the financier-第64节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


time　at　home　in　his　bathtub。　　Mr。　Abner　Sengstack　wrote　that　also；　and　had　Mr。　Stener　sign　it。　　And　Mr。　Mollenhauer's　comment　on　that；　before　it　was　sent；　was　that　he　thought　it　was　〃all　right。〃　　It　was　a　time　when　all　the　little　rats　and　mice　were　scurrying　to　cover　because　of　the　presence　of　a　great；　fiery…eyed　public　cat　somewhere　in　the　dark；　and　only　the　older　and　wiser　rats　were　able　to　act。

Indeed；　at　this　very　time　and　for　some　days　past　now；　Messrs。　Mollenhauer；　Butler；　and　Simpson　were；　and　had　been；　considering　with　Mr。　Pettie；　the　district　attorney；　just　what　could　be　done　about　Cowperwood；　if　anything；　and　in　order　to　further　emphasize　the　blame　in　that　direction；　and　just　what　defense；　if　any；　could　be　made　for　Stener。　　Butler；　of　course；　was　strong　for　Cowperwood's　prosecution。　　Pettie　did　not　see　that　any　defense　could　be　made　for　Stener；　since　various　records　of　street…car　stocks　purchased　for　him　were　spread　upon　Cowperwood's　books；　but　for　Cowperwood　〃Let　me　see；〃　he　said。　　They　were　speculating；　first　of　all；　as　to　whether　it　might　not　be　good　policy　to　arrest　Cowperwood；　and　if　necessary　try　him；　since　his　mere　arrest　would　seem　to　the　general　public；　at　least；　positive　proof　of　his　greater　guilt；　to　say　nothing　of　the　virtuous　indignation　of　the　administration；　and　in　consequence　might　tend　to　divert　attention　from　the　evil　nature　of　the　party　until　after　election。

So　finally；　on　the　afternoon　of　October　26；　1871；　Edward　Strobik；　president　of　the　common　council　of　Philadelphia；　appeared　before　the　mayor；　as　finally　ordered　by　Mollenhauer；　and　charged　by　affidavit　that　Frank　A。　Cowperwood；　as　broker；　employed　by　the　treasurer　to　sell　the　bonds　of　the　city；　had　committed　embezzlement　and　larceny　as　bailee。　　It　did　not　matter　that　he　charged　George　W。　Stener　with　embezzlement　at　the　same　time。　　Cowperwood　was　the　scapegoat　they　were　after。





Chapter　XXXIV




The　contrasting　pictures　presented　by　Cowperwood　and　Stener　at　this　time　are　well　worth　a　moment's　consideration。　　Stener's　face　was　grayish…white；　his　lips　blue。　　Cowperwood；　despite　various　solemn　thoughts　concerning　a　possible　period　of　incarceration　which　this　hue　and　cry　now　suggested；　and　what　that　meant　to　his　parents；　his　wife　and　children；　his　business　associates；　and　his　friends；　was　as　calm　and　collected　as　one　might　assume　his　great　mental　resources　would　permit　him　to　be。　　During　all　this　whirl　of　disaster　he　had　never　once　lost　his　head　or　his　courage。　　That　thing　conscience；　which　obsesses　and　rides　some　people　to　destruction；　did　not　trouble　him　at　all。　　He　had　no　consciousness　of　what　is　currently　known　as　sin。　　There　were　just　two　faces　to　the　shield　of　life　from　the　point　of　view　of　his　peculiar　mind…strength　and　weakness。　　Right　and　wrong？　He　did　not　know　about　those。　　They　were　bound　up　in　metaphysical　abstrusities　about　which　he　did　not　care　to　bother。　　Good　and　evil？　Those　were　toys　of　clerics；　by　which　they　made　money。　　And　as　for　social　favor　or　social　ostracism　which；　on　occasion；　so　quickly　followed　upon　the　heels　of　disaster　of　any　kind；　well；　what　was　social　ostracism？　Had　either　he　or　his　parents　been　of　the　best　society　as　yet？　And　since　not；　and　despite　this　present　mix…up；　might　not　the　future　hold　social　restoration　and　position　for　him？　It　might。　　Morality　and　immorality？　He　never　considered　them。　　But　strength　and　weaknessoh；　yes！　If　you　had　strength　you　could　protect　yourself　always　and　be　something。　　If　you　were　weakpass　quickly　to　the　rear　and　get　out　of　the　range　of　the　guns。　　He　was　strong；　and　he　knew　it；　and　somehow　he　always　believed　in　his　star。　　Somethinghe　could　not　say　whatit　was　the　only　metaphysics　he　bothered　aboutwas　doing　something　for　him。　　It　had　always　helped　him。　　It　made　things　come　out　right　at　times。　　It　put　excellent　opportunities　in　his　way。　　Why　had　he　been　given　so　fine　a　mind？　Why　always　favored　financially；　personally？　He　had　not　deserved　itearned　it。　　Accident；　perhaps；　but　somehow　the　thought　that　he　would　always　be　protectedthese　intuitions；　the　〃hunches〃　to　act　which　he　frequently　hadcould　not　be　so　easily　explained。　　Life　was　a　dark；　insoluble　mystery；　but　whatever　it　was；　strength　and　weakness　were　its　two　constituents。　Strength　would　winweakness　lose。　　He　must　rely　on　swiftness　of　thought；　accuracy；　his　judgment；　and　on　nothing　else。　　He　was　really　a　brilliant　picture　of　courage　and　energymoving　about　briskly　in　a　jaunty；　dapper　way；　his　mustaches　curled；　his　clothes　pressed；　his　nails　manicured；　his　face　clean…shaven　and　tinted　with　health。

In　the　meantime；　Cowperwood　had　gone　personally　to　Skelton　C。　Wheat　and　tried　to　explain　his　side　of　the　situation；　alleging　that　he　had　done　no　differently　from　many　others　before　him；　but　Wheat　was　dubious。　　He　did　not　see　how　it　was　that　the　sixty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　certificates　were　not　in　the　sinking…fund。　　Cowperwood's　explanation　of　custom　did　not　avail。　　Nevertheless；　Mr。　Wheat　saw　that　others　in　politics　had　been　profiting　quite　as　much　as　Cowperwood　in　other　ways　and　he　advised　Cowperwood　to　turn　state's　evidence。　　This；　however；　he　promptly　refused　to　dohe　was　no　〃squealer；〃　and　indicated　as　much　to　Mr。　Wheat；　who　only　smiled　wryly。

Butler；　Sr。；　was　delighted　（concerned　though　he　was　about　party　success　at　the　polls）；　for　now　he　had　this　villain　in　the　toils　and　he　would　have　a　fine　time　getting　out　of　this。　　The　incoming　district　attorney　to　succeed　David　Pettie　if　the　Republican　party　won　would　be；　as　was　now　planned；　an　appointee　of　Butler'sa　young　Irishman　who　had　done　considerable　legal　work　for　himone　Dennis　Shannon。　　The　other　two　party　leaders　had　already　promised　Butler　that。　　Shannon　was　a　smart；　athletic；　good…looking　fellow；　all　of　five　feet　ten　inches　in　height；　sandy…haired；　pink…cheeked；　blue…eyed；　considerable　of　an　orator　and　a　fine　legal　fighter。　　He　was　very　proud　to　be　in　the　old　man's　favorto　be　promised　a　place　on　the　ticket　by　himand　would；　he　said；　if　elected；　do　his　bidding　to　the　best　of　his　knowledge　and　ability。

There　was　only　one　fly　in　the　ointment；　so　far　as　some　of　the　politicians　were　concerned；　and　that　was　that　if　Cowperwood　were　convicted；　Stener　must　needs　be　also。　　There　was　no　escape　in　so　far　as　any　one　could　see　for　the　city　treasurer。　　If　Cowperwood　was　guilty　of　securing　by　trickery　sixty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　the　city　money；　Stener　was　guilty　of　securing　five　hundred　thousand　dollars。　　The　prison　term　for　this　was　five　years。　　He　might　plead　not　guilty；　and　by　submitting　as　evidence　that　what　he　did　was　due　to　custom　save　himself　from　the　odious　necessity　of　pleading　guilty；　but　he　would　be　convicted　nevertheless。　　No　jury　could　get　by　the　fact　in　regard　to　him。　　In　spite　of　public　opinion；　when　it　came　to　a　trial　there　might　be　considerable　doubt　in　Cowperwood's　case。　　There　was　none　in　Stener's。

The　practical　manner　in　which　the　situation　was　furthered；　after　Cowperwood　and　Stener　were　formally　charged　may　be　quickly　noted。　Steger；　Cowperwood's　lawyer；　learned　privately　beforehand　that　Cowperwood　was　to　be　prosecuted。　　He　arranged　at　once　to　have　his　client　appear　before　any　warrant　could　be　served；　and　to　forestall　the　newspaper　palaver　which　would　follow　it　if　he　had　to　be　searched　for。

The　mayor　issued　a　warrant　for　Cowperwood's　arrest；　and；　in　accordance　with　Steger's　plan；　Cowperwood　immediately　appeared　before　Borchardt　in　company　with　his　lawyer　and　gave　bail　in　twenty　thousand　dollars　（W。　C。　Davison；　president　of　the　Girard　National　Bank；　being　his　surety）；　for　his　appearance　at　the　central　police　station　on　the　following　Saturday　for　a　hearing。　　Marcus　Oldslaw；　a　lawyer；　had　been　employed　by　Strobik　as　president　of　the　common　council；　to　represent　him　in　prosecuting　the　case　for　the　city。　The　mayor　looked　at　Cowperwood　curiously；　for　he；　being　comparatively　new　to　the　political　world　of　Philadelphia；　was　not　so　familiar　with　him　as　others　were；　and　Cowperwood　returned　the　look　pleasantly　enough。

〃This　is　a　great　dumb　show；　Mr。　Mayor；〃　he　observed　once　to　Borchardt；　quietly；　and　the　latter　replied；　with　a　smile　and　a　kindly　eye；　that　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　it　was　a　form　of　procedure　which　was　absolutely　unavoidable　at　this　time。

〃You　know　how　it　is；　Mr。　Cowperwood；〃　he　observed。　　The　latter　smiled。　　〃I　do；　indeed；〃　he　said。

Later　there　followed　several　more　or　less　perfunctory　appearances　in　a　local　police　court；　known　as　the　Central　Court；　where　when　arraigned　he　pleaded　not　guilty；　and　finally　his　appearance　before　the　November　grand　jury；　where；　owing　to　the　complicated　nature　of　the　charge　drawn　up　against　him　by　Pettie；　he　thought　it　wise　to　appear。　　He　was　properly　indicted　by　the　latter　body　（Shannon；　the　newly　elected　district　attorney；　making　a　demonstration　in　force）；　and　his　trial　ordered　for　December　5th　before　a　certain　Judge　Payderson　in　Part　I　of　Quarter　Sessions；　which　was　the　local　branch　of　the　State　courts　dealing　with　crimes　of　this　character。　His　indictment　did　not　occur；　however；　before　the　coming　and　going　of　the　much…mooted　fall　election；　which　resulted；　thanks　to　the　clever　political　manipulations　of　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　（ballot…box　stuffing　and　personal　violence　at　the　polls　not　barred）；　in　another　vict