412
ALEXANDER
GRIN
faces are overgrown with hair and voices are cracked by
drink,
I hit on a runaway convict, a dangerous man indeed. I had no
trouble, with the help of money,
in
sending him overseas; he was
well-known to the police and
his
arrest was not to my advantage.
Taking someone else's mousetrap but putting my own mouse
in
it, I made use of his name: 'Asper.' Armed robberies are com–
monplace in our region and I skillfully exploited them-but only
those which were committed without violence or murder. Having
created Asper, I then created a gang for him; after each robbery,
the victim received a short notice which read: 'Asper thanks
you.' At the same time the poorest among the peasants received
money from me and notes 'From Asper the generous' or 'To
each
his
own, Asper.' Sometimes these messages were longer.
Frightened farmers, for instance, would get the following: 'I'll
be coming soon. Signed for Asper-his helper who reveals not
his name.' Sometimes these farmers were actually attacked, but
whenever the robbers were captured they naturally denied any
connection with Asper's gang. This offered even stronger proof
of the wonderful discipline imposed by the elusive, and-a trait
by now universally acknowledged- courageous bandit.
The daring and effrontery of Asper attracted the keenest
attention. It was rumored that he hardly ever showed himself
and opinions as to what he looked like differed widely. His vic–
tims' imaginations were of enormous help to me. From time to
time I would add a little color. For instance, if I saw a peasant
traveling all by himself along a road, I'd put on a mask and pass
silently by him; the age-old urge to show off would force the
poor dolt to tell everything about his encounter with none other
than Asper himself. Once I prepared a burnt-out campfire near
a small railroad station, leaving two masks, several spent car–
tridges and a knife nearby on the grass. This was then solemnly
declared to have been a bivouac hastily abandoned by the robber.
~
His good deeds became more and more varied and fre–
quent. I dispatched money to poverty-stricken brides, to widows,
to starving workers, and toys to sick children, etc. With each
