Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-12

PART TWO.-(Continued).
The day had been dark, and at six
o'clock all daylight had faded from
the cemetery. Inside Memorial hall
the darkness was intense. BY those
of my readers who have seen the
burial place of Abraham Lincoln 1t
will be remembered that Memorial
hall is at the south end of the monu.
mcnt structure and the catacomb con.
tanning the body at the north end, ITS
feet away. had selected Memorial
hall as the best hiding place for our
men, Swegles having promised to in
fom us In our hiding place when the
right moment was at hand for us to
appear at the door of the catacomb
and thereby entrap the ghouls at their
work. SWegles was to work with
Hughes and Mullen until the sarco-
phagus was opened and the casket
Then he was to go for the conveyance,
which was supposed to be hidden near
by. While on this mission he was to
make his way around the base of the
hill. come to the door of Memorial
hall and give the signal that the lime
for action had come. That there
might be no mistake in the darkness
countersign, the word WASH" had
been agreed upon.
We had been concealed in Memorial
hall in almost breathless quiet for
about two hours, when suddenly the
flare of bulls-eye lantern was shot
through the bars of the iron door
leading into the hall, and VIC knew
that the conspiracy was rapidly being
put into actual execution. From, their
hurried examination of the hall by
the aid of the lantern the ghouls evil
IDENTIFY satisfied themselves that no one
was inside. At any rate, they depart
ed in moment and made around the
base of the monument to the north
running such desperate risks to Sc
cure. We knew that the next few
minutes would be fraught with events
that might mean death to any Of US.
I now had more reason than ever be-
fore to believe In the truthfulness of
Swegles and that he would keep his
promise to signal us when the right
time arrived. So we waited for this
signal, and at last 1t came.
If this story were q fancy Of my
brain instead of narrative Of facts
the current of it would here take a sud-
den turn from the lines I am COM
PEELED to pen. For more than year
l had plotted to outwit the shrewd and
desperate criminals with whom we
were dealing and, up to this point,
had been successful AS soon as
Swegles had given the signal we
moved cautiously out of Memorial
hall and l ordered the others to fol-
low me.
At the giving Of this order every
man drew his revolver, to be prepared
for the fight that we all believed in
evitable In doing SO Detective Hay,
OF the Pinkerton force, accidentally
discharged percussion cap In the old
style Colts revolver he carried. AS
| the detonat!on was not loud l paid
little attention to it, and ran swiftly
| around to the door of the catacomb,
with the others behind me- The staple
containing the lock of the iron door
had been sawed and filed of, and the
door stood few inches ajar.
called on whomsoever was within
to surrender. There was no response
called again and then listened. No,
even the sound Of breathing wal
audible. then struck match. The
tools used by the ghouls lay scattered
over the floor and the sarcophagus
was battered to pieces in such way
as to allow the casket to be moved
lengthwise toward the door. The van
Gals had fed
There is but one word that ade.
quately describes the sensation thai
n 7