The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-04-07
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the report of an explosion, like that
of a gun discharged suddenly IN
the silence of the night. While women
in nightclothes ran wildly here and
there, squaling babies in arms, and
men nearly naked vociferated excit-
eddy and rushed for weapons, three
things happened in front of No. llO
with the suddenness of flash OF
lightning. A first window vom-
tied policeman to the sidewalk, the
door flew open disclosing another po-
liceman in the entry, and the nearby
alley emitted GREATNESS third.
Meeting at the foot of the stairway,
these three officers regarded each
other blankly.
He took the stairs-where is he,
Murphy?' gasped the one who had
come by way of the window.
Man, tell you l saw him. con-
tradicted Finnegan. "He banged open
Tony's door and hit the landing in
two jumps and down he went. l was
looking right at him. And | heard
him on the stairs. He was in his
stocking feet, by the sound"
Il heard sounds all right and that's
why opened the door-to let the light
in from the street lamp so | could see.
But nobody showed up
Detective Birsch said nothing, but II
the darkness had been less dense they
would have seen that his face was set
and grim. In the hall thin line of
light ran beneath door, from behind
which came sounds of sobbing and
moaning, and entering without cere-
mony they beheld, through little
wreaths of smoke, woman sitting on
a bed, holding in her arms young
fellow down whose face the blood
streamed, aud man on his knees in
the middle of the floor praying We
hemcntly with uplifted hands.
Tony" he said then to the praying
man sharply, anybody but him lin
jured?" motioning towards the bed.
"None-a bud da boy" he answered,
and in the same breath continued his
screaming applications.
Good boy!" he said encouragingly.
you've got the right stuff in your in
side. 1t takes more than little
thing like this to knock you out, hey!
Now, tell us about it,
II don't think l know much" the
boy returned in weak voice, but in
good English. Il woke up and saw
somebody outside my room on the
fire-escape, and I asked who was
there. Then something struck me on
the head, l heard big roar, and l
suppose / fell out of bed, for when l
came to myself my mother was drag
ging me across the floor"
We'll, but say!" cried the aston
ished detective, ''the window was
closed and locked, wasn't it, as
found it just now? How could any
body throw bomb through it with.
out breaking the glass? 1t amt
broken, and it was fastened when
went to put it up
1T is strange said the youth. BE.
Sides father and mother heard some.
body hurry across this room, open
the door and shut it, and then run
downstairs
The detective looked inquiringly at
the woman, who nodded.
I'VE heard-a da ONE she said in
the midst of her moaning. "He make-a
da foot on da floor, on da floor an
make-a de- door go bang. We hear
for sure
Detective Birsch started suddenly
into the next room, the sleeping quar-
ters of the parents, and the living
room of the family as we'll. On the
way he raised the praying little Ital-
ian by the collar, and, carrying him
along, deposited him on chair.
Then carefully closing the connecting
door he gazed sternly at the fright
ened countenance of the man who in
the neighborhood was known as Tony
the Barber.
Look here" he said with all the
weight he could put into his manner,
didn't l say you mustn't let liv-
ing soul know you had received let
ter from the Black Hand? Yet here
you go and tell it"
mon, non, I no tal-a!" the Italian
interrupted. "You tal-a me no tal-a
anybod'. l tal-a nobod', for sure Da
boy he ask for why | clos da wind
sosh da hot night, l no tal-a da boy.
l tal-a nobod'. non nom"
We'll but it's sure cinch they
were on the lookout for us, or the
thing wouldn't have been pulled off
so slick. They must have been onto
the game for fair, however they got
there. Why here was Murphy at the
foot Of the stairs, Finnegan almost
right at your keyhole, and l myself
in the alley under your window; yet
this slick gazabo scoots in, bangs the
bomb and slides to cover without any
trouble. The thing is impossible. It's
impossible any way you look at it
Now"
The detectives puzzled gaze hap
pened at this moment to light upon
Murphy, who was poking around in
closet with his night-stick, and a
CLEAN OF surprised intelligence shot
into his face. He paused abruptly
in hic ctr r.;