The Frame Up

by Richard Harding Davis


When the voice over the telephone promised to name the man who
killed Hermann Banf, District Attorney Wharton was up- town
lunching at Delmonico's. This was contrary to his custom and a
concession to Hamilton Cutler, his distinguished brother-in-law.
That gentleman was interested in a State constabulary bill and had
asked State Senator Bissell to father it. He had suggested to the
senator that, in the legal points involved in the bill, his
brother-in-law would undoubtedly be charmed to advise him. So that
morning, to talk it over, Bissell had come from Albany and, as he
was forced to return the same afternoon, had asked Wharton to lunch
with him up-town near the station.

That in public life there breathed a man with soul so dead who,
were he offered a chance to serve Hamilton Cutler, would not jump
at the chance was outside the experience of the county chairman.
And in so judging his fellow men, with the exception of one man,
the senator was right. The one man was Hamilton Cutler's
brother-in-law.

In the national affairs of his party Hamilton Cutler was one of the
four leaders. In two cabinets he had held office. At a foreign
court as an ambassador his dinners, of which the diplomatic corps
still spoke with emotion, had upheld the dignity of ninety million
Americans. He was rich. The history of his family was the history
of the State. When the Albany boats drew abreast of the old Cutler