◆ SpookStack

THE “X" MEN ; nish us with the.names—we will attend to the rest.” It required little imagination to un-, derstand that by “ the rest ” was meant a blast from a machine gun and ‘an-., other martyr among the Federal un- dercover agents. “You can mame your own price,” the spokesman went on. “Even ten grand a week is okay by us if we get re- sults. We are wise, too, that you will need some time to get started. But work fast, hurry. It’s a matter of life or death to us. The force will be un- der your jurisdiction and no one—and this goes for us guys, too—will be al- towed to interfere in the running of your mob.” No doubt, from their point of view this was an attractive proposition and one that no man would turn down. “Ten grand a week!” Anxious to get all the details, the man from Chi- tongue end Jet thee 0 pe thers cago held his will oot be recruited tegen he are college graduates, trained in the law. In ordinary times those kind of guys are grabbed by business, but the depression has thrown them into the _daps of the Feds. “You must get your guys from the = Same sources. Get guys with guts, guys who can qualify as G-men and can grab themselves jobs among the Federals. The bankroll behind you will ; be big enough to let you buy all of * them you need. Then, when you get t, them’ trained, send them to Washing- , fon to join the G-men, get them into police departments. They can put the finger on the Federal spies among-is, and tip us .off to what-the Feds are: : going to do.” i ae HE Chicagoan told them that. he~ appreciated their trust in. him but he was too old to tackle such a job and suggested that they get a younger man. Their warped minds could not grasp the fact that.a man. who had spent the best years of his life in the pursuit of criminals, working secretly among the mobs as did the G- men, taking the same chances of being bumped off as they were taking; could not bring himself to put the finger of death on such men. The Chicagoan got away; and, returning home, im- mediately, surrounded himself with: a heavy bodyguard. . There can be no question about it:* the underworld is desperate when they resort to ratting. They are afraid of their own shadows, afraid that their best pal may be a G-man. But not every man they approach will turn them down. They are offer- ing ten thousand dollars a week! They have more millions at their disposal than J. Edgar Hoover and the Depart- ment of Justice have thousands, __- Every police force in the country is going to be approached by these “.X- men.”. It is time to be double and triply careful of the antecedents of every man joining the police, in what- ever capacity., With the millions behind them the criminal big shots may succeed in un- dermining the now incorruptible De- partment of Justice itself. That is their plan. Their life is at stake and they are desperate,