The Mysteries of the Court of London Vol. 4 — page 376: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

6 pment een eeis 0 as Sie ye meherermendiely | ee 46e, ee oe — —= 2. ee — eS SE See eee ee 8 eee, ee eee eee ee ~———,, eee ee ee gee ee ow ee ee ee a a eee ee ee ee Fe a" ~ Qe eg me _— «See gees cee se Oe ow ee ee eg er eS ee ey ee ig (Ege ee doe = =ewo == etie —_=_ — == 610) ® e tn a ° THE MYSTERUES a they might anti€ipate any attempt at escape on the part of the Hinvinan, should be take the alarm before his capture could ne acegmplished. Two men were left to watgh.in the street; two were sentéruund to obtam admission into one of the houses the bick windows of which overlooked the yard th the rear of Humpage’s establishment;— and when these dispositions “were made, Larry Sampson, attended by his two remaiving followers, knocked at the front door of the habitation. Several minutes elapsed, and the summons re- celx-d no answer, Samp-on now suspected that something was wrong; and without waitiug to re- Peat that summous, he at once ordered an entry to be effected by breaking open the shutters of one of the wind ?ws on the ground flour. ‘Bhis was speedily dene; and the officer, with a loaded piztol in his hand, was the first to enter the house, his two comrades following close behind. Taney were now in one of thp spactous*ware-rooms of the establishment; and havisg assured themsedves that no one was cone aled wi that part of the pre- mises, they furced open the @oor, which was always carefully lovked at night, and thus effected an entry into the passage on the grouyl floor. All the lower part of the house being searched in vain, they asceuded tuo the fir-t storey; and there, in the midlle of the passage, they discovered the c rpse of the housefeencr. The old woman was quite deads and the fearful marks adjon her neck, as well as the hideous distoriion of her counte- hanev, showed at oues by what means her murder bal beeu acceutplssed, ‘The discovery of old » deremy’s body in the sed %hambee followed next; and the open door of the safe proved that robbery had accompanied inurder. That all these crimnes were the horrible work of the Hangman, there could vot be the slightest duubt; and that he had saved himself by flyht was naturally conceived. Nevertheless, Larrs Simpson iostituted the strictest search through- gut the establishment: every apartinent was en tered, save aud exe-pting that secret revom which served as the laboratory fur the murdered fence. Without cutertgining the slightest saspicion that there was such a yace within those wails, Larry Sampson and his two men issued forth again from the house; but in so doing, they perceived that the street duvr was bolted and chained inside {t was therefore clear enough that the Hangman had not quitted the premises by this meaus of egress; aud inasmuch as throughout the search just concluded n» open windew ner other Indj- cation of fligit had met the officer’s notice, Larry resolved to go over the entire establishmenteonce more. This he did without discovering the slight- est clue which to his experienced eye could afford an indication of the course taken by the murdere: when he quitted the house. the Hanginan had still remained concealed goine- where upon the premises? Sampson scarcely thought it likely ; and yet he did not feel justified in abandoning the search as yet. Leaving the two men who were With him to keep watch inside the house, Larry Sunpson pro- cecded round tuo that dwelling where two others of his inen had obtained admission in order te wateh from the back windows j—iand ‘ron that romt where they were already posted, Mid Larry unnsen gow survey all the back part of Huam- e ® r Was it possible that. wet se OS een eo ee Oe ee eee = ter 9} eee = Tl i | OF THE OOURT. page’s establishment. His keen eye very goon, observed that there was one window on ‘the second storey which was boarded up, and painted in suoh @ manner as to have the appexrance of being - uniform with the dingy brickwork itself, so as to conceal the existence of a window there altogether, Sauipson’s attention was first drawn to this con- trivance by the appearance of two small dark spots which strack him to be intended as av- holes; aud on a ‘more scrutinizing survey he was enabled to trace the outlines of the shutters that blocked up the window. He then studied the exict position of this coucealed window in reftr- ence to the adjacent ones on the same floor; and with all tRese facts well arranged in his clear and comprehensive miod, he bd#tened back again to the scens of the double murder. Ou rejoining his two followers whom he had left in charge of the establishment, he told them what he had seen, intimating his suspicion that there was some hidden nook’ closet, or chamber in the house which had hitherto escaped their investiga- tion. To the second floor did they acourdingly re-ascend, and proceeded to examine the two chambers between which the laboratory was sita- ated. Now that they were on the right scent, and that their suspicions were directed in the proper channel, it was not difficult to arrive at the con- clusion that between the two chambers there was quite sufficient room for a amaller one, Their next step was to examine the woodwork in the pssage: but there they discovered no indication ofa door, Of course Larry Sampson was not to b: beffled: he felt asaured that though he per- ceived not the slightest sign of a duor, he was n’vertheless standing upon tlre threshold of an iipurtapt discovery. He therefore despatohed ove of his man to fetch the nearest carpenter in the neighbourhvod-——or at all events to borrow a hatchet and the other necessary implementa for breaking down the wainscot of the passage. Jn about a quarter of an hour the runner ree turned, secompanied by a carpenter with his basket of tools at his back. The work of demo- ition then commenced; and in a very few ni:nutes it became appurent enough that there was really a door, most curiously contrived and admirably con- ceale:’, in that place. But even before it was completely broken down, and als@ before the wood-work ws perforated in such a way as to affurd a glimpse of the interior of the laboratory, the carpenter's hatchet suddenly struck upon the S:dden spring— and the door opened of its own aceord, : Then did a terrible malediction, accompanied by a ferocious howl like that of a wild Deast, burst forth from the interior of the hidden chamber — hidden now no louger: aud Larry Sampson coolly observed, “ It is he.” ; The next instant tHe Hangaan, holding a loaded pistol in each hand, and bis croWbar between his teeth, sprang forth, ag if the same wild beast that diad given the savage growl waa now desperately turning upon its enemies. Qoe of his weapons, aimed point blauk at Larry Sampson, fortunately flished in the pan: the other, levelled at the car- p- nter, missed him by a hair's breadth and lodged is bullet in the wainseut facing the door of the lab ratory. Then, ere he had time to make sny farthcr attempt at resistance, or to achieve any ’ erate reesy =) sew eels SO UE ee ee Oe 9 wees PE a COMMU CY) AOOIKK = CO