The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-29

thors remain undetected,
This was not overstating the case.
Manning and the police had very little
to show for their efforts. A few
haunts OF the bandits had been de-
stroyed, a few wretched Asiatics Ell
Their killed or imprisoned, but Of Ali
Singh himself and his chief associates
it might fairly be said that they had
never met the police face to face with
out completely besting them.
1--WE simply must lay hands on it,
and that is all there is to it," said
Washington emphatically, and blue
coated New York vowed by all It's gods
that this thing should be.
1t was therefore with an almost fero-
cious Joy that Police Captain Kemp
regarded a prisoner whom Detective
Bemish brought in from the Christie
pher street ferry. The man was a
Chinaman in European dress.
| Manning had come at once when the
arrest was telephoned to him. Conse-
quently he arrived at Kemp's head
quarters almost at the same moment
as the detective and his captive.
| No sooner was it evident that this
man refused to answer an interpreters
questions, having at the outset dis
claimed all knowledge of English, than
the two chiefs of the departmental in
quiry threatened him with the worst of
penalties should he remain obdurate.
When he refused steadily to give any
account of himself Kemp ordered the
detective to force open cheap suit
case which the man had been carrying.
Instantly the situation developed into
lurid drama. When the Chinaman saw
what Bemish was about to do his i'm
passive mien disappeared, and he SEEM
ed to cover with fear. His manner
deceived even the astute Kemp, who,
moreover, like Manning and the others,
had his attention momentarily distract
ed by the detectives discovery of let
ter, written in Chinese characters,
which was secreted in a fold of some
garment.
With lightning-like rapidity the orr
lental twisted himself out Of Kemp's
grip, the police captain having clutch
ed him by the shoulder to lend en-
phasis to promise of dire punishment
should he persist in refusing to answer
Questions. Springing backward, the
man drew a knife which he carried in
side his waistcoat.
| Luckily Manning, sensing danger
from that sudden movement, acted on
| tSA oil act,t y,or low
on the Chinaman's jaw. The man reel
ed against the wall and, seeing in a
flash that the now warned police had
drawn their revolvers, changed his first
intent, which was clearly meant to
atone for his failure in mission i'm
posed by the higher one, and buried
the steel in his own heart.
Hasty examination showed that the
would be assassin had given up the
ghost almost instantaneously. Kemp
summoned couple Of attendants and
told them to place the body in a cell;
he sent for doctor as matter of
form. He and Manning then scruti-
niZed the letter eagerly. 1t was un-
decipherable by their eyes, of course,
but 1t bore at the foot crudely drawn
crescent, and they had only too valid
reason for being certain that the mis-
sive emanated directly from the arch
conspirator..
Manning hurried away in order to
have the letter translated. He had
hardly left the Office when another de-
tective entered.
II want to report something that
happened on the corner Of Tenth street
and Sixth avenue" he said. II was
standing there with Friedman when
we noticed smart looking young
Chink, dolled up considerable, and
halted him. But he spoke good Eng
fish and whipped out a card which
showed that his name was Ii Hung
WI, secretary. Chinese consulate, New
York city. was for holdin' him, but
Friedman said that attaches of for
eign embassies and consulates were
not subject to the civil authorities. So
I let him CO."
Kemp frowned.
"You acted wrongly, Kerrigan,'' he
growled. "You ought to have induced
him to come here till gave him the
once over. Don't let that occur again."
And, indeed, If ever autocracy was
justified Police Captain Kemp's car
like order could have borne fruit that
day, because Hong Kong Harry had
contrived to slip through the hands of
two Of the smartest men in the police
department.
While the foregoing dramatic Incl
dent was unfolding itself at police
headquarters the Bronsons and May
Manning were taking life easily in
quiet hotel on Staten Island. A non
fashionable locality had been chosen
as their retreat
Tie one thing which Manning i'm
pressed earnestly on Bronson was that
the news Of Judson's death should be
kept from his sister. BY gentle ar
tifce, therefore, she was prevented
from reading the newspapers, Willard
Bronson having evolved some fanciful
theory that by avoiding eye strain she
would recover the tone Of her shatter-
ed nerves. In consequence, while for
bidding the printed word. he encour-
aged her to show some interest in the
shipping which lay at anchor in the
vicinity of the quarantine station, and
even took the trouble to obtain from
their Long Island residence { pair Of
powerful and clear binoculars. With
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