Show I HOLD d T TOM MOORE I i RECITES STORY OF I BETTER OA YS I I I Was Once Secretary to toI I American Envoy to toI i I China By Frank G. G Hunt Who Nho is Thomas Moore Or rather i who was Thomas Moore This broken old man who is familiarly known to the underworld as Ol Old Tom is a Ii profound mystery Here is a man who a admits being an all opium smoker i who for tor several years past has haa lived on the charity of at a n certain m messenger I service yet speaks of happy school schooldays schooldays schooldays days in Trinity college Dublin of at the diplomatic service in China and of the days when he lie was close to MarCUB Marcus Marcus Mar Mar- cus CUB Daly millionaire racing manOld manOld manOld man Old Tom has been compelled to at atthe atthe atthe seek the shelter of or tho the vaS house the elt city Jail of at late According to the doctor tho the old man has but little longer long long- er to live His one lesson which lie he has learned ho lie tells to all aU who will listen If It you will dance you must pay the the piper And poor old Tom Toni Is paying the I price According to his story the tho opium habit was contracted in China Tom Moore is not the name which ap appears appears ap- ap p- p pears on certain of official Ucla 1 papers which he lie has shown to a few who vho have promised prom prom- to keep his Identity a secret Tom arrived in Salt Lake several years ago SPEAKS CHINESE Ho was a n deep mystery for he lie conversed conversed conversed con con- versed fluently in Chinese He was more or less leBs of a hermit but held a little court of at his own in the underWorld under under- world He quoted law to a few tew who could not afford to pay a criminal lawyer He expounded a terrible philosophy philosophy philosophy phil phil- a a. mixture fatalism tho teachings of or Confucius and a gross materialism You have heard successful men tell you vou how ho hoto to succeed Let mo me tell you how to fail fall says old Tom I am an auth authority on that subject I am the most complete failure you ou could find and I 1 had the best chances in lu tho the world I was born in New York City the son of wealthy parents I graduated froma preparatory school and m my fa fa- father father ther them who was a po power cr in corrupt politics poll poli tics lies in those days sent me to Dublin to complete my ray law studies I tried hard to figure how I could study stud and still get more out of at life lICe than J put in It cannot bo be done In hi spite of the fact that I 1 became known for wild escapades and the tho leader of at a wild crew I was granted a law decree upon completing my course by In the university senate Then I Iret Ire Ire- re returned returned re- re t turned home and nothing would do cIa but butI I J must enter politics Through the Influence influence influence in In- fluence of at my father I secured a position position position tion as a secretary with an American eo envoy to China DOMINATED BY MOTHER His name does not matter He lIe is dead now but it was during the brief blier reign of oC Emperor Tung Chih Chili Did you ever hear about the poor young man He too thought life Ufe was made Just to enjoy without knowing the combination Hon tion to its simplest processes He was waG always dominated by old Tsu Isu HsI the I mother t When he lIe reached his majority he I II I chose to marry lute A-lute against the wishes wish wish- es of at the former empress She ma made e life miserable for him and to escape her prosecution he lie made a n. holo hole in the wall about his castle in Peking and would steal out about the city at night I indulging iu In every vice and pleasure I Ho He was well educated and about my a age e. e One night we met in a broth el No one knew him there thereTO Wo TO discussed discussed discussed dis dis- cussed life and were surprised and pleased sed to find how we a agreed eed In theory But there was one pleasure I had never tasted If you have havo not breathed the essence of at the poppy you are Bre still sUlI uninitiated in the life of pleasure pleas pleas- ure said the tho young emperor you must try It soon One ni night ht I yielded and was lost God Cod how dearly have I for those dreams Had I practiced self control as a youn young man I might have resisted but hut the tho whole course of my life had bad been heen one cue of drifting with ith the tide THE HABIT GREW Later I was sent on a tour about the Ule provinces to report on local con con- In those days when you were accepted as a guest in any house lOuse you wore were Invited to lay down and ha have vc a smoke with the same Barno nonchalance as assou you sou might be asked to have bave a n. drink in the states The habit grew upon me and I became became be be- came a n slave to the thc terrible drug There is no need of ot my telling you of at my struggles They have been depicted depicted depicted de de- de- de time Ume after time And yet et I 1 conquered conquered conquered con con- con con- tho the habit or very nearly twice following my return to America I 1 made and lost two fortunes In the tho early days Frequently money was sent me from homo home and I plunged at atthe tho the tracks I 1 had the tho devils devil's own luck for years but the Joy of ot victory would turn to dead sea fruit In my mouth when the desire for opium and later dru drugs s came upon me What became of ot the tho young emperor emper emper- or Have you never read a history of or China Wh Why he died of a terrible disease die dis ease two years after coming into his own The old empress was never neer meant to lose loso her power over China The Tho pretty lute A-lute wept for tor many a day until at last someone suggested sug that i as as' as life Ufo was unbearable she might as asI well end It all aU Opium was furnished I her herand and she died at once Such is tho the story of or Old Tom told In a B. basement over oyer a a. bottle of cheap wine The setting was appropriate I for the flickering light of a n large largo candle can die dle threw weird sh shadows dows on the wall Rats scampered over mer the tho straw and the busy life of or the street above was I hardly echoed and seemed a million mites miles away |