CHAPTER XIV BETRAYAL AND ARREST

The Saturday preceding the Sunday of my arrest was one of rain. I was reading in my room when a knock sounded at my door; I opened it and found one of my acquaintances of the underworld standing¹ there. He also was “working the rattlers,” but on a much smaller scale than I. I invited him inside, and in the course of our conversation he mentioned the fact that he had a gross of Stetson hats which he was anxious for me to dispose of for him. The proceeds of the sale he told me were to go to procure² a “mouthpiece” (a lawyer), to secure the release of his pal³ by habeas corpus proceedings⁴. I told him I thought I could do as he desired, and asked him the whereabouts of the hats. It seems that they were at that time hidden out in the woods[Pg 75] on the outskirts⁵ of the city. The stuff was too much for him to handle at once, so he came to me. Our reputation in the underworld was such at that time that I frequently performed the same services for other gangs.

One day, several weeks before this incident of the hats occurred, a young fellow whom I knew kept a “fence,” but with whom I had never dealt, performed a service worth while for me and asked me to remember him when anything “good” came off. On numerous occasions, in appreciation⁶ of his act, I had sent him gifts of various things, such as cloth for suits, socks, and a general run of men’s furnishings and the like. He continued to remind me of my promise to let him get in on a “good thing.” I thought of him the first thing when the question of the disposal of the hats was brought up, and in a minute or so I had him on the phone. I told him that there were about a gross of the hats and asked fifty cents per hat for them. He was pleased immensely and we struck a bargain right off. So eager was he for them that he offered[Pg 76] to furnish the horse and wagon⁷ to carry the stuff off.

About 2 P. M. that day three of us in the wagon went to the place where the hats were hidden. He was delighted with his find, immediately paid me the money, and drove off with his hats. Forty minutes after leaving us he drove up to the police headquarters—wagon, hats, and himself. Unknown to us, the police had used him as a stool, threatening him with some minor⁸ act of his. I think it is Burns who says something to the effect that the best laid plans of men oft go astray. We had guarded ourselves against foes⁹ from without, but had neglected to watch those from within our own ranks.

Immediately upon our arrest the police of the different railroads became active. Every theft ever committed from these same roads was laid at our door. Goods were found in several warehouses¹⁰ which upon examination were found to have been stolen in transit¹¹. The woods were searched thoroughly¹² and several caches of goods found. Fences whom I had never heard[Pg 77] of, let alone dealt with, hurried to identify us. A guilty conscience anticipates disaster long before its actual consummation. The fences caught with the goods from other parties saw a chance to square themselves by identifying us as the culprits. The fact that we were innocent of that particular act made no difference with them. The doors of the prison were opened, ready to swing shut on their backs. The police offered to square their case if they appeared against us. They, of course, appeared.

The case of the police against us was not as absolute as they and we thought. A few weeks after our arrest the fence from whom the information came, becoming alarmed by rumors¹³ that friends of ours were out to “get” (kill or injure) him, skipped the State and left the prosecuting¹⁴ attorney in a quandary¹⁵. Without the evidence of the fence a successful prosecution¹⁶ against us was impossible. The evidence in other cases soon proved to be the testimony¹⁷ of the fence against ours. After lying in jail for eight months, with the consent of[Pg 78] the railroads, and on our promise to return certain goods in our possession, they agreed to free us. We consented and once again walked the street as free men. After passing through this experience, we decided¹⁸ that any future work in this line would be extra hazardous¹⁹ and the gang dispersed²⁰.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 procure   

vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条

参考例句：

• Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗？
• I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。

3 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

4 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

5 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

6 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

7 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

8 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

9 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

10 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

11 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

12 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

13 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

15 quandary   

n.困惑，进迟两难之境

参考例句：

• I was in a quandary about whether to go.我当时正犹豫到底去不去。
• I was put in a great quandary.我陷于进退两难的窘境。

16 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

17 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

18 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

20 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。