Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-10-31

had not been sent there for some time,
and, much to my anger and disgust,
when I arrived at his house I found
that he had been there, just for five
minutes, his landlady said, and haG
left again with bag of clothes.
II was mighty savage, you may
guess, both with myself and with the
police of the place for not keeping a
better lookout; but it was no use losing
my head over it, and at once set to
work lodging his footsteps after he
had left his lodgings. In the public
house which he frequented I came
across man to whom I had previous
ly spoken, who seemed to know Lam
prey in very distant sort of way, and
I turned the conversation on the man
wanted.
"'Ah! I've just seen him, said the
fellow. About an hour ago, or may.
hap little more. He was going to
Macclesfeld, he said, to catch the ear
ly train in the morning into Stafford
shire, where he's got another job. He
seemed in mighty hurry, too"
~ had reason afterward TO think
that this man was the one who had
given Lamprey warning, but whether
that was so or not, his information that
night appeared to be correct, for l met
several people who had seen Jack go.
ling across the fields toward Marble,
which was his best way of getting to
Macclesfeld from the place he lived
in but when I arrived at MARBLE sta
ton was at fault again, for no train
had been out for quite two hours, and
although I waited till the last train to
Macclesfield had left, Lamprey did not
show up.
"Tired, and vexed beyond descrip-
ton, tramped back and got what rest
1 could, hoping that something might
turn up in the morning to assist me in
recovering the ground I had lost, but
afraid that for once l had let my quar-
ry slip, and that I might never catch
him, now that he was aware he was
being tracked.
"Sure enough, the something did
turn up in the morning, and something
which confirmed my fears, though I
felt that I had got my man dead if l
had missed him alive. The postman
come round soon after seven before it
was quite light, and I had only got up
when boy came running with let
ter, which had been delivered at the
police station. 1t bore the Marple
postmark, and was addressed to The
detective from London
"Tearing it open, I read something
like this:
"sFrom John Lamprey. L know
YOU are after me, and I know what
flor. I managed to keep out of your
way tonight, and 1 meant to try and
get down south, but you are sure to
have me, sooner or later, so I've deter
mined to make an end of it. Look at
the church steeple when you gel this
tomorrow morning.
"The church steeple was a tall and
prominent feature whichever way you
turned, and I had only to 60 to the
end of the street to get a full view OF
it. When I got there and looked up,
1 saw something that gave me a start.
In the uncertain light of the early
morning I could discern against the
gray sky, hanging by the neck to one
of the iron loops which serve for a
ladder on the side of the spire, the
figure of man!
"'So much for Jack Lamprey l
said to myself, as I hurried to the
police station. He has saved me any
: more trouble!'
"By the time had been to the sta
ton and back to the church it was
broad daylight, and, of course, the
body hanging aloft had been seen and
crowd had already collected, every
one recognizing it as that of Jack
Lamprey.
"sA strange freak, remarked to
the sergeant who was with me.
"'I don't think so, he replied. Jack
had made himself sort Of hero over
going up the spire to repair the vane,
and there was nothing more likely to
occur to his mind than to finish his
career at the some place.
"There was no one round Stockport
who would venture up the spire, and
telegram had to be sent TO Stayl'
bridge for man to come and get the
body down. 1t was past midday be-
fore the steeplejack arrived, and by
that time half Stockport had heard OF
the affair. Work was discarded, and
an immense crowd collected to witness
the sight. Every foot of the mans
way up the steeple was watched by
thousands of eyes, and when, at last,
he approached the swaying body OF
Jack Lamprey, the tongues which had
been loudly wagging were hushed as
by common consent.
81 shall never forget the few min
utes that followed, while the steeple
(now looking the size of a little child
made his way very cautiously close
up to the body, and fixing a rope to it,
made his preparation for lowering it to
his assistant, who was waiting on the