Chapter 14

Sunday, February 18, 1894

The residents of Gneiss County, Missouri awoke Sunday morning and, on their way to church, found the following notice posted in several public places, including tacked to the doors of several churches.

February 18, 1894

To the operators and members of the Gneiss County Mining Cooperative:

The Gneiss County Mining Cooperative had, for some years, maintained a business relationship with the Kansas City & Western Missouri Railroad. However, that arrangement included certain criminal practices intended to defraud the shippers that carried the ore.

When the Kansas & Arizona Southern Railroad, the Kanzona, bought out the KC&WM last year, we brought those fraudulent practices to an end, as they were a criminal as well as a civil liability under federal jurisdiction. Those practices also put the Gneiss County Mining Cooperative at risk of criminal charges and civil suits, all under federal, not local, authority.

The Kanzona has offered its standard contract to the Gneiss County Mining Cooperative, but we have received no response. Meanwhile, we have continued shipping your ore.

Instead of sending a delegation to negotiate a contract, two men came to my home and killed my wife and my son, and kidnapped his brother. A month later, more kidnappers made another attempt, and a young woman was shot defending my children. All of those kidnappers have been traced back to leaders of the Gneiss County Mining Cooperative. One of the kidnappers was the son of one of those leaders. Another son was apprehended as part of a conspiracy that murdered two former owners of the KC&WM., Carter Sweeney and Maximilian Freiling.

All of the kidnappers and two of the murderers, including the two sons of the Mining Cooperative leader, were killed in the commission of their crimes or as an immediate result.

Nonetheless, the Kanzona remains more than willing to negotiate with the Gneiss County Mining Cooperative. We recognize that it is a significant business partner in this Western Missouri Division of the Kanzona system and it represents many individual workers who had nothing at all to do with these crimes.

However, we will not negotiate with murderers and kidnappers, nor with those who planned or supported those crimes, nor any who might shelter them. Those evil deeds against the innocents cannot go unanswered. The leaders who planned or approved such actions must be first be brought to justice. Until such time, we will suspend services to the Cooperative, as we have no valid contract.

Once our demand for justice is met, we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.

Emil Malik

President and Chairman, Kansas & Arizona Southern Railroad

(Sunday, February 18, 1894)

Monday, February 19, 1894

The determined knocking on the compartment door woke both Malik and Peng. The latter was out of bed and brandishing a knife within two seconds, though she was otherwise naked.

“It’s Israel Soriano, Mister Malik,” the voice came when there was a break in the knocking. “There’s been a fire.”

“I hear you, Lieutenant. We’ll be right out. Was anyone hurt?”

“No, sir, no one hurt. It’s a bridge that was burnt.”

Malik was pulling on his trousers and said, “A bridge, huh? Is Mister Zou up?”

“Yes, sir. He let me in.”

“Tell him we’ll want coffee, would you, please?”

“You bet. See you in a couple minutes.”

Soriano was seated at the table, fiddling with an empty coffee mug, when Malik and Peng came out of their cabin.

As he sat down across from the railroad copper, Malik said, “Go ahead, Israel, tell me about it.”

“Yes, sir.

“The northbound milk run spotted the smoke and stopped before they reached the bridge. They’re the ones that wired us. The bridge is a low trestle, maybe twenty-five feet at the highest, and five hundred twenty-seven feet long, over Shoal Creek and its flood channel, near Tipton Ford.”

“Where’s Tipton Ford?”

“Southeast of Joplin, about eleven or twelve miles.”

Tremaine and Wade, awakened by the disturbance, both came out of the bunk room they shared. Tremaine was still buttoning his shirt. Jin appeared a moment later.

Malik said to them, “There’s been a fire on one of our bridges, south of Joplin. No one’s been hurt, according to the report.” Looking back to Soriano, he asked, “So, only the train crew’s seen it? Did they say how bad the damage was?”

“No, nothing more. They notified every station on the Division and roused out the section crew for that stretch. They’ve also flagged both ends of the bridge and are guarding the approaches.”

“Sounds like they’re doing everything they can. Good for them. Does the maintenance supervisor know?”

“Emma called his telephone, just before I came over here, but there was no answer. He might be on his way in. He and his brother have a farm a couple miles out.”

Tremaine asked, “And how close is that bridge to Feldspar?”

Soriano said, “Eight or nine miles.” There were knowing looks passed between Wade and Tremaine.

Acknowledging them, Malik said, “Maybe someone didn’t like the message Zemin’s people posted for me.”

Wade squinted at Malik. “Surely such a reaction wasn’t really unexpected.”

Malik shook his head, a wry smile on his lips, “No, I reckon not.” Then, to Soriano, “Someone from the section crew was notified?”

“That’s what their message said. I’m sure they did. These folks take their jobs very seriously, nowadays, and from what I understand, most of them were pretty good before the economy went south. The way they work reminds me of the way we did things on the San Angelo. If anything new comes in, the telegraph office knows to keep us posted.”

Then, as Zou appeared with the coffee pot, someone could be heard mounting the coach steps, and then was at the door. Soriano said, “That looks like Emma,” as he rose to open the door.

Soriano and Watts had a brief, quiet word at the door, then he ushered her in.

Malik and the other two men stood. “Good morning, Emma,” Malik said. “I’m guessing you have some news?”

“Good morning, Emil, good morning, gents. Indeed, I do have more recent word. Apparently only two piers were damaged to possible failure. The section foreman thinks he can have the bridge supports repaired by noon. They’ll cut out and splice in new sections, then brace the splices. The maintenance supervisor is on his way down there.”

Soriano said, “You were able to reach him?”

“I found a note from him stuck ino my office door. Apparently, someone had already telephoned him. He’d come in and commandeered a train and crew to haul him down there, along with the tool car.”

“Well, sit down, Emma,” Malik invited. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

“Not even coffee.”

Conversation was desultory, until after breakfast, when Malik, his frustration obvious, said, “I don’t know, but I just have the feeling we need to do something.”

Watts said, “It feels that way to me, too, but I’m just not sure what.”

“If we called in the federal marshals, it would just open a can of worms,” Malik admitted. “There are years of fraud that might have to be cleared up. They might even come after the Kanzona, even though we didn’t have anything to do with that.”

With a grim chuckle, Watts added, “Meanwhile, we’d be losing business.”

Looking slightly abashed, Malik said, “Yes, I’m afraid that’s my concern in a nutshell. Things are precarious enough, as it is, with the times being what they are. The mines in that consortium represent nearly twenty percent of this branch’s business. If they’re all tied up in litigation, and worse, if it should drag us into it, the repercussions could be serious. There’d be a great deal of harm all for the reckoning of a few bad principals.”

“That is true enough,” Jin spoke up, “but it is a system which also protects the Kanzona from similar transgressions. There is a price to pay if justice is to be served.”

“But is it justice?” Malik rejoined. “If hundreds of families have to suffer destitution to right this presumed wrong, is that justice? It’s not as if the likely penalties would restore the business to the aggrieved major railroads. At this late date, it would simply go to line the pockets of the owners. Granted, they were the ones ultimately harmed, but to compare their relative losses of a few more dollars of wealth against the devastation it would bring to so many working families seems an odd definition of justice.”

Jin said, “You begin to sound like that German economist, Karl Marx. Not that I necessarily disagree with you, it just sounds odd coming from the mouth of an American businessman, let alone a railroad mogul.”

“Mogul?” Malik chuckled. “I might admit to being a magnate, but mogul smacks a bit of the tyrannical potentate who is the beneficiary of much more kowtowing than I tend to receive, the Chinese being the exception. But then, your people bow to everyone, so I can hardly feel exalted.”

Then he took on a serious demeanor. “But to take note of your comment, I don’t deny that businesses and corporations do need legal protection in order to fulfill their lawful and beneficial purposes. However, I think the difference in the notion of justice might be due, at least in part, to some variance in the understanding of the purposes of those businesses and corporations.

“Take the Kanzona as an example. Many business leaders would see it as a vehicle for making money. Their approach to management would be to maximize profit, to squeeze every penny out of the resources involved.

“Conversely, I think the Kanzona’s board of directors, as well as our administrators and division superintendents, including myself, instead see the Kanzona as a company that provides transportation, and, for that, the highest quality transportation that we can muster. Certainly we intend to be paid in the process, and we manage the business for the most profit that our corporation can earn, but I think the differences might be boiled down just those two terms: make money versus earn money.

“I accepted this position and its responsibilities, not because I saw it as an opportunity to make money, but as a challenge to build an even better railroad than Chen Ming-teh had. At the same time, I realized that, to accomplish that goal, the railroad had to prosper, but prosper as a railroad, not a mint.”

Malik abruptly paused and looked around. “Ah, let’s not go there. I get up on my high horse, and I can moralize for hours.” He hooked his thumb at Peng, seated beside him. “Just ask Peng, here. She knows I can go on and on.” Peng actually let a hint of a smile touch her lips.

With closed eyes, and shaking his head, Malik asked, “What was it we were talking about, before I mounted up?”

Watts said, “What we can do about the mining consortium without blowing everything up. And, I’ll add that we need to do it without them hurting our people or wrecking our railroad.”

Looking up, Malik said, “Well, I guess I’ll have to go down there. And we’ll have to put some precautions in place.”

Watts said, “I’ve already reduced speed limits by ten miles an hour, with a maximum of twenty-five. And the sections crews are all out on continuous track inspections, around the clock.” The Western Missouri branch had eighteen sections crews and, as on other Kanzona divisions, each crew was responsible for eight to twelve miles of track.

Wade said, “I’m afraid none of this will make a case for the court, as far as the Wichita kidnapping attack, from what we know now.”

Tremaine agreed. “Reckon you’re right, Davy. You thinkin’ of heading back to Wichita?”

“No, not quite yet. Something may still come of this, so I’ll put another day or two into it.”

Tremaine said, “But Davy’s right, you know, boss. While everything points to Owen Lambert, we really have nothing concrete to even get an arrest warrant, let alone a conviction in court.”

Jin added, “Beyond that, there is every indication that others were involved.”

Malik gave each of them a baleful look. “We’ve already established all of that. What I need are some new ideas, not a rehash of the bad news.”

“Well, then,” Tremaine began, “when you say you’ll have to go down there, what do you mean? A business delegation or a posse?”

With a grim smile, Malik just shook his head. Finally he shrugged and said, “I don’t know. I reckon I didn’t really have anything in mind. It just seemed that, if that’s where the trouble is, then that’s where I ought to be.”

Jin said, “Perhaps that is adequate for purposes. Simply being closer may help suggest an effective strategy. I do not see any advantage to remaining in Kansas City.”

Watts added, “We can put you in the back of the yard at Joplin, near the freight office. There is electricity there. We’ll get a signalman to hook you up.”

Malik was nodding. “Then lets move down there.”

Peng said, “Perhaps we should move after it gets dark.”

Jin said, “That may not be a bad idea.”

“Okay,” Malik said.

Watts said, “I’d like to go along.”

“Of course,” Malik replied. Then, looking at Soriano, he said, “Could I speak to you privately, for a moment? Let’s go out on the platform.” Both men rose and walked toward the coach door. Malik held the door and followed Soriano through.

Closing the door behind them, Malik turned to Soriano and said, “I don’t mean to be crude, but I don’t know if it would be proper to offer the other coach bedroom to you and Emma, while we’re in Joplin.”

Soriano chuckled. “I keep a room above the depot, but it’s general knowledge that I’ve been staying at Emma’s. She’s not shy about it, but it hasn’t been a topic of idle conversation, either, at least not that I’ve heard. What about your other guests? Won’t they be scandalized?”

With a dismissive gesture, Malik said, “I sleep every night with a woman to whom I am not legally married, while my wife is at home. And I reckon you know about Frank and Dixie Yeats, though I won’t go into further detail about that. No, I don’t see Davy Wade or Jin Zemin having the vapors over it, either.”

Soriano shrugged, “It’s your railroad, Colonel.”

“Colonel, yeah, that’s a good one, Israel.”

(Monday, February 19, 1894)

Tuesday, February 20, 1894

In an ominous recurrence of Monday’s wake-up incident, there was, again, knocking on the cabin door, with a repeat of Peng’s defensive alert and a similar response from Malik.

It was, again, Israel Soriano’s muffled voice: “Mister Malik, there’s been an incident at the Shoal Creek Bridge. None of our folks have been involved, but you’ll want to hear about this.”

“Alright, Israel. We’ll be right out.”

While Malik and Peng dressed, Soriano could be heard knocking on the bunkroom cabin door where Wade and Tremaine were housed. Jin had moved into the bunk cabin with Zou Lei, to allow Watts and Soriano the use of the double-bed cabin, and both Chinese men had been awakened by the railroad copper who brought the message. As a result, everyone but Zou was at the table at about the same time.

As they were seating themselves, Jin reported, “Mister Zou will have coffee and tea in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Zemin,” Malik said. Then, turning to Soriano, he asked, “So, what happened, Israel?”

“A couple men from the section crew were checking the Shoal Creek bridge an hour ago, and they found three bodies hanging from the bridge, hanging by their necks. They recognized two of them. One is the sheriff of Gneiss County and the other is Owen Lambert.”

“Judas Priest!” Tremaine said, sotto voce.

Malik looked at Peng, who responded with a slight rise of her right eyebrow. To the others, in general, he said, “Can this situation become any more bewildering? So, do we take this development at face value?”

Watts said, “It looks to me like the Gneiss County Mining Cooperative may have chosen a new negotiating strategy.”

“Yes,” Malik replied. “That’s what I was thinking, too. But, have they assumed a position that is more accommodating or a purpose that is more demanding?”

Tremaine asked, “Might the identity of the third body be a clue as to that?”

“Maybe,” Malik said. Addressing Soriano, who was sitting next to Watts, he said, “Israel, who among our employees is most likely to identify the third man?”

“Ah, let me think.” After a brief pause, Soriano offered, “Assuming he’s some high muck-a-muck in their organization, I guess, ah...”

“He means me,” Watts said. “I’m the one who brought them the new contract, at their monthly directors meetings. I met all their top brass.”

Malik, with a rueful look, said, “Then I hate to ask, but --”

Cutting him off, Watts said, “Of course, I’ll have a look at the body. Don’t give it a second thought. I came along in the hope I could be useful.”

Malik turned to Soriano. “Where are the bodies?”

“They’ll be on the milk train. Should be here in about an hour.”