Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 453 Strict, severe, and swift action! (Bonus Chapter 2)

Eric Morton waved the thin stack of telegrams and newspapers in his hand as if he were raising a victory flag, and all eyes in the carriage were on him.

Zola put down the book he was reading, Maupassant stopped trimming his cigar, and Huysmann, Daudet, Goncourt, and Lionel all looked over curiously.

Eric Morton's tone carried a sense of triumphant satisfaction: "Those robbers! Those bastards who attacked our train—'Billy the Kid,' 'Sundance Kid,' Jesse James…"

And all of their notorious subordinates—almost, no, all of them—were captured!

The carriage fell silent instantly. The news was indeed shocking, so much so that many people didn't even have time to react.

Maupassant exclaimed incredulously, "All of it? How long has it been? We've only been out of the West for less than two weeks!"

Eric Morton nodded vigorously: "Yes! All of them! And not just the arrests! The courts—the circuit courts—the trials were incredibly fast!"

All the cases were tried within two days, and then came the hangings! Most of the leaders and key members were sent to the gallows!

He flipped through the papers in his hand and read aloud the following passage: "'Billy the Kid' was arrested in Lincolnshire, shot while resisting arrest, and sentenced to hanging in a temporary court the next morning, with the execution taking place that afternoon!"
'Yangwu Boy' attempted to escape to Canada but was discovered by Pinkerton detectives in a small border town. During the ensuing firefight, two of his accomplices were killed, and he was captured alive and hanged forty-eight hours later!
Jesse James, the cunning fox, hid well, but was betrayed by one of his former henchmen. Surrounded on a ranch in Missouri, he tried to fight back but was shot dead on the spot!

And then there's 'Laredo Kid'... the list goes on!"

He looked up, his face full of disbelief: "My God, some guys are arrested in the morning, and the judge arrives in the afternoon, conducts a brief interrogation, and then they're hanged!"

The efficiency was frighteningly high; the newspapers said that such "efficiency" was unprecedented in the history of the American judiciary!

Lionel had been listening quietly, but at this point he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "...Isn't this 'strict, severe, and swift'?"

His voice was very soft, but it was still heard by a reporter sitting nearby in the quiet carriage.

The reporter from the New York Tribune's eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled out his notebook and pencil, quickly jotting down these three powerful phrases.

He then quickly wrote down the title of his article in English: "Sorel Praises Western Justice: Strict, Heavy, and Swift!"

As the reporter wrote, he excitedly licked his lips, sensing that Lionel's "golden quote," coupled with this thunderous action, would cause a new sensation.

Émile Zola adjusted his glasses, his face full of confusion: "This is incredible. Some bandits, I heard from Pinkerton, have been active in the West for over a decade."

Local law enforcement had been helpless against them until now, so why were they able to act so quickly this time?

Eric Morton immediately gave the answer: "A bounty! Mr. Zola, an unprecedentedly high bounty!"

He held up a finger and waved it in the air: "Mr. Andrew Carnegie has offered an amazing bounty! Ten thousand dollars for the head of each gang leader!"
The heads of key members are worth five thousand dollars! Previously, the combined bounty from the federal government and the railroads was only two or three thousand dollars.

Maupassant nearly jumped out of his chair: "Ten thousand dollars? My God! We've been giving speeches all over America for almost a month and haven't even earned ten thousand dollars!"

Yusman, Alexis, and others also had shock written all over their faces, clearly taken aback by the number.

Maupassant made a sour joke: "If I had known it would be worth this much, why would I have bothered writing novels?"
They should stay in the West, get a good horse, take a fast gun, and go specifically to hunt down these wanted criminals!

A burst of laughter erupted in the carriage, and even Zola and Goncourt couldn't help but laugh.

Alphonse Daudet murmured, "Ten thousand dollars...five thousand dollars...that's enough to drive anyone crazy!"

Eric Morton added, "Exactly! The whole West went crazy when the news spread. The gang fell apart instantly."

Informing, betraying, double-crossing... even fathers and sons can turn against each other for this money, let alone bandits who are already united by profit.

Moreover, Mr. Carnegie used other connections, and almost all western towns, ranches, and farms refused to do any more business with them.

They weren't even allowed to settle down! They couldn't buy food, couldn't find shelter, and even getting a drink of water was a struggle in the Nevada desert.

No gang could survive five days!

Lionel turned to Zola and the others: "So you see, bandits are actually part of this society, and they need to depend on this society to survive."

The reason they were able to get away with it in the past was not because they were really that powerful, but because the soil in the West was too 'fertile' to nourish them.

The railway company and banks kept encroaching on the land of the town and farms, and the town and farms condoned the bandits who caused them trouble and bled them dry.

The criminals used these places to sell stolen goods, resupply, and gather intelligence. This time, Andrew Carnegie's bounty disrupted the balance between them.

Now that the shelter has become a trap, and their fellow bandits have become informants, these gangs are naturally doomed to perish.

Émile Zola nodded thoughtfully: "It's not that the law and law enforcement have suddenly become powerful; criminals have actually been destroyed by capital. As long as the conflict between the railway company and the town remains unresolved, new gangs will always emerge in this land."

As long as the soil of hatred and despair remains, the seeds of robbery will sprout again. Carnegie's dollars merely lit a fire, temporarily burning the surface.

This conclusion caused silence to fall over the carriage once again, with different people having their own interpretations, especially the French who had experienced countless republics and restorations.

Just then, a long whistle sounded, thick smoke billowed from the locomotive's chimney, the train's speed gradually decreased, and it began to climb over the mountains.

Eric Morton looked out the window, a smile spreading across his face. "Gentlemen, get ready, we'll be back in New York soon!"

--------

Another night passed, and the train slowly pulled up beside the platform of Grand Central Station in New York, where the familiar hustle and bustle and the smell of coal smoke filled the air.

The platform was already crowded with people. Although it wasn't as grand as when they first arrived in the United States, the scene was still quite impressive. Colorful flags were still flying, and the band was still playing "La Marseillaise."

New York City Mayor William Grace, accompanied by officials and celebrities, waited there with a broad smile.

As soon as Zola and the others got out of the car, he stepped forward and shook hands with them one by one: "Welcome back to New York, gentlemen! Your return brings joy to all of New York!"

As usual, Zola expressed his gratitude on behalf of everyone, and the welcoming crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause.

However, among the welcoming crowd, an unexpected figure appeared—Andrew Carnegie from Pittsburgh.

The steel tycoon strode forward. He first firmly grasped Zola's hand, then turned to Lionel.

Andrew Carnegie spoke in a loud voice, making sure the reporters could hear him clearly: "Dear French friends! Welcome back safely!"
I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of your unpleasant experience in the West. No civilized society can tolerate such atrocities!

But those robbers have already received their due punishment! Let us cheer for the rule of law in America!

Andrew Carnegie then turned to the throng of reporters who had gathered around him: "Gentlemen! I have this opportunity to announce a major decision!"

He straightened his back and said, word by word, "I hereby declare that, from this day forward, all businesses bearing the name Carnegie—"

Whether it's steel mills, coal mines, or bridge construction teams—all will be completely abolished in any form of 'company token'!

With a wave of his arm, his voice was powerful and resolute: "From now on, all workers' wages will be paid in cash! Not a single penny less!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low gasp and murmur arose from the group of reporters.

Lionel stood aside, coldly watching the steel magnate, his face devoid of any joy.

The "token" mechanism itself does not bring much direct profit to industrial giants like Carnegie.

After all, those crude metal sheets could only circulate in geographically isolated towns, logging camps, and mining areas, and their scale was extremely limited.

As for the hard-earned money squeezed out by inflated prices, it's just a drop in the ocean compared to Carnegie's vast business empire.

The real evil of "tokens" lies in making workers perpetually indebted, firmly bound to the machines and mines, unable to leave, and tantamount to slavery.

Secondly, the "token" saved the company a lot of cash, especially in remote areas where cash is scarce, transportation is difficult, and risks are high.

Using self-printed "paper" or "metal" sheets instead of precious US dollars means that the company will save a lot of cash flow.

These real dollars can be used for expansion, investment, mergers and acquisitions... In short, as long as they are not used to pay salaries, they are a good choice for Carnegie.

Andrew Carnegie's "drastic measure" at this moment is merely a crisis management tactic, an attempt to regain the moral high ground through a "generous" gesture.

Andrew Carnegie seemed to sense Lionel's cold attitude, but he didn't take it to heart. Instead, he leaned closer to Lionel and whispered:
"Mr. Sorel, to express my sincerest apologies and to compensate you for the fright you have suffered, I have prepared a small gift for you."

A gift that I believe will please everyone.

Lionel's brows furrowed immediately. Was Andrew Carnegie about to offer a bribe on the spot?

He wanted to refuse decisively and cleanly almost without thinking.

If they were to accept a gift from Andrew Carnegie in front of reporters, they would likely become the biggest scandal in French cultural history!

(End of this chapter)