Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-08-07
SYNOPSIS

AHDOl0nt kOT6lBu he lbdLOII IoAA0 Va eAS
operations Of a body Of men WHO have
become q menace to their activities.
He is interrupted by the men he Is
describing (the Black Gang), who
break up the meeting, sentencing some
of the participants to condign punish
ment and carrying away others "A
memorandum found on Zabolen gives
an address in Hoxton. London, whlch
the leader Of the attacking party con-
siders OF Importance.
CHAPTER II.-Sir Bryan Johnstone,
director of criminal investigation,
hears from Inspector McIver. sent to
arrest Zaboleff the night before, OF his
discontinue. He had been seized and
chloroforfned and his raid frustrated.
Hugh Drummond, man Of leisure and
old friend Of Johnstone's, arrives and
tells Of seeing the kidnapsrs and their
victims He becomes an unpaid agent
of the police. to be under the direction
of McIveP. and takes UP his duties at
once.
CHAPTER IIL-A "Mr. William At
kinson." ostensibly pawnhroker and
money Lender, really Count zadowa. d.
business in another London suburb.
A mysterious stranger invades the
premises. Count Zadowa, after brief
glimpse Of the intruder. 10 strangely
disconnected.
Knsre was q door at the top OF the
Aight Q& stairs, and 1t was at this door
thai the mstamorphosis took place.
on one side OF 1t the stairs ran car
petiess and none too clean to the
ground floor, on the other side the
picture changed. A wide passage with
rooms leading out of 1t from either
side confronted the explorer-a pas
sage which was efficiently illuminated
with electric lights hung from the
ceiling, and the floor of which was
covered with a good plain carpet.
Along the walls ran rows Of book
shelves stretching, save for the gaps
at the doors, as far as a partition
which closed the further end Of the
passage. In this partition was another
door, and beyond this second door the
passage continued to a window tight
ly shuttered and bolted. From this
continuation only one room led off-a
room which would have made the ex-
plorer rub his eyes In surprise. 1t
was richly-almost luxuriously fur
nished. In the center stood big roll
top writing desk, while scattered about
were several armchairs upholstered
In green leather. A long table almost
filled one side Of the room a table
covered with every imaginable news
paper. A huge safe flush with the
wall occupied the other side, while
the window, like the one outside, was
almost Theoretically sealed There
was fireplace in the corner, but
there was no sign of any fire having
been lit, or Of any preparations for
lighting one. Two electric heaters at
tached by long lengths Of flex to plugs
in the wall comprised the heating ar
rangements, while big central light
and half-a- dozen movable ones illum-
mated every corner Of the room.
In blissful ignorance Of the sad
plight Of the clerk below, two men
were sitting In this room, deep In con-
versation. In a chair drawn up close
to the desk was 10 less person than
Charles Latter, NJ p, and It was he
who was doing most Of the talking.
But 1t was the other man who riveted
attention, the man who presumably
was Mr.. Atkinson himself
At first he seemed to be afflicted
with an almost phenomenal stoop, and
1t was only when one got nearer that
the reason was clear. The man was
q hunchback, and the effect it gave
was that Of huge bird Of prey. I'm
like most hunchbacks, his legs were
Of normal length, and as he sat mo-
tionless in his chair, q hand on each
knee, staring with unwinking eyes at
his talkative companion, there was
something menacing and implacable
In his appearance. His hair was gray
his features stern and hard; while his
mouth reminded one OF steel trap.
But it was his eyes that dominated
everything-gray-blue and piercing
they seemed able to probe ones inner
most soul. A man to whom 1t would
be unwise to lie-a man utterly un'
scrupulous In himself, who would yet
punish double dealing In those who
worked for him with merciless sever
ity. A dangerous man.
$50 you went to the police, Mr.. Lat
ter" he remarked suavsly. "And
what had our friend Sir Bryan John
stone to say on the mattsrf
at frst count. he didn't RaY pueA
In fact hS really said very little al
through. But once hS looked at thu
note bis Whole manner changed.
could see that instantly, There was
something about the note which in
Let me see it." said the count
holding opt his hand.
II left It with Sir Bryan" answered
the other. "He asked me to let hin
keep It. And he promised that
should be all right"
The counts lips curled.
1T would take more than Sir Bryal
Johnstona'a promise. Mr.. LAttAr. to In