The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-08-21
THE HIDDEN DOOR.

B1GA8GE WGGgk Wg@1 1RUS29 44[S1N1
morning to md that thu shutters had
not been taken down from b windows
OF eBurchard's shop. For thirty-twO
4 old Burchard, as everybody
ealpA him, had opened his shop for
bHainess six days Of the week at Z
SStbch Ia the morning. He had never
taken 4 busifess day OF or lost one
through sickness.
3 belief war when tie Shop was
found closed that the old hfau had
died in his bed, and about $50 6ct6ek
the police came to pick the lock OF the
door and eject an entrance. All doors
and windows were found securely fas-
tened. and there were no, tracks to be
found In the shop OF intruders. The
ofBcers fully expected to I'M he dead
body of the old man in his bedroom,
but much to their surprise no grew
some spectacle met their gaze. AS a
matter Of fact, old Burchard could not
be found 0bout the place either living
OF dead:
After d thorough search It was rea-
soned that he had been called AWAY on
business and that the police had been
overomcIous. One OF their number
was therefore left to guard the shop
until h proprietor should return ana
the excitement subsidized.
Old Burchard did not return. After
a week the case was aiken up again,
and parties were found who had seen
him put up his shutters and lock his
door at 0 O'Clock Monday night. he
Ind said nothing of going away, and
lie had left no message within the
shop. All the watches and clocks be-
longing to his customers were there, as
EIso about $4,000 worth Of goods, and
among his papers were two notes fall
ing due on the day after his strange
disappearance. He owed NO man d
dollar. md the idea that he had run
away waB Rbsurd. The city was
searched and the man advertised for,
but the week went by and no clew was
occurred
case was that no money could be
found. The old man never did bust
ness with the banks, and no one had
over seen a safe in his shop. He han
died thousands of dollars yearly, but
where IL he keep It? He often loaned
money on diamonds and plate, but
where he deposited them for safe
keeping no one had ever learned. Un-
less he had gone away and taken his
cash with him there ought to be a
fortune hidden away in hat old shop
somewhere. People to the number of
a dozen who had raised cash on per-
sonaI property came forward to say
so, but hunt as they did the searchers
could ind nothing outside the regular
stock.
The next of kin was n brother. Nv
ing a thousand miles away He came
on and renewed the search. When it
PANIED ont nothing he hired men to
raze the building to the ground. and
every brace and beam was tested as 1t
was removed. The work went on until
only the cellar walls were left, and
stone masons tested these with their
hammers and found no hollow spots.
h bottom OF the cellar was dug up
to a depth Of three feet. but no Cavi.
ties or iron bound boxes were discov-
cred. That ended h search, n
then n detective was employed to take
the case up as a whole.
He was a shrewd fellow, put what
could he dor A man locks himself
into his shop at night. He is missing
next morning, with all the doors still
locked and the keys on the inside. he
owes no man a cent, but leaves thou
sands of dollars worth OF property be-
III him. Two hundred newspapers
give tbs affair publicity. and n million
people perhaps are on the waite FOR a
man described SO and SO, but not the
slightest trace can be discovered.
What was there for n detective to
work on?
Years went by and the cellar re
mainad open. No n wanted to buy
the site. In time the Burchard mys-
terry ceased TO be talked about, and a
new generation OF boys grew up to
play hide and seek In the cellar. Ten
years had gone by when three or
four boys jumped into the cavity one
day after a football which had been
kicked there. In the struggle for the
ball 1t was Kicked here and there, n
finally fell into a hole Mt the base of
the crumblInR west wall. In trying
to recover 1t the boys pulled away a
stone, and a minute later they had
discovered a hidden door and solved
the vexatious mystery.
Old Burchard had constructed a
stone vault nnder the back yard, with
an opening from the cellar. He was a
cunning worker, and in making Ii
door he had bolted thin slabs of stone
to pIanks and hung the hinges on the
inside. The keyhole looked k q frac-
ture In one of the stones, and the whole
WINS so artfully arranged that Of h
hundreds of men who had searched
not one had suspected h locadon OF
the door. In their tests the stone
masons probably missed that partic-
ular spot.
You are prepared to learn that old
Burchnrd's bones were found within.
The door had swung on him as he en-
tered the vault to put away his money
for the night and had become damned.
The foul air had killed him within an
49, go wvoY NIk rvnFp found nm