Show 1 ma VE VVE arro bedger 11 by 0 pub the man who fell through the earth OHN OCONNOR OK a ganger gauger g asing ing i JOHN to his place of employment was seen crossing london bridge one morn ing but after that d sapp eared as corn com plemely elyas as though he had bad fallen through the earth what added to the mystery was the fact that 0 connor was very v well ell known along the london docks he ile was an expert in bis his line and never without a job that such a man could drop out of 0 bight without leaving a single trace behind him seemed to be incredible yet the records of tb the e police de apartment part ment show that thousands of men and women disappear every year and are never heard of afterward the authorities in the course of their investigation made a tour of all the hospitals and morgues but with out success the case became famous and it was generally referred to as the mystery of the man who tell fell through the earth inspector fox was designated by scotland tard yard to follow up the in and he plunged into it with a great deal of enthusiasm ills colleagues taunted him with the hopelessness of the quest saying T that nothing would ever come of it but fox was nor not discouraged in the least he ile determined to use his brains as well as his feet so after reviewing the whole affair in his mind he put to himself this query who was the woman in the case easel then he proceeded to answer it by personal investigations along this line ile learned that in his younger days 0 connor was looked upon as a good catch among the ladies in the course of his inquiries the detective found that 0 connor had been smitten with a pretty swiss girl named raux she had once been in the service of the duchess of sutherland and though t well of herself 0 connor paid her constant attention and event bally asked her to marry him she did not positively refuse him but postponed a definite answer in the meanwhile 0 connor dincov ered that she was also receiving at jentons ten tent tons lons from samuel manning an em ein of I 1 the he great western railway the rivalry continued tor for quite a while and between the two men pretty marie marle managed to have a pleasant time eventually however the girl mar ried manning 0 connor oconnor was disappointed appointed dig but he took his defeat very philosophically he was as a good natured man with a happy disposition and he continued his friendship with mr and mrs man ning at at this stage of the investigation detective rox made an important dis covery it was that on the august evening of the day he disappeared 0 connor oconnor had made an engagement to take tale din ner with the mannings at their home in minerva place bermondsey Bermond sey two of his friends met him as he 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 to interview mrs manning she expressed surprise w when hen told of the disappearance of the gauger gaer but was quite willing to tell all she s he knew she said he had called at their house on the evening in question had dined with them and left early we came to the door t to 0 say good by to him she declared and his last words were I 1 will go home now and get a good nights night s sleep for I 1 have a hard day days s v u ork bea ro re me to morrow A week later fox returned turned re to the manning home and found that it was empty he ile made a thorough search of the premises and in the cellar noticed that some of the tiling had been moved from the floor ile dug down into it and found the dead body of gauger 0 connor then he made a search of 0 con nor nors s rooms and found a package of love letters from mrs manning eventually mr and mrs manning were arrested in edinbur gh A trial proved that they had jointly murdered 0 connor for his money and both of them were sentenced to death service |