The Coolidge examiner., 1934-09-07
| True Detective
story by v.os. wy""
cPublie Ledger
The Man Who Fell
Through the Earth

John 0COSNoR. n gauger. 70
~ Ing TO his place Of employment
was seen crossing London bridge
one morning. but after that disap
peared as completely as though he
bad fallen through the earth.
What added to the mystery was
the fact that O'Connor was very
well known along the London docks
He vas an expert In his line and
never without n job.
That such n man could drop out
Of slight without leaving a single
trace behind him seemed to be In.
credible.
Yet the records OF the police de-
partment show that thousands OF
men and women disappear every
year and are never heard Of after
ward.
The authorities in the course OF
their investigation made a tour o,
all the hospitals and morgueS. bu,
without success
The case became famous. and II
was generally referred TO as the
mystery OF the man who fell through
the earth.
Inspector Fox was designated by
Scotland Yard 10 follow Up the In.
vestigatlon. and be plunged into {,
with q great deal OF enthusiasm
His colleagues tauntcd him with
the hopelessness OF the quest. say.
INK that nothing would ever come
OF IL. but Fox was not discouraged
In the least
lie determined 10 use his brains
as well as his feet.
SO. after reviewing the whole az.
fair In his mind. he put TO himself
this query:
Who was the woman in the
caseY'
Then he proceeded 10 answer IL
by personal Investigations along this
line.
lie learned that In his younger
days o'Connor was looked upon az
good catch" among the ladies.
In the course OF his inquiries. the
detective found that o'Connor had
been smitten with a pretty Swiss
girl named RauI-
She bad once been In the service
OF the Duchess OF Sutherland and
thought well OF herself. O'Connor
paid her constant attention and
eventually asked her 20 marry him.
She did not positively refuse him.
nut postponed a definite answer.
In the meanwhile O'Connor dis.
covered that she was also receiv.
ing attentions from Samuel Mao.
ming. an employee OF the Great
Western railway.
The rivalry continued for quite q
while. and between the two men
pretty Marie managed to have a
pleasant time.
Eventually. however. the girl mar
rled Manning.
o'Connor was disappointed. but
be took his defeat very phIlosoph.
ically. lie was a good-natured man
with n happy disposition. and he
continued his friendship with Mr.
and Mrs. Manning.
AT this stage OF the investigation
Detective Fox made an important
discovery.
IL was that on the August eve
ming OF the day be disappeared
.o'Connor had made an engagement
TO take dinner with the Mannlngs
at their home in Minerva place,
Bermondsey.
Two % his friends met hlm as be
was crossing London bridge on his
way TO keep his appointment. They
never afterward saw him alive.
The next move OF the detective
was 10 interview Mrs. Manning.
She expressed surprise when told
OF the disappearance OF the gauger,
but was quite willing 10 tell all she
knew.
She said be had called at their
house on the evening In question.
had dlned with them and left early.
I'VE came TO the door 10 say
good-by TO him." she declared. and
bis last words were. I will 20 home
now and get a good nights sleep.
for | have hard days work be
fore me tomorrow
A week later Fox returned 10 the
Manning home and found that II
was empty.
lie made q thorough search OF
the premises. and In the cellar no
tlced that some OF the tillng had
been moved from the floor.
he dug down into II and found
the dead body Of Gauger o'Connor.
Then he made a search OF O'Con
nor's rooms and found a package
OF love letters from Mrs. Manning.
Eventually Mr. and Mrs. Manning
were arrested In Edinburgh.
A trial proved that they had
Jointly murdered 0Connor for his
money and both OF them were sen
fenced 10 death.