The broad ax., 1897-03-06

me to leave Stockport, where had the
best chance Of catching him, on q wild
gooseehase to Liverpool without better
information My only course was to
wait and keep quiet till he came back.
which he was expected to do the fol-
lowing day.
Il took every precaution to prevent
any one knowing that he was wanted,
but some PAL must have got to sus-
pect II and given him warning. The
police In Liverpool had been wired to,
and had kept watch Of all trains In the
direction Of Stockport, and toward
evening OF the second day I received
the intimation that q man resembling
his description had taken the train and
was on his way. Assisted by a local
detective who knew the man watched
every passenger out of the train on
It's arrival at Stockport, but no Jack
Lamprey alighted, and, on inquiring OF
the guard, 1t seemed pretty certain that
he had got out at Cheadle, q station Q
lew miles outside Of Stockport
1t was the beginning Of winter and
night had set 1t, so that 1t was extreme
" doubtful IL we could follow thu man,
but we took a train which was Just
going out Of the station and In a few
minutes were at Cheadle. I there
made certain that my man had got out.
He had booked for Stockport, and had
given up his ticket; but, do all we
could, We could get no trace of him
He had left the station Immediately on
leaving the train; no one knew him,
and we could find no one to tell US any
thing more. So, hoping perhaps to
pick up clew on the road, we walked
back to Stockport and on to the town
where he lived, which was q few miles
the other side, but our tramp was in
vain.
I'VE had left instructions at Stock
port for Lampreys lodgings to be
watched; but by some blunder q man
had not been sent there for some time,
and, much to my anger and disgust,
ghsn / arrived at his house / found
that he had been there, Just for five
minutes. his landlady said, and had left
again with a 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 1t was no use los
ing 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 had previously
spoken, who seemed to know Lam
prey in a very distant sort Of way, and
l turned the conversation on the man
/ wanted.
"'Ah! I've Just seen him. said the
fellow. About an hour ago, or may
hap a little more. He was going to
Macclesfeld, he said, to catch the early
train in the morning into Staffordshire,
where he's got another Job. He seemed
in mighty hurry. too
'T 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 / met
several people who had seen Jack going
across the fields toward MARBLE, which
was his best way of getting to Maccles-
field from the place he lived in; but
when arrived at MARBLE station 1 was
at fault again. for no train had been
out for quite two hours. and although
l waited till the last train to Maccles-
field had left, Lamprey did not show
up.
Tired and vexed beyond description,
! tramped back and got what rest !
could, hoping that something might
turn up in the morning to assist me
in recovering the ground had lost, but
afraid that for once had let my quarry
slip and that 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 /
felt that had got my man dead IL /
had missed him alive. The postman
came round soon after z, before II was
quite light, and / had only just
got up when a boy came running with
a letter which had been delivered at
the police station. II bore the Marble
postmark and was addressed to The
Detective from London
Tearing 1t open read something
like this:
From John Lamprey. I know you
are after me, and I know what for.
to keep out of Jour way to-
night, and meant to try and get down,
south, but you are sure TO have me
sooner or later, 30 I've determined to
make an end of 1t. Look at the church
steeple when you get this tomorrow
THE church steeple was a tall and
prominent feature whichever way you
turned, and had only to go to the end
Of the street to get a full view of Il.
When got there and looked up saw
something that gave me a start In