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When they were called, the indicte anti - clies, H Trafford Jilks answered ’Not Guilty’ to each one on behalf of his client and requested bail The governe Prescott for at least three e set a trial date of 17 May and, seely uninterested, ain, free to face the press and e had the car waiting for hiine was already running and Abel’s chauffeur had to do so to free hi their story He did not head back to the flat on East Fif ty~seventh Street until he was certain he had shaken the the entire chase When they reached their destination, he turned to George and put his ar to have to run the group for at least three et my defence sorted out with Mr Jilks Lees hope you dori~t have to run it alone af ter that,’said Abel, trying to laugh

’Of course I won’t have to, Abel Mr Jilks will get you off, you’ll see! George picked up his briefcase and touched Abel on the ar,’ he said and left

’I don’t knohat I’d do without George,’ Abel told his lawyer as they settled down in the front rooether nearly forty years ago, and we’ve been through a hell of a lot since then Now it looks as if there’s a whole lot et on with it, Mr Jilks Any sign of Henry Osborne yet?’

’No, but I have sixon it, and I understand the justice Department have at least another six so we can be pretty sure he’ll turn up, not that ant them to find him first’

’What about the man Osborne sold the file to?’ asked Abel

’I have soo detailed to run that down’

’Good,’ said Abel ’Now the tio over that file of naines you left withthe indictes in detail with Abel

After nearly three weeks of constantelse Abel could tell him, he left his client to rest The three weeks had failed to turn up any leads as to the whereabouts of Henry Osborne, either from Trafford Jilks’ men or the justice Depart the person to who to wonder if Abel had guessed right

As the trial date drew nearer, Abel started to face the possibility of actually~ going to jail He was now fifty - five and afraid and asha the last few years of his life the same way as he had spent the first few As H Trafford Jilks had pointed out, if the governh in Osborne’s file to send hi time The injustice - as it seeered Abel The nialfeasances that Henry Osborne had committed in his name had been substantial but not exceptional; Abel doubted that any new business could have grown or any new money made without the sort of handouts and bribes docu accuracy in Trafford Jilks’ file He thought bitterly of the s in his Boston office all those years ago on a pil~, of inherited ins wert~ safely buried under generations of respectability Then Florentyna wrote, a touching letter enclosing so that she still loved and respected Abel, and believed in his innocence

Three days before the trial was due to open, the justice Department found Henry Osborne in New Orleans They undoubtedly would have missed him completely if he hadnt ended up in a local hospital with two broken legs

A zealous police on ga debts They Don’t like that in New Orleans The policeht, after the hospital had put plaster casts on both Osborne’s legs, the justice Departht to New York

Henry Osborne was charged the next day with conspiracy to defraud, and he was denied bail H Trafford Jilks asked the court’s perranted his request, but Jilks gained very little satisfaction from the interview It becaovernainst Abel in return for lesser charges against him