The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-05-15

The child was apparently telling a
truthful story. Who was the man in
the mask? Who was the man asleep
on the bed? More important than these
was the q~uestion-who was the young
woman being tortured by hot irons on
her feet and what could be her secret?
Nothing was publicly known of the
strange disappearance of mill
ionaire Ryerson and his daughter.
After his first call at police headquar-
ters young Martin Curtis, the sweet
heart of the young woman, had not
again i~mportuned the police. And the
police promptly forgot the affair, as
is customary with most cases OF miss
Ing persons. But Martin Curtis was
working constantly on the case.
"Matty" Whiting searched the ruins
of the Campfield place house over again
by the light of early dawn, when there
were few persons around. The fire
men said there might have been a well
in the cellar into which the water
escaped" he thought, as he lowered
himself into that damp and rubbish
filled hole. Whiting searched the loor
of the cellar, throwing heaps of water
soaked rubbish aside, but he found no
old well, nor did he find a sewer open
ing into Which the water might have
run. This puzzled him greatly.
In making another and closer inspec-
ton the reporter benz down nto a
corner, and to brace himself placed his
hand against the dirt wall. The wall
seemed springy. He pushed harder. 1t
did move. Examining the dirt wall
closely the reporter was a~stounded to
make out the square lines of what was
apparently a blind opening. And. sure
enough, the earth below had been
washed away. and it was through there
the water had escaped.
Whiting smashed a heavy timber
against the wall, and it gave way
under the blow. exposing the opening
Of the secret tunnel. Fearing others
would see it the reporter hurriedly
threw a great pile of rubbish against
the opening and hurried over to police
Headquarters. Captain Carroll had
gone home to bed. SO had the other
detectives. Whiting quickly reached
them by telephone, and in half an hour
Captain Carroll and Detective Ser
geants Long and Farrell were at head
quarters, and with "Matty" Whiting
they went over to the ruins.
This is great" exclaimed the chief.
as the reporter indicated the tunnel
opening. Captain Carroll called the po-
lice reserves and ordered Campbell place
cleared of the crowd. which had COM
menced to gather since daylight. This
may be pretty dangerous" he said, and
we don't want anyone around who
doesn't belong here"
The three detectives. each with his
pistol drawn, and each carrying a small
hand electric searchlight, with "Matty"
Whiting, leaped into the cellar and in
another second they were lost to view
in the tunnel.
But they had been watched by eyes
they did not see. Sly old All Fong, who
had built that tunnel as a means of
escape from his opium den and who
was now the host of the maj with the
black mask, the aged man with the
white side whiskers, the beautiful young
lady, old Mag and the burglar, had
watched that cellar since it was ex-
posed to view by the burning of the
building. While DIR. Markay and the
burglar bantered each other in the
game of THE Survival of the Fittest,"
All Fong lay fiat on his stomach on the
roof of his Lafayette street dive and
watched the cellar.
With true Oriental cunning the Celes-
tial had equipped his tunnel with nu-
merous devices to prevent pursuit. One
of these was a false top to the tunnel at
its deepest point. By drawing a wire
IN the stairway of the Lafayette street
dive this false top in the tunnel, more
than 100 yards away, could be released
so that several tons of loose earth and
rocks would fall on the pursuers.
When the refugees reached All Fong's
place from the burning house. he ex-
tended that wire to the roof and
watched there for developments.
In the opium den DIR. Markay and the
burglar could not come TO terms.
do YOU know me?" asked the bur-
glar. still keeping his revolver pointed
at Markay.
Eyes. 1t is surprising that you are a
burglar"
! who am II"