Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1915-06-11

ny tnlS amazing master criminal WAS
enough to cause panic. Already he
had engaged detectives, prepared for
whatever might happen, and they hal
advised him to leave the diamonds in
the counter, clear the store and let
| the crooks try anything, II they dared
Just back of us, and around the cot
! ner, as we came in, we had noticed q
| limousine which had driven up. Three
faultlessly attired dandies had entered
n doorway down the street, as we
learned afterward, apparently going to
a fashionable tailor's which occupied
the second floor of the oldfashioned
building. the first floor having been
renovated and made ready for renting
Had we been there a moment sooner
we might have seen. ] suppose, that
one of them nodded to a taxicab driv
| er, who was standing at public hack
stand few feet up the block. The
driver nodded unostentatiously back
at the man.
In spite OF the excitement, Kennedy
| quietly examined the showcase, which
was, indeed, 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 circle at a respectable dis
ta.,ce.
In deep-lunged tones the clock
played the chords written. believe
! by handel. Then 1t began striking
Nothing had happened.
We ali breathed q sigh Of relief
We'll. 1t Is still there!" exclaimed
Martin. pointing at the showcase with
forced laugh.
Suddenly came n rending and crash
ing sound. II seemed as IL 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 hat
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 hai sawed almost through
at their leisure, and the showcase had
landed eight or ten feet below, shiv
cred into thousand bits.
A ynlIau Of ohntu xubf11a1 nact no
] and another While one crook was
hastily stufing the untold wealth OF
! Jewels into a burlap bag the Others
had drawn revolvers and were firms
up through the hole in the floor des
perately.
Look OUT" cried someone behind
us before we could recover from oui
| first surprise and return the fire.
/ One of the desperadoes had taken g
bomb from under HIS smock. lighted Il
and thrown II up through the hole In
/ the toor.
1t sailed up over our heads and land
! ed near our little group, on the floor
the fuse suffering ominously.
| heard an exclamation of fear from
Elaine
Kennedy had pushed his way pas,
us and picked up the deadly Internal
machine In his bare hands,
| watched him, fascinated. AS neal
as he dared, he approached the hole In
the floor, still holding the thing off al
arms length Would he never throw
Il?
He was coolly holding II. allowing
the fuse to burn down closer to the
explosion point.
II 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 II struck the cellar floor
near them.
Leave the store quick" rang out
Kennedy's voice.
Down below the crooks were beat
ing hasty retreat through i. secret
entrance which they had effected
The bag! The bag!" we could
hear one of them below.
"The bomb-run!" cried another
voice grufily.
The explosion that followed lifted
us fairly on our feet.
As the smoke from the explosion
cleared away, Kennedy could b. seen
the first To run forward.
Meanwhile Martins detectives hat
rushed down flight OF back stairs
that led into o. coal cellar. With Goa
shovels and bars, anything they could
lay hands on, they attacked the door
/ that opened forward from the coal Gel
/ lar into the front basement where
the robbers had been.
| A moment Kennedy and Bennett
| paused on the brink of .he abyss
which the bomb had made, waiting fol
the smoke to decrease. Then they
began TO climb down cautiously over
the piledup wreckage,
The explosion had set the basement
atire, but the fire had not gained much
headway by the time they reached the
basement. Quickly Kennedy ran &C
the door into the coal cellar and
opened it.
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