The herald., 1897-01-09

soon after Z. before 1t was quite light.
ana had only Just got up when boy
came running with letter which had
been delivered at the police station 1t
bore the Marble postmark and was ad-
dressed to The Detective from London
Tearing 1t open I read something
like this:
from John Lamprey. / know you
are after me, and l know what for. 1
managed to keep out of your way to-
night. and / meant to try to get down
south. but you are sure to have me
sooner or later. so I've determined to
make an end of 1t. Look at the church
steeple when you get this tomorrow
, evening".
The church steeple was a tall and
prominent feature whichever way you
turned, and I had only to go to the end
or the street to get a full view of it..
When got there and looked up I saw
something that gave me start. In
the uncertain light of the early MORN
ing | could discern against the gray
sky. hanging by the neck to one of the
iron loops which served for a ladder
on the side of the spire the figure of a
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 I 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 a
crowd had already collected, everyone
| recognizing it as that of Jack Lamprev.
"A strange freak l remarked to the
| sergeant who was with me.
Il don't think So he replied. Jack
haS made himself sort of hero over
| going up the spire to repair the vane,
| ard there was nothing more likely to
occur to his mind than to finish his ca
| reer at the same place
There was no one around Stockport
| who would venture up the spire. ard
| a telegram had to be sent to Stalybrdge
| for man to come and get the body
| down. 1t was past midday before 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 so loudly wag-
ging were hushed as by common con-
sent
Il shall never forget the few minutes
| that followed while the steeplejack (now
| looking the size of a little child) made
| his way very cautiously close up TO the
| body. and. fixing rope to ii, made prep
arations for lowering II to his assistant.
| who was waiting on the top of the square
| tower to receive it. There was some
| thing awfully sad and solemn about it
| all.
I'm due course the assistant received
| the corpse, which he let down to the
| ground. and every one around me re-
marked that he swung It roughly to the
| earth. without showing the respect which
| might have been looked for. In fact,
some actually called out, 'Shame.'
But all at once the hush which had
| fallen upon the crowd was broken by a
| storm of jeers and laughter. The thing
| which had given us all this trouble was
nothing but a guy. And never felt such
| a fool in all my life.
so that he might get nearly a days
start, Lamprey had cleverly misled me
| the night before. While ! had been
wasting my time at Marple he had been
| employed in stuffing the suit of clothes
| which he ad taken from his lodgings,
| with straw, making a very passable rep
| resentation of himself. and in the middle
| of the night he had climbed the steeple
| (Which was child's play to him) and left
| his etfigy there to deceive me and lull
| me into inaction.
II need not dwell upon the chaff re-
| ceived. 1t is too painful even now for NJ
| to recall without annoyance. but you
may be sure that quickly made myself
scarce"
Did the fellow get clear away >"
| asked some one.
Yes. He took the train to the east
! coast and succeeded in getting to Hol-
| land unnotced." replied Inspector Hook
| Yer, But he hanged himself in real ear
| nest some considerable time afterward
| leaving a letter behind admitting his
| guilt, and stating that his conscience
troubled him so that he could not bear to
| 1iya "-Ti+Pitc