The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-09-20
TRUE
byvsncs "' @puo,,c Ledger
The Man Who Fell
Through the Earth

John O'CONNOR, a gauger, going
y to his place OF employment, was
seen crossing London bridge one morn.
ing, but after that disappeared as COM
pletely as though he had fallen through
the earth.
What added to the mystery was
the fact that O'Connor was very well
known along the London docks.
He was an expert in his line and
never without job.
That such man could drop out Of
sight without leaving a single trace
behind him seemed to be incredible.
Yet the records Of the police de-
partment show that thousands Of men
and women disappear every year and
are never heard Of afterward.
The authorities in the course Of
their investigation made tour Of all
the hospitals and morgues, but with
out success.
The case became famous, and 1t was
generally referred to as the mystery
Of the man who fell through the earth.
Inspector Fox was designated by
Scotland Yard to follow up the in
vestigatfon, and he plunged into 1t
with a great deal of enthusiasm.
His colleagues tainted him with the
hopelessness Of the quest, saying that
nothing would ever come of It., but
Fox was not discouraged in the least.
He determined to use his brains as
well as his feet.
So, after reviewing the whole affair
in his mind, he put to himself this
query:
sWho was the woman in the case?"
Then he proceeded to answer 1t by
personal Investigations along this line.
He learned that in his younger days
O'Connor was looked upon as good
"catch" among the ladies.
In the course of his inquiries, the de-
tective found that O'Connor had been
smitten with pretty Swiss girl named
Raux.
She had once been in the service
Of the Duchess Of Sutherland and
thought well Of herself. O'Connor
paid her constant attention and event
ually asked her to marry him.
She did not positively refuse him,
but postponed a definite answer.
In the meanwhile O'Connor discov-
cred that she was also receiving at
tentions from Samuel Manning, an EN-.
ployee of the Great Western railway.
The rivalry continued for quite
while, and between the two men pretty
Marie managed to have a pleasant
time.
Eventually, however, the girl mar
ried Manning.
O'Connor was disappointed, but he
took his defeat very philosophically.
He was a good-natured man, with
happy disposition, and he continued
his friendship with Mr.. and Mrs. Man.
ming.
At this stage Of the investigation
Detective Fox made an important dis
covery.
It was that on the August evening
Of the day he disappeared O'Connor
had made an engagement to take din
ner with the Mannings at their home
In Minerva place, Bermondsey.
Two Of his friends met him as he
was crossing London bridge on his
way to keep his appointment. They
never afterward saw him alive.
The next move Of the detective was
to interview Mrs. Manning.
She expressed surprise when told Of
the disappearance of the gauger, but
was quite willing to tell all she knew.
She said he had called at their house
on the evening in question, had dined
with them and left early.
"We came to the door to say good
by to him." she declared, "and his
last words were, I will 60 home now
and get good nights sleep, for I
have a hard days work before me to-
morrow" '-:-
A week later Fox returned to the
Manning home and found that 1t was
empty.
He made thorough search of the
premises, and in the cellar noticed
that some of the thing had been
moved from the floor.
/ He dug down into it and found the
dead body of Gauger O'Connor.
Then he made search Of O'Con-
nor's rooms and found package Of
love letters from Mrs. Manning.
. Eventually Mr.. and Mrs. Manning
were arrested in Edinburgh. +
A trial proved that they had Jointly
murdered O'Connor for his money and
both of them were sentenced to death
WNU Service.