Shooting For Justice by G. Tilman (top 100 novels txt) 📗

got his attention, was about either killing or causing President Arthur’s presidency to fall. Arthur is unaware of anything beyond the additional security. He condones those efforts.

“I might add, gentlemen, this whole meeting is conducted at the most secret level. This cannot be discussed with anyone outside this room. If you choose to discuss it among yourselves, it should be in a place and manner where you will not be overheard.”

“Without offense to the provost marshal, isn’t this a job for a treasury agent?” an admiral asked. The attorney general responded.

“Admiral Belton, you would normally be correct. However, the secretary of war and I felt, since we did not know whether this threat extended within the government, it would be prudent to use a proven investigator from outside. I invite you to research John Pope of Wells Fargo in the newspapers. Especially the Western state ones. I am sure you will agree he is an excellent choice.

“Pope has identified a number of people or organizations with cause to not like Arthur. Midway down the list is the people whose funding will be diminished by the shift of monies to the Navy budget.”

“Are Navy officers suspects?” the secretary of the Navy asked.

“No, sir. Except to the extent naval officers may control shipyards which might lose out due to shifting to steel hulled vessels. Quite frankly, knowing little about shipbuilding, I would think it is not Navy personnel on fixed salaries who we should worry about, but specialists, people who supply civilian workers and suppliers. Do you agree?” Pope asked.

“I believe it is safe to speak for everyone and say we agree with you, Provost Marshal Pope,” Secretary Chandler said.

“Do you have a man who is knowledgeable in the ship building process to assign to work with Pope on this phase of the investigation?” Lincoln asked.

Chandler turned to a captain.

“Captain Foster, I’d like you to coordinate with Pope,” he said. Foster nodded.

“Thank you. Now, has anyone one of you heard anything, no matter how obscure, which might aid Pope’s investigation? Hints, rumors, anything against the president?” Pope asked.

One of the admirals spoke. Pope later found he was in charge of naval shipbuilding.

“Sailors gripe. It’s their nature, especially during long periods at sea. I suspect soldiers do also.

“There have been universal gripes over going to steel vessels ever since the president announced it. I might add, he did so with the full concurrence of the men in this room.

“The nature of their talk has mainly been ‘wood floats, steel sinks’. While the phrase is true, it’s irrelevant because of the design of a modern ship with its sealed off bulkheads and inherent flotation. They worry since wood flexes more than steel, a steel ship will break apart in rough seas. Flex can be built into any design. These men largely do maintenance; they are not nautical architects. Lastly, most people are resistant to change. Wooden ships to steel ships is about as large a change as we could make. I daresay they will change their minds once another ship’s fire bounces off the new hulls instead of penetrating like it would with a wooden hull.

“The men who complain about this, the cooking, the style of their uniforms don’t have the capability to pull off a coup or an organized assassination attempt,” he said.

Pope looked around the room and read concurrence on the faces of all the naval officers.

“Thank you, Mr. Secretary and officers. You have satisfied this part of the investigation, at least until Captain Foster and Pope conclude whatever probes they make. We will leave you to running the Navy,” the attorney general said. All rose and Foster waited for Pope to approach.

“I have some ideas of actions for us,” he told Pope. Pope nodded and held up a finger signifying to wait.

“Secretary Lincoln and General Brewster, I would like to stay and meet with Captain Foster. There’s no need for you to wait.”

They left and the room was cleared except for Pope, Foster and the admiral who spoke at length.

“Provost Pope, this is my boss, Admiral Hemingway. He is in charge of the construction and maintenance of every aspect of the fleet,” Foster said.

“Foster has a major project coming up. How long do you think you might need him?” the admiral asked.

“I doubt more than a few days. We can start right away.”

“Excellent. This is important. Very important. But I have a full agenda planned for him.” The admiral left the two.

“Let’s go to my office and meet behind closed doors,” Foster suggested.

They walked down the hall and Foster beckoned him into an office. They sat and Pope took out his notebook and a pencil.

“If we took a day trip to New York, we might be able to kill all our birds with one trip,” Foster said.

“Please go on.”

“I suggest we take a train to New York or hitch a ride on a naval vessel out of Baltimore or even here if one’s available. We can visit the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where we can see the impact of the wood to steel changeover, get a list of types and number of civilians, who is affected, and who the suppliers are, both old and new. If you want, I can send a telegram today and we can begin tomorrow.”

“It’s a good comprehensive approach, Captain. Let’s do it. They are installing a telephone in my house today. If you will give me a number for the Navy building, I will call you later and give you my number to confirm time of departure and where exactly,” Pope said.

“Do we have a telephone?” Pope asked as soon as he arrived at home.

“We have one and both May and I have been instructed with the use. I have gotten a small notebook and attached a pencil to put numbers in. It will take me less than three minutes to teach you how to use it, John,” Sarah said.

“Good. I have to call the Navy building and secure some information about a trip to