Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-11-15
CHAPTER XIV.
CHECKMATE!

The two detectives, after leaving
Sprague and Sturgis in the cellar of the
Manhattan Chemical company, pro-
ceeded to search the premises from
basement to roof. Then, somewhat
discounted, they returned to the cell
lar, and were surprised to find that
the reporter and his friend had disap-
peared.
After questioning the man whom
they had left on watch on the outside,
and ascertaining that neither~Sprague
nor Sturgis had yet left the house,
the detectives called loudly to the
missing men, and receiving no reply,
at last became alarmed and sent word
of the mysterious disappearance to
Headquarters. The chiefs answer came
at once:
"Remain on watch where you are.
We shall investigate from the other
side"
One of the detectives thereupon went
up to the roof of the building, whence
he could keep watch upon the back
yards, while his companion remained
in the front hall.
They had been waiting thus for some
time, when the latter thought he heard
footsteps in the direction of the private
office. He was on the alert in an in
stant.
The door was cautiously opened and
man stepped out into the hallway.
He carried valise and package. He
blinked like man coming suddenly
from the darkness into the daylight.
"Who are you?" asked the detective,
brusquely.
The man looked in the direction of
the voice, and, as his eyes became ac-
customed to the light, returned the de-
and searching look.
"Checkmate!" he muttered quietly
to himself at last.
Then, without seeming haste, he
passed back into the private Office, be-
fore the astonished detective could
make any attempt to stop him.
Recovering himself quickly, the de-
tective followed the sounds of the re-
treating footsteps to the cellar stairs.
Then, fearful of an ambush, he fired his
revolver as a signal to his companion
on the roof; and, after striking a
match, he cautiously descended, reach
ing the cellar just in time to see Muir
dock disappear into the underground
| passage.
He rushed to the spot; and, unable to
find the door, he pounded with all his
might upon the shelves, causing the
bottles to dance and rattle.
Come, ,now," he shouted, "the games
up! You may as well be reasonable.
You can't possibly escape, for you're
surrounded"
| No answer came from within.
The man tried his powerful strength
upon the door without any perceptible
effect.
When the second detective arrived
upon the scene he found the first one
removing the bottles from the shelves
by the light of a match held in his
left hand.
Get light and an ak, Jim. There's
a secret door here which we'll have to
break in; l can't find any way of open
ing it,
A few minutes later, the detectives.
after dealing upon the shelves some
telling blows with an ak, called upon
| Murdoch to surrender.
Receiving no answer to their sum-
mons, the men stood irresolute for a
few seconds. Then, with grim deter
mination, they attacked the door;
raining the blows upon it fast and fu-
riously, and filling the air with show
er of splinters.
At length final stroke sent the
weakened hinges from their fastenings,
and the men rushed through the un-
derground passage into the murderer's
laboratory.
A hasty, startled glance told them
that Murdock was not there.
They started for the stairs and were
met by policeman who was just en-
tering Murdock's office.
Have you got him?" asked the detec-
tives in chorus.
No." replied the policeman, sur
prised; "Mr. Sturgis says he went down
! here about 20 minutes ago"