The Cotton Factory Times. — 1899-06-23 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

SIEONIG OF PREVIOUS CFIAPTERS.—On Tuesday. the *of July, a gentleman engaged & front room of No. 19 Greet Porter Square. Toe landlady " reckoned  him up" as a man who had just come from  voyage, and that there was something superior iu the looks of him." When she asked him for his name he said it did not matter, and he handed her four week? rent, telling her at the sometime not to trouble about a receipt. He led a remarkably quiet life. He hal but one visitor, a lady, who came so closely veiled that no person in the house caught &glimpse of her face. She called three times, and when the street door opened, she asked for the andernan on the first floor, and went up to him without waning for an answer. This lady has not come forward. and she has not been traced. It happened that on tee 9th of July that the landlady's niece was married, and when the wedding party returned in the early home of the morning the discovery was made that the lodger had been brutally murdered during the night. No clue could be found to the murderer or murderers. The police arrested a brokendown individual who gave the name of Antony Cowl. rick, but there was no evidence against him beyond the fact that on the night of his arrest he was seen to stroll op to the door of the house where the murder had been committed, peer carionsly into the windows, and non away when the police at first attempted to arrest him. That enterprising journal, 'The Evening noon," takes up the me ou the prisoner's behalf, and promises something of the greatest interest with respect to Antony Cowlrick. It appears that, anticipating the release of Antony Cowlrick they detailed a special reporter to interview him when he left the police court, sad to offer him any assistance he would accept. However, the beggarly man refused all offers of assistance, and refused to answer all questions, and as they were parting the reporter saw with enrprise that Antony Cowlriek's eyes were fixed with great agitation upon a young and pretty woman, apparently as poor as himself, who was walking carelessly away. The nen stepped to the woman's side and spoke to her, but she pursued tier way with a gesture of repugnance, lint upon takiug a second look into his face doubt gave pace to joy and love, fie then borrowed a sovereign from the reporter, remarking he had found a friend, and they went away together, first, however, writing as address in the reporter's note book. . _ .  The same evening: with the aid of a little match girl tead Fanny—who later plays a prominent part in the story—the reporter found the address Antony Cowlnek lad given trim. It was in one of the poorest quarters of the city. Upon entering the room, however, he lend 'note addressed to him by Antony Cowlriek, eying that as he was unexpectedly able to pay the meniign be had borrowed, he would prefer not to bane any further communication. The writing was that of an educated man, and the sovereign was enclosed. The reporter learnt that the pretty woman wL known as "Blanche" and that she had lived bee for three months, but appeared to have no fronds. She also left a note saying good-bye to and enclosing all the money she possessed—a I.l'ung• Little more could be heard of them. We NI, return to No. 118 and find the landlady, Mrs. Pecedy, still asleep in her kitchen. Disturbed by the nide, she dreams that someone is stealthily descending the stairs to murder her also, but awakening esiienly, she nude herself actually confronting a man'e 4te, as white as her own. This proved to be Richard 31.ata,s young man who spoke with a foreign accent, 'e.no had been her lodger for some three months. He ;4:cooed to have been frightened by mysterious sonuds needing from next door, and succeeds in working Ilie.Preedy into a great state of alarm for fear of the ntstion of the house. We are also introduced to 4enf'reedy's maid of all work, "Becky," and we are kitmesed to overlook a letter aloe writes to "Fred," iu Ifnen she explains that she is acting in her present 41.4e1ty st 118, Great Porter-square, in order to solve rasttery connected with No. 119 ill the interest of Mysterious "Fred," who appears to be her lover.