The city election resulted in a complete triumph for the anti-law
enforcement, anti-prohibition, anti-Ku Klux crowd. The Klan not being
fully organized took no active part, as an organization, in the
election. The enemies of the Klan who were supporting the Clark ticket,
used the Klan as a scarecrow to line up the Catholics, Jews, negroes
and bootleggers for Clark. This influence, together with the personal
following of Clark, easily elected him.
Springer boasted in many issues of the Journal of "The victory the
respectable law-abiding citizens gained over the lawless Klan and its
sympathizers." He told the people through the columns of the Journal
that the election had sounded the death knell of the Klan in Wilford
Springs; that the law-abiding citizens had emphatically protested
through their votes, and that no self-respecting citizen would think of
joining this organization after the community had shown its disapproval.
In spite of this propaganda fiery crosses and white robed figures were
more frequently seen in the vicinity of Wilford Springs than before the
city election. During the entire summer the frequency of these reports
increased.
Soon after Clark took the oath of office as mayor he appointed Roberts
as chief of police. Roberts was inexperienced in politics and knew
but little of the methods and less of the principles of the men who
had been elected. Roberts was not a strong character, but, generally
speaking, he desired to do what was right. No sooner had he become the
head of the police department than he made his police force a talk and
told them that he expected the law to be enforced without fear or favor.
Sixty days after he had been acting as chief he was passing the Wilford
Springs Central State Bank. Stover stepped to the door and asked him to
come in.
"Come into my private office." The banker led the way.
"Have a seat, Roberts."
"Thank you. This electric fan feels good this kind of a day."
"We're having some very warm weather."
"We can expect it this time of the year. It's a little unpleasant but
mighty good for the corn."
"Roberts," said the banker, "you have a note here that is thirty days
past due."
"Yes, I know I have. I have been intending to take care of that out of
my salary, but one thing after another has happened to prevent my doing
so. First, one of the children had to have his tonsils removed; then
my wife was called back to Illinois, on account of the illness of her
mother."
"Too bad that you have had so much bad luck."
"Can't you renew this note for me?"
"Yes, we can take care of that for you. You will always find the
Central ready and willing to accommodate its customers. There is
another little matter I want to talk to you about. The other day
Hennesy was in here paying his rent and told me that he wouldn't be
wanting my building after the first of next month. I asked him what
was wrong, and he said that there is a policeman hanging around there
a great deal of the time and his niggers, who are employed to put out
his stuff, are scared and are not doing any business. I wouldn't want
to lose Hennesy as a tenant. (I couldn't get half the amount of rent
he pays me for the use of the building for the use of ordinary lines
of business.) Hennesy can't afford to pay me one hundred seventy-five
dollars a month for that building to use for a pool hall alone."
Roberts chewed hard and nervously on the end of a cigar. When Stover
ceased speaking Roberts said, "I didn't know that building belonged to
you."
"And that isn't all. Hennesy was one of your best supporters. He worked
faithfully for Clark and recommended you for chief. If I were you I
would tell my police to lay off of Hennesy's place and of every other
place where the proprietor is a well established tax-payer and has some
influence."
"I told the people that if I were appointed chief I would see that the
laws were enforced."
"That's all right, Roberts; but you can't afford to endanger your
political future and damage your friends to enforce a law that was
placed on the statute books through the influence of cranks and some
old ladies."
"I will tell the boys to stay away from Hennesy's place. I really don't
know anything against it anyway."
During the entire conversation the lean banker had been rubbing his
hands nervously together. Now he smiled. Scarcely ever did he laugh.
"Roberts," he said, speaking in a very confidential tone, "there are
plenty of law violators who are transients or who have no influence in
the community whom you can prosecute and make an enforcement record
for yourself without interfering with the business of your friends and
supporters."
"I thank you for your suggestions," said Roberts as he rose to go.
"That's all right, Roberts, I am always glad to help my friends. Let
that note run as long as you like." Stover smiled blandly as the chief
left the office.
After Roberts left the bank he began at once to put Stover's advice
into practice. He instructed his policeman on the beat where Mike
Hennesy operated his pool hall not to see anything when he passed
there. He also instructed other policemen to pass up other joints and
bootleggers.
A few days later Roberts received word that a common bootlegger known
as "Slim" was due to arrive that night with a carload of booze.
Slim had been a resident of Wilford Springs only a year. He had no
established place of business. Slim was in disfavor with Mike Hennesy
and the other joint keepers of the town. He worked independently and
had refused to contribute anything to the campaign fund, which Hennesy
had been appointed to raise among the liquor fraternity during the
campaign. Hennesy furnished Roberts the information and told him to
"pinch" him.
It was two o'clock in the morning when "Slim" was halted as he was
entering the city limits. The chief took possession of the car and
booze and "Slim" was taken to the city jail. The next morning another
wheel in the machinery turned and the police judge gave "Slim" sixty
days in jail and a two hundred dollar fine.
The Daily Eagle contained a statement of the facts. The Journal not
only gave the facts but was loud in its praise of the chief and his
force.
It was only a short time after "Slim's" arrest and conviction and while
he was still in durance vile that two policemen surprised a party of
poker players in a room at The Antler House. The players were prominent
business men. They were playing for big stakes. It was one-thirty in
the morning, almost the same hour that "Slim" had been arrested and
taken to jail. Were these poker players taken to jail? Oh, no, they
were taken to the city building. The chief was then called. He called
the police judge, who was accommodating enough to get out of bed to
accommodate this group of business men. Each man was permitted to enter
a fictitious name on the record and deposit a cash bond of twenty
dollars for his appearance. (Of course they forfeited the bonds.) No
reference was made of this raid by the Journal. The Eagle simply stated
the facts, without giving names and without any comment.
The day following this event Judge Rider, who was the youngest judge
of a district court in the state, being only thirty-three years old,
met Springer on the street. Judge Rider was a clean-cut, straight,
upstanding man who had a strong sense of justice. He could not resist
this opportunity of taking Springer to task.
"Hello, Springer."
"Hello, judge."
"Say, Springer, how did you happen to overlook such an important news
item as the raid of The Antler House?"
"I didn't overlook it, judge. I purposely omitted it."
"Why should such an important bit of news be omitted from the columns
of the Journal?"
"Judge, it wouldn't do to give that affair publicity. Every one of
those fellows were prominent business men."
"If a business man violates the law he should pay the penalty the same
as the friendless outcast. If publicity and the condemnation of the
public is to be a part of the penalty he should have that, too."
"We didn't write them up because of the feelings of their families."
"You gave a column to 'Slim's' arrest and conviction. I understand that
'Slim' has a wife and three children. Doubtless the members of 'Slim's'
family have feelings the same as the members of the families of these
business men."
"If I had mentioned these men by name and they had objected, I couldn't
have shown by the court records that they were charged with poker
playing."
"Springer, you know that it wouldn't be hard to prove their identity.
The police who made the arrest can give the names of every one of
them. It was a shame and a disgrace that they were permitted to enter
fictitious names on the record and forfeit small cash bonds. I tell
you, Springer, that sort of a farce is making Bolsheviks. 'Slim'
couldn't be made to believe that the laws are being impartially
enforced, and they are not. It is just such partiality as this that
makes the Klan necessary."
"What, you a judge and in favor of that lawless organization?"
"The Klan I am in favor of is not lawless. It is an organization that
insists on the impartial enforcement of the law. In no instance would
I be a member of an organization that takes the law into its own
hands. I can see how an organization of the best citizens, who will
co-operate with the officers by serving as private detectives and
turning all information over to the officials, can be of great benefit.
Furthermore, the Klan I am for is an organization that insists that the
officers do their duty and supports them in the performance of it; and
demands that the officer who won't do his duty get out. If we can have
a Klan like that here, I am for it."
"I must be going, judge," said Springer, and the conversation was
brought to a close.