Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1906-05-24
The Man in the
Mummy Case
Copyright. By Joseph B. Bowiss.i
by A. SARSFIRLD WARD.

Copyright. by Joseph b. Bowlss)
The days business being concluded
the stan Of police who patrol night!
the Great Portland Square museum
duly filed into the building. A maj
Is placed In each room. II being hi
duty to thoroughly examine every nool
and Granny; having done which, nj
doors OF communication are closed. thu
officer on guard In one room being un
able to leave his post or to enter an
other.
The constable In the Etruscan room
glanced into the various sarcophag
and cast the rays OF his bull's-eye Ian
tern into the shadows OF the great
stone tombs. Satisfied that no one
lurked there. he mounted the steps
leading up to the Roman gallery
Then a singular thing occurred.
From somewhere within the dark
ened chamber beneath there came the
sound OF q hollow cough!
BY no means deficient in courage
the constable went down the steps In
three bounds, his lantern throwing
discs Of light on stately statues and
gloomy tombs. II was upon casting
the rays OF his bull's-eye into the last
sarcophagus that he experienced q
sudden sensation of fear. II was
empty; yet he distinctly remembered
from his previous examination, that q
mummy had lain there!
Every strange!" muttered the ser
geant; and q moment later his whistle
was sounding.
From all over the building men
came running, for none Of the doors
had yet been locked.
There seems to be some one con-
cealed In the museum; search all the
rooms again." was the brief order.
The constable disappeared, and the
sergeant, accompanied by the inspec'
tor, went down to examine the Etrus-
can room. Nothing was found there.
nor were any Of the other searchers
more successful.
"A mummy in the end tomb" ex.
claimed the curator Of Etruscan anti.
auities when consulted the next morn
ing. my dear sir. there has been no
mummy there for nearly month";"
But my man states that he saw
one there last night" declared the
inspector.
The curator looked puzzled. Turn.
ing to an attendant. he said: who
was in charge Of the Etruscan room
Immediately before six last night?
Il was. SIR"
Are you sure that no one concealed
HIMSELF"
The man looked startled. swell,
sir" he said, hesitatingly. I'm sorry
I didn't report It before; but when
the head attendant called me. at about
twenty-five minutes to six. there was
some one there, gent in a seedy
frock.coat and high hat, and l don't
remember seeing him come out"
Ibid you search the room?"
Eyes, sir; but there was no one to
be Scent"
"You should have reported the mat
ter at once"
The words had but just left his lips
when a museum official, well-known
antiquarian expert, ran up In per-
feet frenzy Of excitement. Good
heavens!" he gasped. "The Rienzi
vase has gone!"
what" came an incredulous
chorus.
The circular top Of the case had
been completely cut out and ingen-
iously replaced, and plausible imita-
ton of the vase substituted.
Never before nor since has such q
scene been witnessed in the museum.
II was at this juncture, and whilst
everybody was speaking at once, that
one of the party standing close to q
wall.cabinet, suddenly held up warn
ing finger. "Hush!" he said; "listen!
A sudden silence fell upon the room,
so that people running about In other
apartments could be plainly heard.
and presently, from somewhere be-
hind the glass doors surrounding the
place, came q low moan, electrifying
the already excited listeners. The
keys were promptly forthcoming. and
then was made the second astounding
discovery OF the eventful morning.
A man, gagged and bound, was i'm
prisoned behind great mummy case!
Eager hands set to work to release
him, and restoratives were applied, as
he seemed to be In very weak con.
dition. He was but partially dressed.
On regaining his senses he had dis
appointingly little to tell. He was
Constable Smith, who had been on
night duty in the Egyptian room.
Some time during the first hour. and
not long after the alarm in the base
ment, he had been mysteriously pin
Toned as he paraded the apartment.
He caught no glimpse OF his oppo-
nent, who held him from behind In
such a manner that he was totally un-
able to defend himself. Some sweet
smelling drug had been applied to his
nostrils, and he remembered no more
until regaining partial consciousness
in the mummy case. That was the
whole Of his testimony.
The matter was carefully kept out
NJ the uaners. although the museum,