The yellow newspapers circulated the lie
that he went there on purpose to see the show, and the ridiculous
story was repeated until the liars nearly persuaded themselves that
it was so. They would not have been able to understand the kind
of man they had to do with, had they tried. Accordingly they fell
into their own trap. It is a tradition of Mulberry Street that
the notorious Seeley dinner raid was planned by his enemies in the
department of which he was the head, in the belief that they would
catch Mr. Roosevelt there. The diners were supposed to be his
"set."
Some time after that I was in his office one day when a police
official of superior rank came in and requested private audience
with him. They stepped aside and the policeman spoke in an undertone,
urging something strongly. Mr. Roosevelt listened. Suddenly I
saw him straighten up as a man recoils from something unclean and
dismiss the other with a sharp: "No, sir! I don't fight that way."
The policeman went out crestfallen. Roosevelt took two or three
turns about the floor, struggling evidently with strong disgust.
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