Chapter 82 - Remember Black Tom!
Marcus, always quick on the uptake, couldn't possibly miss what Hoover was trying to do.
He swiftly picked up the conversation.
The scam that Ciaran had orchestrated against the con man Duquesne flowed smoothly from Marcus's lips.
"A few months ago, I happened to hear Duquesne giving a speech in front of a crowd. Back then, he introduced himself as an Australian officer and shared stories about fighting in the war."
Of course, it was all a lie.
Marcus was lying as well.
He was pretending to be one of the crowd, having read about it in the newspapers.
"Then, not long ago, I saw Duquesne's face in the paper again. There was an article saying he'd been arrested, suspected of being an insurance fraudster and a German spy."
That was when Marcus first learned the truth about Duquesne, and it had shocked him.
"By coincidence, around that same time, someone dropped something on a street in the Lower East Side."
Marcus pulled the item out of his pocket and waved it. It was a scrap of cloth with the words,
"This is a slogan that's shouted in Germany. I may be German myself, but I hate the German government that started the war, and all those who defend them. I was born and raised in America—why should I be blamed because of people like that? It really makes me angry."
Marcus, suddenly worked up, tried to distance himself from his homeland, now seen as a war criminal nation.
But the people listening weren't focused on that.
The detectives, police officers, and investigators were instead intent on finding logical inconsistencies or gaps in Marcus's story about killing Dropper.
And they were especially suspicious of the so-called "clue" that Marcus claimed to have picked up by chance.
"Stick to the point. Keep going."
"Yes. I started following Kaplan because I had a strange feeling. Through a friend named Ciaran, I reported everything to Agent Hoover."
Hoover, feeling awkward about staying silent, added,
"Ciaran was a bodyguard for Big Tom Foley, and he'd already gotten rid of two anarchists."
"Oh?"
Everyone seemed to agree, saying, "That friend could definitely do that."
Feeling he had done his part, Hoover stepped back, and Marcus continued speaking.
"I tailed Kaplan for several days. Just yesterday, I followed him when he left the bar."
After Kaplan went back to the motel, Marcus tried to watch the second floor by climbing up the metal fire escape.
That's when he got caught.
"He grabbed me, beat me, and tried to shoot me."
Desperately fighting back to survive, Marcus ended up shooting and killing Kaplan with the very gun Kaplan was holding.
That was the extent of Marcus's statement.
A Senior Agent, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.
"So what's the connection between Duquesne and Kaplan? Just because Kaplan had a newspaper clipping about Duquesne, it's hard to say the two were actually linked, isn't it?"
This question was on Hoover's mind as well.
Why did you suspect a connection between Duquesne and Kaplan?
Once again, Marcus spoke up before Hoover could answer.
"I overheard it by chance. Kaplan said he needed to get Duquesne out."
"There's a lot of 'coincidences' in your story. Have you ever won a big lottery?"
"No…"
"So you just happened to pick up the key clue that made you suspect Kaplan, and you just happened to overhear him mention Duquesne? And you went after a dangerous guy like Kaplan just because of a scrap of cloth with a slogan on it? That's hard to believe."
At the agent's sharp observation, a twitch flickered in the corner of Marcus's eye.
That's when Hoover casually interjected.
"They say the woman who was staying in Kaplan's room suddenly disappeared yesterday. Do you know anything about her?"
— If they ask about the woman, just say you saw her.
Following Ciaran's instructions, Marcus nodded.
"I only saw her."
"She seemed to leave early in the morning after being with Kaplan. Wasn't she with you when you were attacked?"
"It was dark, and everything happened so fast—I couldn't really see. Maybe she was watching us, but I have no idea."
Marcus had to answer each question posed by Hoover and the others.
Thanks to his diligent answers, Marcus managed to avoid being detained.
Before being released, Marcus had a private meeting with Hoover in a closed room.
"Kaplan was a German spy, and the weapon used was a pistol he carried himself. That's why your self-defense claim will hold up. That's also a big part of why you weren't held."
"Phew, that's a relief."
"But did you really just stumble on that clue in the street? Ciaran told me he was investigating strike leaders."
On this point, Marcus was honest.
"It's just as you said, Investigator Hoover. But Ciaran didn't want you to know that."
"Why's that?"
"If you bring up the strike leaders, it could put you in a tough spot, Hoover. The Bureau of Investigation is already taking heat from every direction for arresting IWW union members, aren't you?"
Marcus was right. Lately, there'd been growing criticism that the Bureau was suppressing labor after a string of arrests involving IWW (Industrial Workers' Union) committee members.
And now, if the Bureau had suspected and monitored harbor strike leaders without even solid evidence? On suspicions of espionage, no less? That could easily lead to a public backlash accusing the Bureau of cracking down this time on the ILA (International Longshoremen's Association).
But as it turned out, this case ended up giving them a legitimate reason to get involved with the ILA.
The bomb plot target found in Kaplan's motel room was none other than a dockside at the New York harbor.
If they link this to the harbor workers' strike, it provides grounds to investigate who had been backing Kaplan.
With this single incident, Ciaran managed to achieve several things at once.
He took credit for capturing a German spy, anticipated any potential criticism from the public, and at the same time, created a solid pretext for the Bureau's investigation into the ILA.
And on top of that, he's dragged Duquesne into this.
Ciaran, just what kind of person are you...
Right then, Marcus brought up the ILA.
"Ciaran said it's highly likely that ILA Vice President Paul Kelly was the one who hired Kaplan."
Is he hinting that I should look into that? If anyone else had suggested it, I might not have thought much of it, but if Ciaran tells you to dig, there's a good chance you'll actually find something.
"We'll have to investigate."
Suddenly, Hoover recalled the precise moment when this case had picked up speed. Laying out Marcus's statements chronologically...
It all seemed to have started right after he met Ciaran at Bellevue Hospital.
The whirlwind began right after meeting Ciaran, who was there because his uncle had been hospitalized following an assault. It couldn't be, but the timing was certainly suspicious.
If Ciaran had orchestrated a string of events and planned everything after his uncle was attacked, that would be something only a god could pull off.
Sigh. Feeling as if he was giving Ciaran way too much credit, Hoover let out a short exhale.
He pushed the ever-hovering image of Ciaran from his mind and focused on the present.
In any case, he now accepted Marcus's reason for pretending it was all coincidence. If any other investigator pressed that issue, it would fall to Hoover to clear things up. Now Hoover's attention turned to Marcus, who, though young, seemed incredibly sharp.
"What's your relationship with Ciaran?"
"We're friends and colleagues."
They used to shine shoes together, and now Marcus worked at Ciaran's mother's company.
"So, was it all Ciaran's idea for you to track Kaplan?"
This was a very important question. Marcus sensed that his answer could change his life.
"I've always been interested in that sort of thing myself. I read Swab's book, Inside the German Empire, and I came to see the German Government as a group of corrupt demons."
"But you're German yourself, aren't you?"
"That's exactly why I hate them even more. Hoover, I'm an American citizen. I love liberalism, capitalism, and democracy more than anyone else."
But in reality, he was the one suffering from the German Government's crazy actions.
"I absolutely despise anti-state forces who try to destroy the freedoms enjoyed by my family and friends."
That line was something Ciaran had taught him—and it worked. Hoover's eyes sparkled.
"The courage to track someone like Kaplan, who's so much bigger than you. The presence of mind to fight back and, in the end, turn the tables and shoot..."
If there was anything lacking, it was Marcus's education.
"If you're ambitious, you need to have the basics. If your circumstances don't allow it, at least go to night school."
Hoover handed him a business card.
"I'm new myself, so I don't know how much help I'll be, but if you ever have questions or anything important comes up, contact me anytime."
"Thank you."
After finishing up at the police station, Marcus walked along, mulling over Hoover's words.
High school is a must, and if you can get to university, even better. Law or accounting would be the most useful departments. That's the path I took, and so did my seniors.
He'd always planned to stick with Ciaran for life, but suddenly, a new path had appeared—one completely opposed to his old one. A life in crime, or in law enforcement.
Who would have expected Hoover to say such things?
And what would Ciaran think about all this?
"There's no need to overthink it. As long as you and I are together, that's our path. And that path will grow wider and longer, stretching out like a proper highway."
2nd floor office of the Twin Buildings.
I explained it like this: I'm the highway, and Marcus is one of the roads joining at the interchange.
Nobody even knows what a highway is yet, but Marcus understood right away.
The relief on his face made it clear.
In a way, it also showed just how much he'd been agonizing over all this on his way here.
Ever since I first met Edgar Hoover, I'd been wondering who I should have by his side.
That's why I chose Marcus.
"If you can demonstrate true loyalty to America, the fact that you're German might actually turn into a strength."
He could infiltrate the German Immigrant Community, and his personal skills in gathering and analyzing information aren't half bad either. Just as Hoover said, if he just had the right education, he'd be perfect for the Bureau of Investigation.
"I'll even cover your college tuition, so you can go without any worries."
"My… my tuition too?"
"That much is a given."
That way, you won't be able to turn around and deny it later.
An up-and-coming Bureau of Investigation agent, whose schooling was secretly paid for by a Mafia boss—and who even helped out with some of the crimes?
If you don't want your past tying you down and dragging us both under, then you'd better protect me thoroughly.
Of course, the same goes for Hoover. I'll tenaciously dig into his weaknesses, gather information, and neatly store it away in a cabinet where the world will never see it.
"Oh, by the way, what happened with that woman? An NYPD detective was asking about her." "I put a tail on her, just in case she tries anything stupid. We even found out where she lives, so let's wait and see."
Even after that, Marcus was summoned by the police several times for questioning. Ultimately, the prosecutors accepted it was self-defense and didn't even indict Marcus for murder.
On the second day after Kaplan's death, the media seemed determined to blow up the incident.
[Bureau of Investigation Prevents a Second Black Tom Explosion Terror Attack!]
[Worst Terror Attack in US History—Nightmare of Black Tom Returns?]
[What Has Changed Since the Black Tom Explosion Incident?]
The Black Tom explosion that all the papers referenced was the worst bombing attack in US history.
In each article, detailed accounts were given, as if to remind the public of the shock at the time.
[One year ago, at 2:08 a.m. on Sunday, July 30, 1916, a massive explosion occurred on Black Tom Island in New York Harbor.
In the darkness, German agents detonated over two million pounds of munitions destined for England.
The explosion, registering 5.5 on the Richter scale, was so powerful that it was felt as far away as Philadelphia and southern Connecticut.
Windows shattered across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City, and the Statue of Liberty was damaged by flying debris. Ever since that day, the public has not been allowed to see the torch again.]
The Black Tom incident shifted the antiwar sentiment that had opposed joining the war, and served as the catalyst for establishing intelligence agencies—benefiting none other than Edgar Hoover himself.
And now Hoover had become the hero who, according to the press, thwarted a second Black Tom attack.
[German spy Kaplan is a Jewish immigrant. What happened to Kaplan after he was imprisoned in Sing Sing Prison in 1911 and released seven years later
Experts identified the Hussein-McMahon Agreement and the Balfour Declaration as the main reasons why Kaplan became a German spy.
While England issued the Balfour Declaration, promising to help establish a Jewish state in Palestine, it also took a contradictory stance by making the Hussein-McMahon Declaration, which promised to establish an Arab state in the same territory.
The fact that Kaplan had a copy of "God, Punish England" was offered as evidence of his motives.
And it was the hero of the Bureau of Investigation who tenaciously followed this small clue and prevented Kaplan's crime. The credit also belonged, in no small part, to the boy from the Lower East Side who discovered the clue.
He...
Although their names were not mentioned explicitly, Hoover and Marcus emerged as heroes. The press and self-proclaimed experts jumped to their own conclusions about Kaplan's motives and the case as a whole.
***
On the fourth day after the incident,
Crowds surged into the Southeast Harbor, their shouts echoing across the dockside.
"For Liberty and Justice!"
"Make the World Safe for Democracy!"
And—
"Remember Black Tom!"
There was a reason why both the media and the public kept bringing up Black Tom.
Here in New York Harbor, the X marked on Kaplan's map was the intended target for a bomb attack.
What's more, today—the day the plan was to be carried out—recruits from Camp Upton, having completed their training, were gathering at New York Harbor to embark for Europe as full-fledged soldiers. Their ship was loaded with large quantities of ammunition, weapons, and explosives.
What did this mean?
The German Government's plan had been to destroy the ship carrying soldiers and weapons in order to crush the morale of the US Army and prevent their deployment.
Every action needs a purpose and justification.
I linked this one to the ships taking recruits off to Europe. This was also intended to tie the harbor workers' strike and ILA Vice President Paul Kelly into the affair.
But I hadn't expected the repercussions to be this dramatic.
The US Federation and New York City seized on the failed German bombing attempt, and used it to boost military morale.
Crowds mobilized by various organizations gathered to cheer the departing soldiers, shouting for freedom in America.
The rousing send-off was enough to swell your chest with pride and ignite a newfound sense of loyalty, etching grit and determination into the soldiers' eyes.
A few stood out in particular.
Gavin, Drift, Teddy, Davey.
These former Union Gang members, who had been dragged off to Camp Upton like cattle to the slaughterhouse, now gazed at the ship with the eyes of warriors.
Ready to charge right into enemy territory and wipe them out.
At this rate, they're not going to last long.
Just hang on for one year.
Take care of yourselves till then, you punks.
* ILA Headquarters Vice President's Office at Chelsea Harbor, on Manhattan's West Side.
Paul Kelly, who was reading the newspaper at his desk, grew more and more twisted with anger.
"Kid Dropper, you idiot. What the hell have you done?"
Out of nowhere, Dropper was branded a German Spy, and now the ILA was caught in the crossfire. The Bureau of Investigation began to link the recent strike and the harbor bombing, ramping up their manhunt for spies.
Suspicion only deepened when Kaplan's man, Weiss, disappeared. From the perspective of Paul Kelly, who'd been covering for Kaplan, it was a nerve-wracking situation. The real problem was that it wouldn't be easy to stop a strike that was already underway.
The striking labor union has no sense of the situation and keeps endlessly shouting for higher wages and shorter working hours.
In the end, the only way to suppress the strike is with even greater force. To put out this urgent fire, the alternative that surfaced was Tanner Smith.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Though it was late, Paul Kelly finally accepted Tanner's proposal.