Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-03-22
was asleep, Jet considered II strange

was asleep. yet considered Il strange
that he should have selected SO un.
comfortable a place. Then 1t occurred
to him that he might be Ill. Shaking
him by the shoulder. he cried:
Hey. Underwood, what's the mat.
ter?"
No response came from the pros.
trate figure. Howard stopped lower.
to see better. and accidentally touch
Ing Underwood's face. found 1t clam
my and wet. He held his hand up in
the moonlight and saw that It was
covered with blood. Horror-stricken,
he cried:
my God! He's bleeding-he's
hurt!"
What had happened? An accident
or worse? Quickly he felt the mans
pulse. 1t had ceased to beat. Under
wood was dead.
For a moment Howard was too
much overcome by his discovery to
know what to think or do. What
dreadful tragedy could have hap
pened? Carefully cropping along the
mantelpiece, he at last found the eiec-
trio button and turned on the light.
There, stretched out on the floor, lay
Underwood, with bullet hole in Ais
left temple. from, which blood had
flowed freely down on his full-dress
shirt. 1t was CHASTITY sight. The
mans white. set face, covered with
q crimson stream. made a repulsive
spectacle. On the floor near the body
was a highly polished revolver, still
smoking.
i Towards first supposition was that
burglars had entered the place and
that Underwood had been killed while
defending his property. He remem-
bered now that in his drunken sleep
he had heard voices in angry alterca-
ton. Yet why hadn't he called for
assistance? Perhaps he had and he
hadn't heard him.
He looked at the clock, and was
surprised to find 1t was not yet mid.
night. He believed It was at least
five o'clock In the morning. It was
evident that Underwood had never
gone to bed. The shooting had oc.
CURED either while the angry dispute
was going on or after the unknown
visitor had departed. The barrel OF
the revolver was still warm, showing
that It could only have been dis.
charged a few moments before. Sud
denly 1t flashed upon him that Under
wood might have committed suicide
But it was useless to stand there
theorizing. Something must be done
He must alarm the hotel people OF
call the police. He felt himself turn
hot and cold by turn as he realized
the serious predicament in which he
himself was placed. If he aroused
the hotel people they would find him
here alone with a dead man. Suspi.
cion would at once be directed at him
and 1t might be very difficult for him
to establish his innocence. Who would
believe that he could have fallen
asleep in bed while man killed
himself in the same room? 1t sounded
preposterous. The wisest course for
him would be to get away before any.
body came.
Quickly he picked up his hat and
made for the door. Just as he was
about to lay hand on the handle there
was the click of latchkey. Thus
headed on, and not knowing what to
do. he halted in painful suspense,
The door opened and a man entered.
He looked as surprised to see How.
ard as the latter was to see him. He
was clean-shayen and neatly dressed,
yet did not look the gentleman. His
appearance was rather that Of a serv.
ant. All these details flashed before
Howard's mind before he blurted out:
"Who the devil are your"
The man looked astonished at the
question and eyed his interlocutor
closely. as il In doubt as to his identi.
". In cockney accent he said
loftily:
Il am Ferris. Mr.. Underwood's man,
SIR Suspiciously, he added: "Are
you friend of Mr.. Underwood's, STRIP
He might we'll ask the question. for
Howard's disheveled appearance and
CHASTITY face, still distorted by terror
was anything but reassuring. Taken
by surprise. Howard did not know
what to say, and like most people
questioned at a disadvantage, he an.
swered foolishly:
Matter? No. What makes you
think anything is the matter?"
Brushing past the man. he added:
TITS late. I'm going"
stop a minute!" cried the man
servant, There was something in
Howard's manner that he did not like.
Passing quickly into the sitting room,
he called out: Stop minute!" But
Howard did not stop. Terror gave
him wings and, without waiting for
the elevator. he was already half way
down the first staircase when he
heard shouts behind him.
Murder! Stop thief! Stop that
man! Stop that mani"
There was a rush Of feet and hum
of voices, which made Howard run
all the faster. He leaped down -four
steps at time in his anxiety to get
away. But 1t was no easy matter de
scending SO many flights of stairs. II
took him several minutes to reach the
main floor.
BY this time the whole hotel was
aroused. Telephone calls had quick
ly warned the attendants, who had
nc Azs4 AsaaG!