The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-10-04
copyright. 1890 by Frederick A. Stokes Company

"Chatham'S body has been dissolved
in that tank within very short time.
1t has entirely disappeared; this fiat
tened bullet alone is left, lead being
one of the few substances which are
not soluble in the contents Of the
tank Fortunately he overlooked that
fact. Genius has its lapses."
Presently Sprague ventured to say:
''If numerous crimes have been COM
mitted here, as you intimate, | do not
understand how il is that suspicion
has never rested on this house be-
fore"
1.-The author of these crimes has
taken every precaution to render the
chance of discovery quite remote. His
dwelling-house on one street and the
bogus Chemical company on the other,
are in communication through this
underground passage, while appar-
emily having no connection with each
other Moreover, he is too shreNcd to
make frequent use of this death cham
Der. That does well enough as a last
resort, when he is obliged to commit
the murders with his own hands; but
l. suspect that this man has other
agents like Chatham. who do the
dirty work for him and then quietly
ship the bodies here for humiliation.
as it was intended should be done
with Arbogast's. All! yes; | thought
so. You are sitting upon one of these
bodies now
tod 20 nd
following the direction in which Stur-
gis was pointing with his open knife,
he vaguely discerned, through the
opening which the reporter had whit
tied a small surface of what had
once been the features of a human
being.
After gazing for some minutes in
horrorstrcken silence at the distort-
ed face, the artist asked in a low
voice:
How did Chatham meet his DEATH"
Il don't know yet" answered Stur-
gis, gravely; this man is no ordinary
criminal His work is clean and
leaves no blood-stains and no disorder
to tell of its accomplishments He
takes life with his own hands only
when he is forced TO do so; but, when
he does, his method is mastery 1t
was easier to make away with Chat
ham than to pay HIM the price agreed
upon for his completely in the Knick-
erbocker bank enlightenment; and so
his life was taken. | hope to discover
how before ! leave here"
Sprague started as the reporter
ceased speaking
THE price of his complicity?" he
claimed, laying his hand upon Sturgis'
arm and looking earnestly into his
eyes.
Yes" replied the reporter, steadi-
~ meeting his friends gaze, his
daughters hand
Sprague looked away from the hon
est eyes of the reporter, as if he
dreaded to read in them the answer
to his next question.
'Who is this fiend incarnate, who
is willing to traffic in his own flesh
and blood and with whom murder is
a science?"
"The man who is capable of these
crimes, and of any others which
might serve to remove an obstacle
from his way is"
The reporter did not finish his sen
tenee. He suddenly grasred his com
paniOn by the arm and stood trans
fixed, his eyes dilated, his neck craned
in listening attitude, every muscle
tense like those of a wild animal in
ambush about to spring upon its APP
preaching prey
Presently a click was heard as
though bolt had been shot from It's
socket
Draw your revolver!" Sturgis whia-
, ncrod hoarsely to his companion
Quick Look there."
Al the same time he drew his own
weapon and pointed in the direction
Of tho door at the head of the stairs.
| The door opened and man entered
quietly smoking a cigar.
DIR. Nurdock." exclaimed Sprague
with horror.
Murdoch. still holding the door a Jar
eyed the two men for an instant his
| impassive face betraying not the
slightest sign of emotion. Then. taxi
ing his cigar from his lips:
"Ah. gentlemen" he drawled, in his
ironical way, 81 am delighted to see
you. trust you viii make yourselves
perfectly AT home for a few minutes.
shall return directly. You can con
tiuue to Nork out your little prob
lem in the meantime. Mr. Sturgis."
With these words he calmly turned
to leave the room.
stop" shouted Sturgis, leveling
his revolver at Murdock's head; 'stand
where you are or | fre."
The reporters shot rang out almost
before he had finished his sentence;
but Murdock, unscathed, passed ont
Of the room. closing che door behind
him.
Sprague, da2cd by the rapidity with
which This scene had Been acted, stood
rooted to the spot without having
made any attempt to use the revolver
which he had drawn at Sturgis bid
ding
The reporter sprang up The stairs
and tbVnu hi. gya.Tlt uuainGf bA