10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

got rid of the body. They didn’t even fingerprint him, That's a damn sight better than just heaving the stiff outta the car and havin’ him checked for a record. I gotta admit, chief, that you got brains. How did the job turn out? Did I hold the cops long enough ?” “Yeah. We cracked a jewelry store for ten grand. Let’s get started on to- night’s job.” Stone became aware of voices be- hind him. The proprietor of the to- baeco store and one other man were hurrying through the passage. “TI tell you that guy came down here. He knocked me cold, but I can take it. I woke up and I heard the trapdoor close in the back room.” The door ahead of Stone flew open. Welton and four other men peered through it. Each was armed with a sawed-off shotgun. One of the men coming through the tunnel saw him. A gun cracked and dirt showered down Stone’s collar. He snapped a single shot and saw the gunman go down. The store owner ducked toward the ground. He lifted his gun and called a warning. “Look out, chief. I’m gonna mow this rat down. He trailed Welton in here.” “You foot!’ the leader of the mob whirled on Welton and smashed him with the stock of his gun. Welton col- lapsed. Stone fired. The store owner screamed in agony and fell flat. Like a flash Stone made a dive back over the route along which he had come. Behind him a shotgun blasted. Stone threw himself flat on the ground. It was hopeless. In a tumnel of this size a shotgun didn’t even have to be aimed. Its spray of shot was bound to hit somewhere. “Stand up, you lousy stool pigeon,” the leader’s rasping voice ordered. “Stand up or we'll blow you apart.” Slowly Stone arose and lifted his arms. While he lived, there was hope; and he wouldn’t live long if he dis- obeyed. Sgt around and walk ale here,” came the command and Stone followed. 3 it. He stepped into the small room in the cellar of the old factory. Instantly he recognized the leader of the mob. “Hello, Murtha,” he smiled a little. “Who the hell are you?” Murtha de- manded and Stone could see his trig- . ger finger whiten. “Hey!” One of the other crooks pressed forward eagerly. “I know this guy. It’s that cop who was talkin’ to Welton in the room with Tony, the dead guy. I watehed him with field glasses and I know his mug.” “A wise cop, huh?’ Murtha grim- aced. “How’d you get wise to this joint?” Stone shrugged. “I saw Welton walk in here and I thought fd ask him if the dead roomer had been buried.” “You’re a liar,” Murtha snarled. “You tailed him here. Okay, flatfoot, ial gui cameras I can use you “Tie this ret ae cil coer files trae joint. Tie him to a chair near a win- dow. Don’t gag him. We’ll set this dump on fire and let him yell for help. They'll never save him, but he’ll draw every prowl car for a mile around to this place. We’re gonna crack the Ambassador Theatre. There’s about twenty grand in the safe now. Hurry up, boys, there ain’t much time to lose, and I wanta hear this guy yell, any- Stone struggled futilely in the grip of his captors. Some one slammed the barrel of a shotgun over his head. He wilted, half conscious. Swept off his feet, he was carried up four flights of stairs. A heavy chair was dragged to an open window and he was dropped into it. Ropes lashed him to the chair while Murtha stood aside and laughed. “This is the best job yet,” he gloat- ed. ‘““Wait until the flames start roast- ing you, flatfoot. Then holler like hell so all your pals will try to save you. But they won’t. This whole floor is gonna be encaned ee ees: SEs: = ae oe = = | ant aa 4 Ei - Daya 5) LLH | =, = ert = = IVA G haw An LE a ee COM VALL yh AN PAW italy Tron y) j i] 7 : WAY ‘4 / pater § Tetee : rey Sia) wae oy ‘ i $e ge os' hae ised : ALTA IP ¢ ivory th H AMM ee Ole f t tH a eis Dy . “ ree | yee Pe of nls te ee te . mee The i Mh, ‘ 4 J lh ‘] T. . >| yf 3 i AN «| ‘ < Apt} iy . Sf oe Ay) Mot S82) Wee. Lu) sith ad af. ~ A LPR: Ty \ Be a 4 : y ; : VP an f Lh) ay m) 4 hn : | Me oe hy RT 2 a SEs. ey Ae e. Tai AT 7 SOW Ris am hay tie kth Die iC ON Be aaa thy LAr aye , ia” ‘S ime tor)