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THE MAROON TIGER
Page 7
“Well, we’ve set the date, and it’s October 30th—a few
days before the election. You'll be on Parkwood Drive
and 110th Street by 8 o’clock, not a minute later or be
fore. Now here are the orders: You be—”
“Just a minute, Tony,” interrupted Payne, “I’m not
going to kill Brown.”
“What’s that?”
“Exactly, I am through with you and the gang. You
can go now.”
Tony rose quickly from the sofa; his face turned red,
his lips quivered, then turned to those of a mad man.
“You won’t get away with this!” shouted Tony, as he
charged toward Payne with a letter opener from the
table. Quick as a cat, Payne jabbed the Italian with a
full blow in the face, and in the next moment iie was
raining blows upon Patti. With his face trickling blood
from bruises, Tony ran for his car, leaving threatening
curses ringing in Payne’s ears.
In the evening papers, stretched across the headline,
was the startling headliner, “Negro Councilman Found
Dead.” In the article it stated that Councilman John
Payne was found dead on the outskirts of the town.
His body was completely mutilated by shots from a
sawed-off shotgun. The only way he was identified was
by pieces of clothing recognized by his wife and daugh
ter. It is believed that the councilman met with foul
play. Strenuous efforts are being put forth by the police
to capture the slayers, but at the present there are no
clews.
That evening while newsboys were spreading to the
country the great catastrophe that had befallen the town,
four of Patti’s men met him in the same room to discuss
their plans.
“Dam’ nigger tried to slick us,” said Walker.
“Served him right,” replied Floyd.
Patti then leaned from his chair and spoke: “Now,
boys, since our good man Payne is gone, we’ll talk fur
ther business. We’ll all get Brown. We ll visit him,
and on the night of October 30th Brown will join our
friend Payne.”
At this remark everyone broke out into loud laugh
ter. Freighburg rose from his seat with a flask, poured
its contents in glasses and passed them to his friends,
and with a sneer, yelled: “Here’s to the hot time Brown
and Payne will receive in hell!”
Every one drank with a loud laughter; then the men
single-filed out with a final remembrance of October 30th
from Patti.
Two nights later, on October 30th, they met on Park-
wood Drive and walked to Brown’s residence. No one
was home but Brown—just as they had expected. As
Big Bill opened the door, his would-be assassinators
forced him back into the poorly lighted hallway and be
gan their ceremony.
“Well, Brown, we’ve come to pay you a visit.” As
Patti said this, he looked at his followers who had drawn
their guns and made a semi-circle around Brown. “We’ve
come to close your trap for good, and the dope you got
on us will never escape from it. Are you ready, boys?”
“No!” cried a seventh voice, and then a shot vibrated
through the hall; Patti fell grabbing his side in agony;
another shot rang out, and Walker slumped to the floor.
The rest were horrified; they looked around to find the
offender, but they were alone with Brown who had turn
ed ghastly white over the whole affair. Suddenly a
dark figure jumped into the hall, switched on the brighter
lights, shouting, “Drop those guns, you guys!” At once
the unholy three released their weapons and stared into
the face of their offender. Quotsky, in a shaky, weak
voice, mumbled “John Payne.”
The offender straightened up to make known his per
son. “\es, it’s me.”
At this Brown quickly rushed to the telephone, and
summoned the police, and rushed back to the hall. Payne
continued:
“Brown, I want to make a personal confession. 1 was
in a plot to kill you, but I got yellow and backed out.
Patti and myself had a scrap and then he put the finger
on me; but it was a poor Negro tramp to whom I gave
one of my suits. I was there when the poor fool was
blown to pieces. I knew that those bullets were for
me, so I laid low until tonight when I came to save you
and avenge the death of that poor tramp. I will pull
the wool from the people’s eyes and expose this gang
even if I have to go to the pen.”
A little bit later the doors were slammed and a voice
cried: “Here we are, Brown.” Running to the door,
Brown let the police in, while Payne covered the prison
ers with his gun.
—John Leroy Carter.
ABYSSINIA AND WAR
(This is the prize essay.—Editors.)
A few days ago, one of our professors of English
made the remark in my presence that Italy wanted Abys
sinia and that she was only waiting until the rainy spell
was over in that country before she would proceed to
humiliate and to annex this last of the African empires.
This remark, seriously said, impressed me very greatly
and made me realize all the more forcibly the flagrant
injustice that is being done to the Ethiopians by Italy
directly and by France and Great Britaint, indirectly.
And what are the various causes of this really bellig
erent attitude of Italy towards Abyssinia?
In attempting to answer this question it is necessary
to hark back to a very significant incident which oc
curred several years ago. Thirty-nine years ago this
spring, Italian troops were severely trounced by those
of Abyssinia. So crushing was the defeat of Italy that
she was forced to pay a large indemnity to her con
queror. Italians never have forgotten this humiliation
and it is therefore safe io say that Mussolini, now that
he has his war machine at the acme of perfection, is
seeking revenge. There is no doubt that in accomplish
ing this revenge the astute Italian will be extending sub
stantially the Italian colonial possessions in Africa,
something that Italy has been trying to do unsuccess
fully since 1887.
Abyssinia with her 10,000,000 population is
virtually surrounded on all her frontiers by French, Brit
ish and Italian possessions. The French possessions ex
tend for a little less than 300 miles and are as valuable
as are the British possessions. By contrast, the Italian
possessions are as invaluable to the Abyssinians
as they are useless to Italy. In point of fact,
about the only valuable holding that Italy has
in Africa is a 30 per cent share in the ownership of
the Jibuti-Addis-Ababa railway. Here then is the secret
of the whole matter. Italian economic policies urgently
call for immediate employment of Italy’s vast array of
unemployed which cannot well be absorbed in Musso
lini’s military machine and public works measures. Con
quest of Abyssinia would mean increased trade for
Italy, more raw materials, access to valuable natural re-