The Washington herald., 1916-09-10
STAIN MYSTERY
the Triumph

Tanner seized Harold by the throat
from behind ae he sprang. But If he
sought to duplicate La Rue's success in
such maneuvers he was speedily unde-
ceived
Here was no f1abby, middle-aged man
like most of the Crimson stain victims
Nor was Tanner, strong as he was a
second La Rue in dexterity and strength
Of grip. Moreover, the light was bad
and Harold was In swift motion.
For these very good reasons the throat
grip was a lamentable failure.
Harold. feeling Turner's stubby fingers
encircling his neck from the rear, adopt
ed very simple and very effective trick
known to all wrestlers and TO most all
around athletes.
Throwing back his own arms, without
turning his body, he caught his assail-
ant by the throat and shoulder and with
mighty heave OF the arm and a
doubling Of the body, sent Tanner hurt
him.
Tanner, shooting through space as II
fran a catapult, fell with a crash that
shook the very walls.
Jared. breathless, but still full OF fight.
Tanner rushed in to grapple his opponent
He met the rush with an uppercut that
missed Tanners Jaw by barely an inch
Half-dazed and with his head buzzing
like a beehive. Tanner ran in and clinch-
ed, gaining the terribly effective under
hold on his opponent
Seeking to break stanley's back with
this hold. he braced his feet. drove his
chin into the hollow between Harold's
shoulder and neck and tugged forward
with both the hands he had clinched in
the small of Stanley's back.
AS a rule this hold Cwhen fully gained
by strong mani results in one of two
things-either the victims spine snaps
or wrenches, or else the unlucky man is
tortured into surrender. 1t is a grip well
known to wharfside fighters and their
like.
Harold Stanley. however. had no idea
either of surrendering or OF going
through life with a wrenched back
With twist of his feet he broke
the brace" of Tanners foothold on
the floor, and with a simultaneous
heave to one side threw the man on
his balance
Forced to shift his grip in order to
save his equilibrium, Tanner relaxed
for an instant his underhold. In that
moment Harold nimbly wriggled out
of danger and planting a blow square
in the center Of Tanners face, sent
him spinning backward and cropping
wildly at the sidewalks OF the stair
way to restore his balance.
Down the short hallway. toward the
stair head. ragged the unequal fight
For now Harold had a definite pur-
pose in view. And toward the fur
therance of that purpose he was
driving his adversary.
In vain Tanner tried to block or
duck the whirlwind OF blows In
vain he sought to cIinch or stand his
ground. He was no match for the
wards last four years
The time was summer. The day
was Saturday. Hence, practically
every studio in the building was va
cant. Such few tenants on lower
floors as heard the conflict fancied it
gOodnatured rampage on the part
of some Of the buildings gayer artists
But the janttor, cranky old fell
low, awakened from his afternoon
snooze by the racket. drowsuy de-
cided that a riot was in progress in
the upper stories And he waddled
forth. blinking. to find a policeman
And now. in his merciless drive
Harold Stanley had backed his face to
the very summit OF the stairs The
flight went down steeply for frteer
steps to the landing below.
with a Anal sledge- hammer blow in
the mouth. Stanley sent Tanner reel
ing backward over the stair edge
Down the flight of fifteen steps tum-
bled the beaten man, his head strik-
ing the next lower landing with
bang that knocked his wits out Of his
thick skull.
Such men as Tanner do not lie uncon-
scious for more than a very few seconds