EXPLOITS OF THE ONE-EYED MAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13397, 28 January 1907, Page 3

EXPLOITS OF THE ONE-EYED MAN.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.]

BY EDWARD TOWLKK. [ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.]

PROLOGUE. Tiik Britannic drew alongside the Prince's landing-stage at Liverpool, and the One eyed Man stepped briskly along the gangway to the shore. The voyage was ended, and lit; was glad ; but as he whistled softly to himself the thought ran through his mind that possibly to others his arrival in England would not, be so welcome. His face was lean and dirk, and a pair of bushy eyebrows, nearly meeting at the junction of the nose, gave a sinister look to a countenance that did not require the added detail of a missing eve., to accentuate its evil aspect. It. was a face that made people shudder involuntarily, and if ho had lived in the Middle Ages lie would probably have made an early acquaintance with the stake for being possessed of an evil eye. His thin lips were compressed tightly, although at the comers there lurked what, might, be fitly described as the ghost of a wintry smile, for he never smiled openly. His dress was a quiet Scotch tweed, grey in colour, and he carried a, portmanteau in his hand and a rug over his arm. Such was the per- | sonality of the man who was destined to make England ring with his exploits. He had booked under the name of Jonathan P. Brown, of Jersey City, U.S.A., and had an intermediate ticket from New York to Liverpool. On landing he went straight to the General Post Office and inquired for letters or telegrams. He was handed a telegram. It was addressed to James P. Smyth, of Pittsburg, and from this it will be gathered that the One-eyed Man was paiticular neither as to his name, nor his address. He tore the envelope open and read : "Dear father.— Come home at once: James very bad. So hope, Given up."

Again the wintry smile played about tiic thin, haul mouth, and the one eye gleamed with cat like brilliancy ; then lie went straight to the Linie-fifreet Railway Station, and night found him at the door of a house oil' the Kitston Road, ill London. He hesitated a moment before knocking; indeed, upon second thoughts, he drew a latchkey from his pocket and quietly let himself in. For a moment he stood in the hall, then silently stepped up to the closed door of a room, on the left .side of a passage, and listened.

" 1 tell you," said a voice, '"I cure no mole lor your One-eyed Man than J do for that pot dog on the mantelpiece.''

A second voice said, I'm with you there. Thcie's a lot too much fuss made over him. We -do the work, he collars the dollars, rot him 1"

"1 say,"' said the first, "what's bis j name —his real name, I mean'.' lie's aliases : by the score, but hang me if f know who I he is, although I. as it were, work for | him." "(.'all him anything. Down in Jersey City he's known as Captain Nick. 'Frisco j knows him as the One-eyed Boss, and to | you and. me he's known as No. 1," said I the .second.

"Say." said the first, "what became of the balance of that haul he made on the Grand Trunk Railway last fall? There was a hundred thousand dollars, but only fifty ■ thousand whacked out;" ■

"There vim have me," answered the other.

"Well, I've had enough. i shall split. and you and I know enough to get him a liter. There's twenty thousand dollars' reward for him in the States. That's ten thousand piece—what, do you say?" '* lie's a terror to handle, I admit," said the other. 'Hut, hang it! we're not kid:-. I'm with you. We'll blow the gaff on him to-morrow." "Where is lie now'.'" asked the first. The door opened, and the One-eyed Man stopped iii. "' He is here," he said, quietly. he two men. seated! one on each side of the fire, sprang to their feet, then dropped hack speechless. I he One-eyed Man took a chair between litem and the door, surveyed them silently for a tew minutes, and then said, "i knew you were about to give the show away, James Thornton, but as for you. Kiehard Grant, wvll, i confess I have been deceived in you. ]><> you know what you have in', red'.' Fools!" he went on, fiercely, his rye blazing with passion. " Fools, to pit your addled brains against mini-! Dili you think J should not tumble to your game! If you are false there are men in my league true as steel, and, though you did not think it, .even though I am thousands of miles away, eyes watch on my account, and, by heaven, my one eye is worth a hundred of your four, you blind rat:;!''

'['he two men cowered in their chairs.

"You tire two men,"' he went on, sneeringly ; " you said so only just now. I even think Mr. Grant went so far as to admit you were not 'kids,' if 1 caught the words aright through the door; did you not, Mr. Grant?" Grant did not speak, but his grey face told a- mortal terror.

Never mind,"

went on the other,

"silence gives consent. And you, James Thornton, what of your catechism of my conduct? A hundred thousand dollars from the bullion ear and only fifty thousand whacked' out, as you so vulgarly term it. Well, do we not pay the master mind 50 per cent.? Do I not plan these schemes? Is it not my brain which conceives them? Does the private soldier get the pay of flic general in command? No. Well, no more do you. You are but privates, and poor ones at that, but you shall be paid. Yes. by heaven, you shall, and this time you will not grumble at your reward, for your wages, shall be paid in full to-night, now, once for all. Men who threaten me do not live to carry out that threat. Do you remember Sam Hankey? He thought, as you did. Ah! I see you do. Well, that should have given you food for reflection before making your rash resolves. '

The man addressed as James Thornton essayed to speak, but his tongue clove to his month, and when he did manage to stutter out a sound it resolved itself in the one word "Mercy." Before the man Grant could utter a. protest the One-eyed Man whipped a peculiar-looking pistol from his pocket, pointed! it at Thornton, pressed the tripper, and the nan fell dead. There was no smoke, no noise; it was an absolutely silent death. The murderer turned to Grant, who had watched, horrorstruck.

"What devilry is this? Is he dead? No, he can't be," he cried. "He is. unfortunately, Mr. Grant; but there is no devilry. This pistol is simply an ingenious invention of my own. It is on the pneumatic system of compressed air, so to speak, and has the advantage, as you have just seen, of being absolutely silent."

You will not shoot me? Spare me !" wailed Grant in an agony of terror, but he might have spoken to the wall, for almost unnoticed, so diabolical was the mechanism of the weapon, tlie One-eyed Man again fired, and Grant spun round and fell in a heap beside the body of the other man.

The One-eyed Man. went through their pockets silently and swiftly, taking only papers and letters, so as to leave no clue to their identity. Then, going to the mirror, he took something from a small box in his pocket, and inserted it in his empty eye-socket. When he turned from the glass lie was no longer the One-eyed Man. He had now two eyes, and it would have taken a clever detective to know him for the same man. Then he put on a moustache with some spirit gum, and silently left the house with its dreadful secret.

An hour brought him to another house, mi the borders of Notting Hill. This lime he knocked, and the door whs opened by a, man who greeted him cordially. " I got your wire at Liverpool," remarked the One-eyed Man, after the door hud been closed;' "and, thanks to your information that James was very bad, I called to see him, and found friend Grant also very bad, so bad that, as you said, theie was no hope for him." '"Go on," said the other, eagerly. "They would both have sold you to the police." The One-eyed -Man smiled grimly. "Do you remember Sam Hankey?" Ik- said.

"Great Scott! yes," said the other. "Well, James lias died. There was v no hope, as you said. Things had gone too far, and, fortunately. Grant is dead also." "Good heavens! that's quick!" "The case needed immediate attention, my friend. Now to business. Have you got all the details for the next coup?" "They're here." replied the other, and as tin- One-eyed man leant over the papers he said : "Now for the. first deed that will make the London police aware that a smarter man than they ever met is amongst them!"

L— THIS EAST ANGLIAN HANK ROBBERY.

The scene of the events here related was the east coast of England. In a small. straggling village not more than six miles from a railway centre the occupants of a small room, two in number, were conning a. cyclist's road map of the district. They were the One-eyed Man ami his lieutenant, who went by the name of "Greaser"' among the gang, from some trace of Mexican blood in him ; but in the village be was known by the more euphonious name of Rowlands Tl Rowlands. The One-eyed Man's cognomen was Henry J. Macassar, They had been lodging in Sheringham for four weeks, ostensibly for health and pleasure. ' With little excursions, fishing on the Broads, and other mild pursuits, such as sketching, they wiled away the daylight hours, whilst, night saw them in the sanctity of their bedroom scanning, by the aid of an oil lamp, the contour of the coast and the roads therefrom.

On the night in question, they were completing the details of their plan, and were poring over the map, when the One-eyed Man spoke abruptly. " Here's the spot." he said, pointing with his finger to a dot on the coast.

His lieutenant, leaning >ver his left shoulder, read "Cloy."

•That's it." continued the One-eyed Man: "nice a.nd quiet, and a good road through to Holt and Fakeiihaiii. and so on to I'eterhoro'. Good road to double back to Norwich or through to London. Are the tires all right''"

" Light as the mail," said the other

"Well, to-morrow night the Submarine will lie off ('.'ley. and we .shall ship on her the proceeds of our inlih.-iy of the Last Anglian Hank in Norwich easily in an hour, barring accident to the Panbnrd. J fix the time for beginning operations at 3.30 p.m." "Gieat snakes! Broad daylight!" almost veiled the: lieutenant. j The One-eyed Man looked coldly at him. "I'm afraid. Greaser, you have got to leal that my method of procedure differs somewhat from that of the common or garden individual who prowls round with a dark lantern and a jemmy." "Oh, I knew you were a clinker at the game. Boss: hut whoever cracks a crib then? And a hank at that! Why. the clerks will lie there!"

"They will not. for the bank shuts at three, and most of them go almost upon the stroke. Hut, granted one or two arc left, they will be your special charge, Mr. (Leaser."

" I suppose. Boss, you do not mind informing me how you purpose proceeding; 1 am thick-headed enough to be totally in the dark."

The One-eyed Man smiledl through his. tliiu lips almost pityingly sit the Greaser, who sat opposite to him. "You poor fool,"' lie said—"you poor fool! I doubt if 1 shall ever make a master of you. And yet I had! hopes"—and again. he smiled upon. him. "Do you think 1 am going to throw a dynamite bomb on the bank, or what'.'" "1 tell you 1 don't know." growled the other sullenly, with red temper showing dully on his cheek an indication the Oneeyed Man noted, for a quarrel with the Greaser on the eve of a big haul was not to be thought of. He hastened! to conciliate him.

"Listen, my friend," lie said. "I have here a list (if the names of the leading directors of the bank, and the first and foremost is that of its chairman, Lord Amberstonc. To-morrow afternoon, about, two o'clock, you go to the manager and deliver a uote, asking him. to aeeoni]>uiiy you to the Maid's Head Hotel at 2.30 to meet the chairman upon important business. He is a new manager, and does not know Lord Amlierslonc personally. I rely upon -tli.it for the success of my scheme. Von will conduct him to me in my private room, and, still in the character of my servant, you will await my orders. The Submarine has instructions to he off Cley at 7 p.m. The skipper—Bresei, the Italian—will land in a patent collapsible boat, and meet us a. little to the westward of the Rocket Tower on the beach. He will hide the beat in the scrubby grass that lies alongside and wail for us at the back of the huge seawall of stones. We. meet, him with the stuff in our motor, stow it aboard, and there yon are"!" " You forget the- coastguard," said the Greaser. " 1 do not," said 1 the One-eyed Man. sharply. " I ask you, am lin the habit of forgetting things 'like that? He does not go to his rounds till nearly eight o'clock. Haven't we been moth-hunting in that beastly marsh for weeks only to ascertain the time of his rounds? We take the motor down the road to the Rocket station, and there you are!" "Well, the. plan should answer." said the Greaser in reply. "Anyway, I'm on. Now let's go to bed. By the way, what do you expect to get in the way of boodle?" "Well, I reckon on twenty thousand pounds in hard cash. Is that decent enough, Mr. Greaser?" The Greaser did not answer, but smiled hugely. The next afternoon, at the appointed time, a smart servant handed in a note for the manager of the East Anglian Century Bank, and that gentleman, upon seeing the I distinguished signature at the foot, viz., " Amberstone," hastened without demur to accompany the messenger to the Maid's Head Hotel,"where- he was ushered into his *' lordship's" presence. His " lordship" was a perfect type of an old country gentleman : his white moustache, florid face. closely-cropped beard, and dark eyes making a striking picture. "Ah!" lie said, pleasantly, "you are Mr.—" "CmLis, my lord," put in the other. " Curtis, the manager of the bank. Well, Mr. Curtis, you have no doubt heard of the Amberstone pearls—priceless heirlooms?" The manager bowed. "It is my intention to give a garden ! party at my place, here in Norfolk, and ; l.adv Amberstone desired me to bring the I jewels from London so that she might ; wear them in the evening. I have done | so, and, not wishing to run any unnecessary risk, I wish you to place them in your safe until the day of the garden party. " With pleasure, my lord. I—" j "Pardon me, Mr. Curtis, but my fads i as to the precautions for the safety of my I pearls are great. You know sometimes, : try how you will, the fact leaks out that I they are here or there, and then there is j trouble. Three times, Mr. Curtis, have ■ there b' io n attempts to steal them. You I will not wonder, therefore, at my anxiety." j "My lord, it. is only natural." "Now, Mr. Curtis, you close at three, 1 do you not?" i " Yes, mv lord."

"Is it possible to bring my motor into j the private yard at the rear"of your premises about 3.15. and for you to" take me j to your strong-room, that' I may myself j see them placed in the safe? The jewelI cases are enclosed in two strong despatch boxes. My servant will cany them." "'lt is a trifle irregular, my lord, but—" "Tut, tut, Mr. Curtis! the board will j certainly not censure you for obliging its i chairman."

"1 am in your hands, my lord," said tho manager, obsequiously, not daring for the moment to run counter to the wishes of his "head." "Well, Mr. Curtis, you may return and prepare, if you will, the receipt for two jewel-cases, "and I will be there shortly.

By (he way, I do not want a lot of obtrusive clerks near; you know my anxiety, for the safety of Lite jewels, Mr. Curtis." "They will be gone, my lord. It is Mi* quiet season, and we arc not busy. The bank will be practically shut, except, of course, lor the porter. 'Ho will be sweeping up. so that you will not be subject to any notice, nor can they talk outside about your visit, my lord." " I hat is my point exactly, Mr. Curtis. It is through lie idle chatter of clerks that things one wishes kept secret become public property." " on need have no fear, my lord." "Thank you, Mr. Curtis," and he bowed the manager out.

Promptly at the time appointed a smart motor containing my lord" and his confidential servant drove into the private yard belonging to the bank. His lordship was magnificently tired in a fur coat— for if was November —and looked the aristocrat, from the crown of Ins fashionable motor-cap to the soles of his American boots. His lieutenant, the Greaser, rang the bell, but his arrival had been noted, for before his hand was away from the button the obsequious manager was smiling at the dour.

"This way, mr lord." he said, "this way,' ' and the bogus Lord Anilierstono stepped iii. followed by the lieutenant, carrying the two cases.

Arrived at the strong-room, the manager swung open the. massive door. At the same moment the Greater dropped the boxes, and seized the unsuspecting manager from behind. The One-eyed Man promptly clapped a chloroform sponge, against his mouth and nose. There was a convulsive struggle ; but the Greaser had * grip of iron, and held the manager like a vice for a moment or two, when his struggles ceased.

" Let go." said the One-eyed Man. and the inanimate' form of the manager was laid inside the room with another pad over his mouth for safety. "Quick, now, Greaser! Slip two or three boxes in the cases." The sham jewel-boxes were opened, and the Greaser transferred two of the bank cash-boxes, filled with coin of the realm, into one. while the One-eyed Man rapidly transferred a couple more to the other. Then, staggering under the weight, the Greaser started for daylight' and the car, while the One-eyed Man kept watch and ward. The Greaser had reached the passage leading to the outside door when the porter came in sight. "Is youi —" were the only words the latter spoke, for the Greaser, like, his master, did not. stop at trifles, neither did he leave anything to chance. The cash was dropped upon the lioor .and silently thai diabolical air pistol did its work. Without even a groan the wretched man sank upon the floor. The Greaser callously pushed the body on otic side, and, picking up the box. continued bis interrupted course, deposited his cash in the secret chamber of the car. and returned. "Anything to report?" said the Oneeyed iuaii. ' " Mel the porter, Boss." "Well?" " Dropped him, as per instructions-" "Good! Take, these now, and 1 ' will' bring two more. Thirty thousand in cash is not. had." The Greaser did as he was bid, and then the One-eyed Man shut the doors of the strong- vaults, and the locks snapped with a vicious click. The. Greaser stopped. "Boss." he. said—"Boss." " Well'.'" "(rood heavens! Boss, .there's thai pout beggar inside. When he comes round he'll die like a, rat in a trap." .«* «<?*'.? The One-eyed Man's voice was metallic in its hardness. ,;~„ 1,,;.,.;.,, ;, "Greaser," he said, "be pleased to allow mo a free hand. My plans, my deals, my work are the products of my brain, and I allow no man to question me. Now silence !"

" Hut, Boss—" "Shut up!" hissed the One-eyed Man, "Isn't thirty thou' good enough for yon'.' And you've' got the porter on your own shoulders." . '. "

The Greaser said no more. Without the slightest obstruction, and unquestioned by a soul, they started the motor-car out of the bank yard and turned into the main street of the city, then, making for the Aylsham Road, disappeared in the fog of the dull November afternoon. The whole

tiling had only taken fifteen minutes to carry out, and the clock at the Guildhall ■ showed only 3.40 as they .slipped by in the car. It was exactly an hour and ten minutes afterwards that the Rocket (Station at Salthouse Beach came into bight, and a rural policeman's heart beat with joy, for between Cromer and Sheringham they were booked for exceeding the speed limit; but. needles to add, the Cromer Bench; were short of a defendant when the* case was eventually called.

Salthouse was deserted, and as the car,, with its lights out slipped down the roadway over the marsh to the .sea, it was as a place of the. dead. As they reached the station the car was brought to a, standstill, and a man sprang up, gave a signal that the Boss answered, and then the. boxes wore carried into the- Bertlion boat and transhipped to the, Submarine. The Oneeyed. Man and the Greaser went aboard, and two members of the crew, totally different in build and dress, took their places in the motor and drove it back to London. Meanwhile the Submarine disap-.. peared under the waves and sailed for her secret mooring-place. The next morning-, not. Norfolk alone, but the whole of Eng-, land, rang with the news of the crime; 1 but of the perpetrators there was absolutely no clue. But the huge haul by no means satisfied the cupidity of the One-eyed Man. ■_ Nor would bis vaulting ambition permit him to rest content with his ill-gotten but ample gains. He craved for notoriety, no matted how unenviable, and so, long before the British public and the police had ceased to wonder at the audacity of t.he Norwich Bank robbery, he sent a thrill of horror through the country by an even more astounding exploit.

Next Monday: " THE AFFAIR OF THE SPECIE VAN," another amazing adventure of the One-eyed Man.