The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-10-18

money, and has instructed Herat, .GtI
to make such restitution as I az ha
possible and TO turn the rest to char
liable institutions. This leaves her al,
most penniless; for the property she
held in her own right from her moth
er's estate amounts to very little. For
tunately Sprague is rich enough for
both. What are you doing there, if
may ask?'
Dr. Thurston pointed to a bundle
which lay upon the table.
That is Murdock's autobiography--
a legacy to me. The package was found
near his valise in the death chamber.
He had addressed it to me at the last
minute"
Did it help you in your account Of
the knickerbocker bank case for the
Tempest?"
~ little; but naturally, Murdocl's
account of that crime was not com
plete. The entire journal, however.
is of absorbing interest. 1t is a pity
that it cannot be published
why cannot it be published?"
at would be dangerous to the vol
fare of society Murdoch was an cx-
traordinary genius in his line: there
is marvellous originality and ingenn-
ity in his work. His crimes. num-
bered by the hundred, were all of
capital Importance in their results;
all deep-laid and skillfully executed
1t is hardly likely that such another
consummate artist in crime will cx-
iSt once a century. To publish the
details of his schemes would be to
put formidable weapon in the hands
c. the vulgar herd of ordinary Grim
l. ls, who lack the Imagination Of
Ills brilliant villain.
Il tell you, Thurston." continued
Sturgis, with what seemed very like
enthusiastic conviction. this man
was the originator of almost every
unsolved mystery which has non
plussed the police during the last IS
years. He had his agents in every inn
portant center throughout the coun-
try: agents working under potent in
centives. and yet working in the dark,
held the mysterious power which di-
rected their every move, Murder has
been done Wholesale; and so quietly
and mysteriously has the work been
accomplished that in all but this last
case, the detective have found no
an explanation of he sudden and I'M
accountable disappearance of wealthy
men. whose bodies, shipped to the
Manhattan Chemical company by
Murdock's agents, were quietly ard
Systematically made away with in the
chemists laboratory"
"He was the fiend incGrnate!" ex-
claimed the physician,
well" said Sturgis, after mo-
ment of thoughtful silence, "at any
rate, he was not wantonly cruel Il
was heartless; he was pitiless; but
his cruelty was always a means to al
end, however selfish and Legitimate
that end might be. His cruelty is
that, in a measure, of every human
being destroying life that he may 1--we
and trampling upon his fellow men
that he may be comfortable, Be-
tween Murdoch and the rest of us there
was a difference of degree, certainly,
but was there difference of kind?"
There is one thing which | can
not yet understand" said Thurston
"and that is, why Murdoch should
have pushed his audacity to the point
of defying you to ferret out the N.Y.
terry of this crime, when he might
perhaps have avoided all risk of de.
lection by holding his tongue"
mo man is perfect" answered
Sturgis, sententiously, mot even an
accomplished villain like Murdock
fortunately for the rest of mankind
Every human being has his weak
points. Murdoch had two:--his van,
ity and his love for his daughter
They were the only traits which con.
nected him with the human family.
To them be owes rte ~ IT,"
THE END