Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-09-29

The turnkey had brought him u large
lineup filed with beef stew, and the
SAVIOR Of 1t made the boys brain reel
with ee delights Of anticipation. He
lifted the cup to his lips and drank
from 1t eagerly. The turnkey handed
him a piece Of bread He clutched It
stuck 1t into the stew and ate Of II
with little grunts Of animal satisfac.
ton.
Montgomery heard the cell door slam
and the key turn in the lock. As the
welcome process Of digestion started
the starved, tired lad forgot his sor.
rows and remembered his miseries no
more in dreamless and refreshing
slumber.
Simple as was the food, and only toe
slight for famished youth, it started
the blood coursing healthily through
his veins once more. This secOnt
sleep brought back his strength. ant
the fog that had come to his brain
while he was undergoing the strangt
hardships of Identification began t.
lift. When he wakened again he found
that nature, replenished with fuel. had
cast of the dread load Of despair that
had settled upon him.
He knew not whether 1t was day OF
night He rubbed bis face briskly, TAX
ing q dry bath and equalizlng the sur
face circulation Of his blood. He threw
out his arms and legs vigorously. re
moving the kinks in his muscles.
Through the bars of the cell be saw
the yellow smear Of light and the turn
key sitting beneath it smoking a pipe
He was debating the advisability OF
asking the day and hour when the
door Of the barrel" ratified and his
keeper bestirred himself.
A man In uniform was admitted
The turnkey placed his pipe in bis
chair and came to Montgomery's cell.
"Get your hat" be ordered as be
unlocked the door.
Montgomery groped about for his
cloth cap, found it and stepped out OF
the cell.
Its time for the lineup he was in
formed. "They want you upstairs"
In charge Of the uniformed man he
made his way up the winding stair,
way and stepped into the binding
sunlight which flooded the assembly
room Of the detective bureau. The
room was large and wainscoted high
with racks Of pictures-the old rogues'
gallery. In the center of the room was
a clump Of fifteen men and three wo,
men. They made up the police crop
of the night before Yeggmen. bur
glars, pickpockets. confidence men and
black browed Sicilian bomb throweI
were included in the group. The wo'
men. blowsy. frowsy and insolent.
were common thieves.
Montgomery was put In this herd
and told to wait there. Half a dozen
uniformed policemen were doing duty
| as doormen.
After q few minutes of anxious,
nerve wearing delay door opened and
on the threshold appeared q man In
the garb of citizen. Montgomery
felt the prisoners about him turning
| In ore direction and he turned and
lookel Fe saw the man In the door.
| There was something uncanny about
| his appearance. and he looked more
closely. The mans face was covered
with q black mask. He stepped into
the room and another masked man ap
peared on the threshold.
The prisoners In the center Of the
room drew closer together There was
snicker Of contempt from several of
them and a whispered anathema rs the
plain clothes men gradually began to
crowd the room. Montgomery counted
the first and then the second dozen and
still they came. silently, and showing
hideous black patches where human
faces should have been.
The detectives peered steadily at the
faces and forms within the circle.
studying their "Peculiarities Of Habit
and Action" The hunters would know
their quarry again when time came
| to break open new leads, but the quar-
ry in flight would not kAow the faces
Of the men after them.
Montgomery's head was swimming.
and his heart going like trip hammer
when he was showed into a prison van
with the others and taken to the Jeffer.
son Market police court In the lower
west side to be arraigned.
AS dismal as was the interior OF the
Ill lighted courtroom. the first glimpse
of the black robed magistrate brought
a feeling Of relief to Montgomery. He
was In court Of justice, an institution
designed for people in the very plight
In which he found himself. The inno-
cent would here find protection. and
the guilty would receive punishment
The courts were as much for the peo'
pie as for the police. he thought.
As the line Of prisoners edged along
In front of the magistrates desk he
began to frame the words he would
say In his own behalf. Surely he
would be given a chance to declare his
innocence.
At last It came his turn. He stepped
upon the little elevation known as the
"bridge" and looked over the edge OF
the magistrates desk. The magistrate
did not look at the prisoner, but gave
all his attention to a document placed
before him by a clerk at his righ,
hand. He signed it and gave 1t to De
tective Kearney. who held fast to the
sleeve of the accused. The policeman
on duty at the bridge pulled back the
prisoner, and Kearney started on
through the crowd with him. In bis
right hand the detective held the docu
ment committing Montgomery to the
Tombs to await an investigation of the
charge against him and an indictment
by the egrand jury.
Within half hour from the time be
stepped upon the bridge with his pro
test of innocence ready on his lips
James Montgomery was In cell II
murderers' row in the Tombs.
CHAPTER II.
Detective Michael ksarney.
ICHAEL KEARNEY was one
| " of the star plain clothes mel
| N Of New York. he had little