plans depend upon this trick. We've got to go through with it." " Doiiv anvthing now is just like breakin' into" gaol," The Fog crossed and looked out of the window. " Somebody's losing thoir nerve I " May laughed derisively. " I've got a scheme." " Well T " The Fog turned questioningly. " I'm going to squoal." " What's that ? Tho man strode toward the girl. " You as much as lot out one word, and — well, you know mo, don't you f " " Don't be a fool ! " May pushed tho Fog away from her. " I've got a scheme that'll clear tho coppers away from the wharf and fool that guy. Where's Mike ? " " On the boat." " Havo him moot mo down at tho old man's to-morrow morning. I want him to go, along. Get aboard tho boat and push it over to Briggs. I'll see you to-morrow, sometime." " Soy^ what aro you up too T" the Fog asked.