River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-07-23

mOHeuI maQe his sacrifice
The two hands fell between the
bright needles. and the upper and
neither files sunk into them, tearing
through every finger. destroying com
pletely the one strange stamp of abso-
lutte human individuality that nature
has provided-the record of the flesh
! itself
NO cry escaped Nelson's lips. The
agony was keen But what was snch
agony compared to that which would
be his If the man from New York po-
lice headquarters slipped handouts
upon him and took him from his wife.
from the people be had worked with
and for, to be taken away and be bur
led alive?
Molly had started toward her hus-
Dand. but her woman's nature was not
equal to the horror of the moment.
She fell face downward to the floor.
The machinery came to a full stop.
Dnt the steel jaws had closed over Mel
sons hands
kearney was the nearest man TO
him
lust move that iron rod to the right
there, be heard Nelson say Move it
slowly just an inch backward"
kearney obeyed. aud the jaws re-
leased their hold
There is physician in the Reedy
mills" called Nelson to one of the
white faced girls. Telephone him
quickly"
He turned to another girl ignoring
Kearney.
Quick" he instructed her. "Tie
some of this material tightly about my
wrists"
He held forth his dripping hands.
The sleuth, his mind for q moment
blank with horror at this deliberate
sacFidce grabbed up piece of knitted
material and made a tourniquet. first
for one wrist and then for the other.
The mill physician arrived us this
first aid work was accomplished. He
quickly cleaned and made aseptic the
myriad little wounds in the hands OF
Nelson.
1.-The bones Of four fingers in the right
hand and of three in the left seem to
be broken he said as he began band
aging. ''They will mend easily; in a
month. only the scars will be left"
Molly had come from her swoon and
was holding her husbands bandaged
hands lightly in her own. her tears
wetting them. She was fully cogni
zant of all that had happened She
knew who the stranger was standing
stupidity, but with an ashen face, near
her.
Kearney slipped back to the office,
picked up the photographs from Mel
sons desk. put ON his hat and made
his way furtively from the building
Inspector Ranscombe was cleaning
out his desk.
The end of his police career had
come He had been placed on the re-
tired list, and an order from new
commissioner that morning had broken
the news to him suddenly, viciously,
that he was no longer wanted.
Lieutenant Jimmy Dunn, In the big
room outside, had heard the old man
roar. Ranscombe wanted to die in har-
ness He was old, but he knew his job
and had plenty of virility.
The new commissioner was entirely
a political appointee. The lid had
been kept on New York a little too
long. and the gamblers and others who
made their fortunes by violating the
law had squeezed down on the mayor.
An election was at hand, and the may
or had to obey or retire to private life
for the rest of his days.
The scowl that had frightened many
a crooked detective lay heavily on his
forehead, and in his eyes, as Rams
combe selected his personal papers
from those that were departmental,
was CLINT OF bitter protest.
There was a tap at the door.
"Who is 1t? What d'yuh wantY he
growled angrily.
Kearney showed his face in the door
timidly.
Come in. bossY he asked.
Ranscombe nodded and returned to
his desk
II found him, boss" began Kearney.
Found whoW snapped the inspec-
tor "Get 1t out of your system and
beat It"
"Jim Montgomery, who escaped from
Sing Sing" explained Kearney, twist
ing felt hat neryously In his hands.
The inspector looked up in surprise.
"Jim Montgomery" he repeated, as
he reached for telegram on his desk.
Eyes, sir. but didn't bring him back
with me-"
"Oh, you didn'tf That was consider
ate. guess you found out that we
had the wrong man In STIR eh"
"No, sir 1t wasn't that. found that
he was on the level all these years. He
was just married, and be changed his
measurements SO that all could get
to prove he was the man was his finger
prints When ! tried to get them from
him he stuck his hands In some ma
chinery and
"Whatp'
The inspector half rose from his
chair. His heavy jaws came together