The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-02-25
J. All yoreiEn Rights Re.srvea

by this amazing master criminal was
enough to cause panic. Already hi
had engaged detectives, prepared fol
whatever might happen. and they has
advised him to leave the diamonds il
the counter. clear the store and LEI
the crooks try anything, IL they dared
Just back OF US, and around the cor
ner. as we came in, we had noticed ,
Limousine which had driven up. Three
faultlessly attired dandies had entered
a doorway down the street, as We
learned afterward. apparently going te
a fashionable tailor's which occupied
the second floor Of the old.fashioned
building, the first floor having beer
renovated and made ready for renting
Had we been there moment sooner
We might have seen. 1 suppose. that
one Of them nodded to a taxicab driv
er. who was standing at a public hack
stand few feet up the block. The
driver nodded unostentatiously bach
at the man.
In spite of the excitement, Kennedy
quietly examined the showcase, which
was. indeed, "a veritable treasure store
Of brilliants. ~
Slowly the hands of the clock came
nearer together at noon.
We all gathered about the showcase
with its glittering hoard Of wealth.
forming a circle at respectable dis
lance.
In deep-lunged tones the clock
played the chords written, believe.
by Handel. Then 1t began striking.
Nothing had happened.
4 We all breatheds sigh Of relief.
well, it is still there" exclaimed
Martin, pointing at the showcase with
a forced laugh.
! Suddenly came rending and crash;
ing sound. It seemed as II the very
floor on which we stood was giving
way.
The showcase, with all its priceless
contents, went smashing into, the eel
lar below.
The flooring beneath the case had
been cut through!
All crowded forward. gazing at the
black. yawning cavern.
Down below three men, covered
with smocks and their faces hidden
by masks. had knocked the. props
away from the ceiling Of the cellar,
which they had sawed almost through
at their leisure, and the showcase had.
landed eight or ten feet below. shiy-
cred into thousand bits.
A volley of shots whizzed past us,
and another. While one crook was
hastily stufing the untold wealth OF
jewels into burlap bag the others
had drawn revolvers and wero firing
UP through the hole in the floor des.
perately.
Look out" cried someone behind
us before we could recover from our
first surprise and return the fire.
One Of the desperadoes had taken a
bomb from under his smock. lighted It
and thrown 1t up through the hole In
the floor.
1t sailed up over our heads and land
ed near our little group, on the floor,
the fuse sputtering ominous1y.
heard an exclamation Of fear from
Elaine.
Kennedy had pushed his way past
us and picked up the deadly Internal
machine in his bare hands.
Watched him, fascinated As near
as he dared, he approached the hole in
the floor. still holding the thing Off at
arms length. Would he never throw
it? "a.
He was coolly holding IT. allowing
the fuse to burn down closer to the
explosion point.
It was now within less than an inch
Of sure death.
Suddenly he raised II and hurled the
deadly thing down, through the hole.
We could hear the ;imprecaticns Of
the crooks as 1t struck the cellar floor,
near them.
Leave the store quick!y rang out
Kennedy's voice. 4.
=. Down below the crooks we're beat
ing hasty retreat through G secret
entrance which they had effected.
THE bag! The bag!" we could
hear one Of them below.
"The bomb-run!' cried another
voice grufiy.
The explosion that followed, lifted
us fairly of our feet.
AS the smoke from the explosion
cleared away. Kennedy could b. seen,
the first to run forward.
Meanwhile Martins detectives had
rushed down fight OF back stairs
that led into a coal cellar. with coal
shovels and bars, anything they could
lay hands on. they attacked the door
that opened forward from the coal eel.
lar into the front basement where
the robbers had been.
A moment Kennedy and Bennett
paused on the brink OF The abyss
which the bomb had made, waiting for
the smoke to decrease. Then thew
began to climb down cautiorrly over
the piled.up wreckage. ),
The explosion had set the. base nent
afire. but the FIRE had not gained muea
headway by the time they reached the
basement. Quickly Kennedy ran to
the door into the coal cellar and
opened it =