Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-07-22

at me and cried, vehemently:
'Seize that man who calls himself Ed
ward Withers. Secure him, and gag
hin At oOce- BE b span accurSed
spy in the employ of the British govern
ment."
\ 1 sprang up from my seat in order to
defend myself from the brutal arms
that closed round me, but the battle
was an unequal one. Two minutes
later, bound, gagged, and helpless, /,
was pinioned to the wall, the cords be-
ing drawn so tightly round my chest |
that could scarce breathe.
The men slowly returned to their
seats, talking I'm excited whispers
After a pause, Menskoff raised his hand
to proclaim silence, and said. In deep,
luminous tone:
Comrades, owe you an explanation
of what has just occurred. Know then
, that during my visit to Edinburgh
! have learned several things of vital i'm
iportance to the cause. The first is that
this man Withers is a dangerous spy,
end that bis acquaintance with us has
been an official trick which in few
! minutes we shall repay heavily"
4 He paused, and then continued:
"The second thing have discovered
is this: that at nine o'clock tonight
, the house will be raided, and every man
OF us present arrested"
A hoarse cry rose from the men, and
could not repress a slight glance OF
Amusement MeDskoff understood my
expression, for he caFoe towards me,
and striking me In the face said, wasp
,ishly:
!. AHA, then. my good Mr.. Withers,
I you do not know, evidently, that we
4 also have our spies among the police
force even as you have yours among
I ourselves. Our own informers are as
watchful and as clever as yours. and by
their agency has all this knowledge
. come to me. What think you of it, my
II friend; what think you Of 1t, hey2"
He struck me again, very brutally
The mRlignity of his glance and thu
harsh, set faces of the other men showed
al me only too plainly that 1 had small
!. mercy to expect now.
Slips of paper were handed round tn,
table, and each member was directed t.
inscribe thereon what should be m,
punishment. Then the slips were hand
" ed to Menskoff, who glanced at then
A
ne Edward Withers," he said, address
"a ing me. sitter a pause, "the sentenc
written by each member of this meet
., ing consists of one word, Death Max
. ready; your time is short"
The anarchist went TO the corner c
81 the room where be had deposited hi
-. portmanteau. Hastily opening tn
n. bag. he took from II a small bomb wit
a oloclx<vorlx apparatus attached, ais
&c. a tiny clock OF common appearance
; Having deposited these on the table b
side me, he addressed his comrades.
ne 'My good brothers, he exclaime'
nd talking In a quick, excitable tone, ''no
THAI You have pronounced the sentcnS
-, of death, 1t is but right that you shout
M be Informed how your sentence will
carried into effect. Behol
then, this bomb. obtained IL at OF
~ factory at Edinburgh, together wit
s. the cloclCvork gear by which the tin
6 of explosion can be regulated. Wit
y this little bomb shall blow our frier
g TO pieces, and ii win be well now IL W
81 bid him adieu and leave us togethe
az You will also do well to keep in hidiI
until the present activity on the part
m our kind friends, the police, is som
,es what abated."
be-i Obedience to this man seemed inev
en- able. One by one, the whole crowd TO
nv and slowly left the house, each mi
adj giving me look of hatred as he went.
,us / perfectly understood Menskof
a I design in resolving to destroy me
on means of the bomb instead of taking
TT HRS revolver and dispatching me th'
IA hi,
me the house TO the ground, damage a
by joining property, and would be in eve
10 way the best advertisement" that t
les cause could obtain, whilst at the sal
time all other informers would tremE
-ph when they learned the horrible fate
INV one of their body. Verify. fiend's
INV vice, and worthy of him who devised
one When the last footsteps of the !
las treating men had died away, the &
archist leaned over the table where
the deadly apparatus was placed and slo
and " adjusted 1t. Then turning to me,
and exclaimed, with a malignant lau
To- which was as brutal as blow:
''See here, my good friend. see he
ave I have left the bomb and the clock
as such a position that you are bound
her. see both, and as the hands of the Gle
,me creep on, you viii have the felicity
il. I knowing that each minute is carryi
t in you nearer 20 the end. And row, sh
He'd tell you. my friend. at what hour, N
men at what minute, have timed this
we tie plaything to explode2"
eral 1t was impossible for me to conV
nee my desire to know, for could not mo-
my head or open my lips. HoweS
for Mepskoff appeared to consider an
ing swer superfuous, for, after minut
be- interval, he laughed again and cried
by Il have set it to explode at ten m
hat utes to nine. Why not befol
also Simply because, good Mr. Withers.
Isan win add tenfold to your torture to
N to member that had ten minutes M
m q been given you, you would have b
ion) rescued by your friends from Scotlf