Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-10-27

! A small electric plant was installe,
10 provide power for his shop an,
lighting.
Built against one side of the castl,
was cement garage. in which wa
kept a motor of powerful build and fn
est engines. II had been CONSTRUCTED
especially to stand the strain Of broker
mountain roads and carried q hug
gasoline tank and q place for prov
sions.
The garage could be entered from th
castle by means of door Of maske'
design, which showed neither casin
nor knob. A hidden spring opened ant
closed 1t.
As II seeking to get all the sunligh
possible, the house that John Nelson
built was Of many windows. and eacl
was in the deep French style. Ever.
window was, in fact. door. 1t was I
house Of many exits.
In a separate clearing Nelson built ,
house for his servants and installed II
1t O negro, his wife and his strappini
black son. He gave this family piec'
Of land to till and provided them will
light and fuel and wages.
Furniture. bedding, equipment II
abundance for his workshop and stores
were taken within the castle, and tht
last Of the workmen departed.
Employing the mountain people Al
laborers. Nelson patched the roads
until he felt that he could use the full
power Of his heavy motor In travers
ing them If 1t became necessary tt
tax Its speed. He had promised Mr.
Bryan to remain in an advisory ca
pacity as the vice president Of bis
mills. and to keep this promise be
stretched from pine to pine private
telephone wire between his castle and
the office and home Of the mill presi.
dent.
He started his hermit life with two
things before him besides his work
as a mechanical inventor. One was to
wait the coming of Bill Hawkins. to
whom he would intrust the task OF
seeking In the underworld the muir
derer Of the watchman Of the West
End bank In New York. The other
was to prepare himself to face the
day. should 1t ever come. when a man
from Mulberry street would confront
him and charge him with being James
Montgomery.
He told himself that he would never
be taken back to 1t alive. His good.
capable, we'll ordered brain had
mapped out careful course. Should
the bloodhounds Of the law come
upon him In this place he had built for
final refuge he would make his fight
to pass them.
During his visits to Greenville he
cashed checks paid him for royalties
on his inventions until he secured
$4,000 in certificates Of denominations
be could use anywhere.
Each morning he passed through the
door to the attic stairs and locked 1t
behind him. For an hour he worked
with the weights and bars, changing
bis measurements slowly. but surely.
The fraction Of an inch In the length
of arm or leg would dlscredit the Ber.
tillon record made Of him and filed IN
the bureau Of Identification at police
headquarters in New York. he gave
many an hour Of agony to achieve this,
and his face was chalky white when
he left the attic und locked its door
behind him each day.
With the anxiety and the hard work
In his laboratory u touch Of gray came
to his hair and beard. He looked a
man of forty-fve. save when he
smiled, but the purity and goodness OF
bis nature shone forth In his coun-
tenance.
More money came to him as the for,
eign rights of his inventions were dis
posed Of. and he cast about him for an
opportunity to put It in use for others.
He employed as many OF the sturdy
mountaineers as he could In road work.
paying them good wages. He patched
their cabins provided medicines for
their sick, and blankets and stout
clothes for the women and the chill
dren.
The scattered families OF these poor
people looked up to him with mingled
wonder and gratitude. When time rid
them of their childlike timidity they
came to know him and to love him.
There is no statute Of limitations
for an escaped convict BE is always
legitimate quarry.
Nearly ten years had passed since
James Montgomery was brought be-
fore the desk of Inspector Ranscombe
at police headquarters In Mulberry
street. There had been changes at
headquarters in that time. The ad-
ministration Of the city was in other
hands The police department had
gone through the throes Of more than
one shakeup. and there had been sew
eral police commissioners.
Ranscombe had been relieved OF his
important post as the chief of the
city's little army Of plain clothes men.
but he had played the game Of depart
ment politics well and had won bis
way back to the central office.
On his return he found Detective
Lieutenant Mike Kearney. stolid. emo
tionless, waiting for an assignment to
a case, as usual The inspector knew
his value and had him promoted to
the grade Of captain. He assigned
Kearney to take charge Of the homi'
eide squad. The men under Kearney
we're the pick. of the 100 and more de-
tectlves Of the department.
Kearney started out in bis new post
with a slate clean. save for one In
scription-the number 60.10S he felt
that he was being cheated every day
that the escaped convict enjoyed life
outside Of Sing Sings walls.
Had Montgomery been tnler' d
forger or a bigamist he could have
turned the matter over to his inspector
rs a case still pending. But he had
been convicted Of murder. and bis
case properly belonged In the homicide
bureau.
Gradually Kearney got the affairs OF
the bureau working to suit him. and he
could pause and give some study to