The Titanic Plan by Michael Bockman, Ron Freeman Page A
Authors: Michael Bockman, Ron Freeman
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building on one woe-begotten block. There are hundreds of blocks just like this, Captain, thousands more tenements, some far worst than this. And there are tens of thousands of people who live in these conditions. That’s why I brought you here. To see this.”
“ It’s sad, Mick, but I can’t do anything about it.”
“ You’re with the President of the United States every day,” Mick said, agitated. “You have his ear. Of course you could do something about it!”
“ My job is to attend to the President’s needs. Not to be his advisor. He has plenty of those. I am a soldier. I do my duty and that’s all I do. You know what the responsibility of a soldier is. You were the best soldier I’ve ever known.”
“ I still am that soldier, Captain. And I remain true to those I serve – the American people.” Mick swept his arm out toward the crowded street below. “These American people. I fight for them.”
“ I’m sorry, Mick, but you sound like an anarchist.”
“ Do you know who owns this hellhole of a building? Do you know who owns this entire filthy block?!”
“ I do not,” said Archie.
“ A slumlord. The richest of slumlords. Though he has never set foot in his empire here, he just sends some lackey to collect the rent. You can help, Captain, you’re in a position to. You are a courageous man, I know that.”
“ I’m sorry, Mick, this is your war, not mine. And now I must take my leave.”
“ You’ll help me. I’ll enlist you in this war. You’ll come around. I know you too well.”
Archie saluted Mick. “As before, I wish you well soldier, if only for what was our friendship.”
“ Thank you, sir,” Mick saluted back. “I’ll have Henry drive you to your hotel.”
“ That’s okay,” said Archie. “I prefer to leave by myself.”
* * *
Archie rode with Taft in the Presidential rail car that evening. The discussion centered on what bon voyage gift to give Roosevelt upon his departure for safari. Archie suggested a small gold ruler that would be inscribe with Roosevelt’s favorite parting words: “ Good bye – good luck .” Archie always liked that expression, especially the strong and emphatic way Roosevelt would say it. Taft wanted another line added: “ and have a safe return .”
Nothing was asked or said about Archie’s activities that day. Nor did Archie report his encounter with Mick Shaughnessy to the Attorney General’s office.
***
On March 23, 1909, private citizen Theodore Roosevelt left with great fanfare for Africa. Over 10,000 people turned out to cheer him as he boarded the ocean liner Hamburg in New York harbor. Archie was there to present him with the gold ruler from President Taft. Roosevelt would not set foot on American soil again for well over a year.
CHAPTER 6
John Astor was euphoric. He was racing up the long stretch between Stamford and West Haven in his new Pierce-Arrow roadster, taking in the blue skies and undulating green landscape. The car bounced and skidded over the rutted dirt roadway. The blast force of wind pushed his driving goggles into his eye sockets. He looked down at his speedometer: 53 miles an hour. He was flying.
Speed was not the only reason for his unbridled giddiness. Astor had just finalized terms of his divorce from Ava. The mess of a marriage was finally ending. Two million dollars was all it took. She did try to weasel a stipend from him, but as he had such a long laundry list of her infidelities, she wisely took what she could and boarded a ship for Europe. Ava always knew the strength of her hand, which cards to hold, which cards to play, and when to finally get up from the table.
When Astor pulled into Newport that afternoon, he took his thundering roadster right through the center of town. All the townspeople noticed the gangly, mustachioed man behind the wheel. Everyone knew who he was. But no one waved or acknowledged him and he acknowledged no one in return. By the time Astor
“ It’s sad, Mick, but I can’t do anything about it.”
“ You’re with the President of the United States every day,” Mick said, agitated. “You have his ear. Of course you could do something about it!”
“ My job is to attend to the President’s needs. Not to be his advisor. He has plenty of those. I am a soldier. I do my duty and that’s all I do. You know what the responsibility of a soldier is. You were the best soldier I’ve ever known.”
“ I still am that soldier, Captain. And I remain true to those I serve – the American people.” Mick swept his arm out toward the crowded street below. “These American people. I fight for them.”
“ I’m sorry, Mick, but you sound like an anarchist.”
“ Do you know who owns this hellhole of a building? Do you know who owns this entire filthy block?!”
“ I do not,” said Archie.
“ A slumlord. The richest of slumlords. Though he has never set foot in his empire here, he just sends some lackey to collect the rent. You can help, Captain, you’re in a position to. You are a courageous man, I know that.”
“ I’m sorry, Mick, this is your war, not mine. And now I must take my leave.”
“ You’ll help me. I’ll enlist you in this war. You’ll come around. I know you too well.”
Archie saluted Mick. “As before, I wish you well soldier, if only for what was our friendship.”
“ Thank you, sir,” Mick saluted back. “I’ll have Henry drive you to your hotel.”
“ That’s okay,” said Archie. “I prefer to leave by myself.”
* * *
Archie rode with Taft in the Presidential rail car that evening. The discussion centered on what bon voyage gift to give Roosevelt upon his departure for safari. Archie suggested a small gold ruler that would be inscribe with Roosevelt’s favorite parting words: “ Good bye – good luck .” Archie always liked that expression, especially the strong and emphatic way Roosevelt would say it. Taft wanted another line added: “ and have a safe return .”
Nothing was asked or said about Archie’s activities that day. Nor did Archie report his encounter with Mick Shaughnessy to the Attorney General’s office.
***
On March 23, 1909, private citizen Theodore Roosevelt left with great fanfare for Africa. Over 10,000 people turned out to cheer him as he boarded the ocean liner Hamburg in New York harbor. Archie was there to present him with the gold ruler from President Taft. Roosevelt would not set foot on American soil again for well over a year.
CHAPTER 6
John Astor was euphoric. He was racing up the long stretch between Stamford and West Haven in his new Pierce-Arrow roadster, taking in the blue skies and undulating green landscape. The car bounced and skidded over the rutted dirt roadway. The blast force of wind pushed his driving goggles into his eye sockets. He looked down at his speedometer: 53 miles an hour. He was flying.
Speed was not the only reason for his unbridled giddiness. Astor had just finalized terms of his divorce from Ava. The mess of a marriage was finally ending. Two million dollars was all it took. She did try to weasel a stipend from him, but as he had such a long laundry list of her infidelities, she wisely took what she could and boarded a ship for Europe. Ava always knew the strength of her hand, which cards to hold, which cards to play, and when to finally get up from the table.
When Astor pulled into Newport that afternoon, he took his thundering roadster right through the center of town. All the townspeople noticed the gangly, mustachioed man behind the wheel. Everyone knew who he was. But no one waved or acknowledged him and he acknowledged no one in return. By the time Astor
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