i;
THE OMAIIA SUN'DAY BEE: FEBRUARY
1915.
A Detective Noyel and a Motion Picture Drama
Presented by The Omaha Bee in Collaboration with the Famous Pathe
' Players and the Eclectic Film Co.
Miss-Pearl White,
Arnold Daly and "Craig Kennedy"
The Famous Scientific Defective of Fiction.
t
!
i i
Written by Arthur B. Reeve
The Well-Known Novelist and the Creator of the "Craitf Kennedy Storici
Dramatized into a Photo-Play by Charles Goddard
Author of "The Peril, of Pauline"
Cast of Letdtaf Characters b tie Motion Picture Reproduction by the Famous Pathe Players
ELAINE DODGE. . Miss Pearl White
CRAIG KENNEDY .
HARRY DENNETT .
Everything you read here today you can
see in the fascinating Pathe Motion Pic
tures at the Motion Picture Theaters this
week. Next Sunday another chapter of
"The Exploits of Elaine" and new Pathe
reels.
mronu or rmxTxou cxaptxbs.
The New York police are mystified by a eerlea of
murdera of promlnnnt man. Tha principal clua to tha
murderor la tha warning; letter which ta aant tha vlo
tlma, elrned with a "clutching; hand." Tha lataat vic
tim of tha myaterloua afln&xnln la Taylor Dodre, tha In
auranca praldnL Ii1a daughter, Elaine, employe Craig
Xannady, tha famoun eclontlflc dateotlve, to try to un
ravel tha mvatery. What Kennedy accomplishes la toll
by hla friend, Jamaaon, a newapaper man.
Tha Clutohlna; Haiwf band attempt a darlne robbery
of a Jewelry atora. but ara follad by Kennedy. Tha
criminal kidnap Klalne and leave her to drown inalda
a ateel tank. Cralf Kennedy arrives in tha nick of time
to aava her.
CHAPTER VL
"The Vampire"
Copyright, 1118, by tha star Company.
All Foreign Hlg-hta Reaerved.
KENNEDY went the next day to the Dodge
House, and, as usual. Perry Bennett,
Elaine's lawyer, was there In the library
with Blaine, still going over the Clutch
ing Hand case In their endeavor to track
down the mysterious master criminal.
Bennett seemed as deeply as ever In lore with
Elaine. Still, as Jennings admitted Craig It waa
sufficiently evident by the manner In which Blaine
left Bennett aand ran to greet Craig that she had
the highest regard for htm.
"I've brought you a little document that may In
terest you,'! remarked Kennedy, reaching Into hla
pocket and pulling out an envelope.
Elaine tore H , open and looked at the paper'
within. .
"Oh, how thoughtful of you!" aha exclaimed In
surprise.
It. was a permit from the police made out in her
name allowing her to carry a revolver.
x moment later, Kennedy reached Into hla coat
pocket and produced a little automatic which he
handed to her. ,
"Thank you,M she cried eagerly.
Elaine examined the gun with Interest, then, rais
ing It playfully at Bennett.
"Oh, no, not" exclaimed Kennedy, taking her arm
quickly and gently, deflecting the weapon away.
"You musn't think It Is a toy. It explodes at a
mere touch of the trigger when that safety ratchet
Is turned."
Bennett had realized the danger and had Jumped
back, almost mechanically. As he did eo, he bumped
Into a suit of mediaeval armor standing by the wall,
knocking It over with, a resounding crash. ,
"I beg pardon," be ejaculated, "I'nrvery sorry.
That was very awkward of me."
Jennings, who had been busy about the por
tieres at the doorway, started to pick up the fallen
knight Some of the pieces were broken, and the
three gathered about as the butler tried to tit them
together again aa best he could.
"Too bad, too bad," apologised Bennett profusely.
"I really forgot how close I was to the thing."
"Oh, never mind," returned Elaine, a little crest
fallen, "it Is smashed allrlght but it was my fault.
Jennings, send for someone to repair it."
She turned to Kennedy. "But I do wish you would
teach me how to use this thing," she added, touch
ing the automatic gingerly.
"Gladly," he returned.
"Won't you Join us, Mr. Bennett?" asked Elaine.
"No," the young lawyer emlled. "I'm afraid I
can't. You see, I had an engagement with another
client and I'm already late."
He took his hat and coat and, with a reluctant
farewell, moved toward the hallway.
A moment later Elaine and Craig followed, while
Jennings finished restoring the armor aa nearly as
possible as it had been.
It was late that night that a masked figure suc
ceeded In raising itself to the narrow ornamental
ledge under Elaine'a bedroom window.
Elaine was a light sleeper, and besides. Rusty,
her faithful collie, now fully recovered from the
poison, was in her room.
Rusty growled and the sudden noise awakened
her.
1 Startled, Elaine instantly thought of the automa
tic She reached under her pillow, keeping very
quiet, and drew forth the gun that Craig had given
her. Stealthily concealing her actions under the
covers, she levelled the automatlo at the figure sil
houetted In her window and fired three times.
The figure fell back. -
Down la the street below the assistant of the
Clutching Hand who had waited while Taylor Dodge
was electrocuted, wa waiting as his confederate,
"Pitts Slim" which Indicated that be was both
wiry In stature and libellous In delegating his na
tivity made the attempt
As Slim came tumbling down, having fallen
lack from the window above mortally wounded, the
confederate lifted him up and carried hlmxout of
sight hurriedly.
Elaine, by this time, bad turned on the lighta
and had run to the window to look out Rusty was
barking loudly.
In a side street near by, stood a waiting autonio
bile, at the wheel of which sat another of the amis- '
t turies of the Clutching Hand. The driver looked up.
startled, as he saw his fellow hurry around the cor
ner carrying the wounded "Pitts 8Iim." It was the
work, of Juut a moment to drop the wounded man.
. Mr. Arnold Daly
Mr. Sheldon Lewi
bs comfortably as possible under the circumstances
in the rear seat, while his pals started the car off
with a Jerk In the hurry of escape.
Jennings, having hastily slipped his trousers on
over his pajamas, came running down the hall,
while Marie, frightened, came In the other direc
tion. Aunt Josephine appeared a few seconds later, '
adding to the general excitement
"What's the matter!" she asked, anxiously.
"A burglar, I think," exclaimed Elaine, etlU
holding the gun In her hand. "Someone tried to
get into my window."
"My gracious' erled Aunt Josephine, la alarm.
. ' " ' '' Wv:'y:''iy- '-
?: i'f . : ' t . " J
iMwTMy -v-J- yy,:V: yiY
&' y. yy
Holding Hla Hand Over Elaine's Mouth to Prevent Per Screaming, He Snatched
the Revolver Away Before She Could Tire It.
rnis ts trow, the Moving Virtue rilat ef -Ike JrxploJts of malaa- by the Tanteoa Vatb. wiayera.
"where will this thing end,?"
Elaine was doing her best now to quiet the fears
of her aunt, and the rest of the housenold.
"Well," she laughed, a little nervously, "now
that It was all over, I want you all to go to bed
and stop worrying about me. Don't you see I'm
perfectly able to take care of myself? Besides
there Isn't a chance now, of the burglar coming
back. Why, I shot him." '
"Yes," put In Aunt Josephine, "but"
Elaine laughingly Interrupted her, and playfully
made as though she were driving them out of her
room, although they were all very much concerned
over the affair. However, they went finally, and
she locked the door.
"Rusty," she called. "Down, there!"
The Intelligent collie seemed to understand. He
lay down by the doorway, his nose close to the bot
tom of the door, and his ears alert
Finally Elaine, too, retired again.
Meanwhile the wounded man was being hurried
to one of the bang-outs of the mysterious Cltitch
Ing Hand, an old-fashioned house In the Westches
ter suburbs. It waa a carefully hidden place, badk
from the main1 road, surrounded by trees, with a
driveway leading to It '
The car containing the wounded "Pitts Bllm"
drew up, and the other two men leaped out of It
With a hurried glance about they unlocked the
front door with a pass-key and entered, carrying
the man.
Indoors was anotker emissary of the Clutching
Hand, a rather studious looking chap.
"Why, what's the matter?" he exclaimed as the
crooks entered his room supporting their halt-fainting,
wounded pal.
"Slim got a couple of pills," they panted as they
laid him on a couch.
"How?" demanded the other.
"Trying to get Into the Dodge bouse. Elaine
did it"
Slim was, quite evidently, badly wounded and
was bleeding profusely. A glance at him was enough
for the studious-looking chap. He went to a secret
panel, and, pressing it down, took out what was ap
parently a secret house telephone.
In another part of this mysterious house waa
the secret room of the Clutching Hand, himself,
where he hid his Identity from even his most trusted
followers. It was a email room lined with books
on every conceivable branch of science that might
aid him, and containing Innumerable little odds and
ends of paraphernalia that might help In his nefari
ous criminal career.
Hla telephone rang and he took down the re
celver.
"Pitts Sllm's been wounded, badly, chief," was
all he waited to hear.
With scarcely a word he hung up the receiver,
then opened a table drawer and took out a full
face mask. Next he went to a nearby bookcase, '
pressed auother secret spring, and a panel opened.
He passed through, the mask adjusted.
Across, la the larger, outside study, another
(i
V V.. -
1 ) s.
r
'Elaine was kidnapedin
Ota la fw Us XoTtaar Vtotase XOm ef Tae
.t- .-r-. , , ,1
. -C4v .-H Jl
panel opened and the Clutching Hand, all crouched
up, transformed, appeared. Without a word he ad
vanced to the couch on which the wounded crook
lay, and examined htm.
"How did It happen?" he asked at length.
"Miss Dodge shot him," answered the others,
"with an automatlo."
"That Craig Kennedy must have given it to
her!" he exclaimed with suppressed fury.
For a moment the Clutching Hand stopped to
consider. Then he seised the regular telephone.
"Dr. Martin?" he asked, as he got the number
ce called.
Late aa It was, the doctor, who was a well
known surgeon In that part of the country, an
swered from an extension of his telephone nesr his.
bed.
The call was urgent, and apparently from a
f nil; which he did not feel he could neglect
"Yes; I'll be there In a few moments," he
jawued, hanging up the receiver and getting out
of bod.
Dr. Martin waa a middle-aged man, one of
those medical men In whose Judgment one Instinc
tively relies. From the brief description of the
hemorrhage which the Clutching Hand had cleverly
made over the wire he knew that a life was at stake.
Quickly he dressed and went out to his garage
bnck of the house to get his little runabout
It wae only a matter of minutes before the doc
tor was speeding over the now deserted suburban
roads, apparently on his errand of mercy.
At the address that had been given him he drew
up to the side of the road, got out and ran up the
steps to the door. A ring at the bell brought a
sleepy looking man to the door. In his trousers and
nightshirt .
'How's the patient?" asked Dr. Martin, eagerly.
. ;'Patient?" repeated the man, rubbing his eyes.
There's no one sick here."
"Then what did you telephone' for?" asked the
doctor peevishly.
"Telephone? I didn't call up any one. I was
asleep."
Slowly It dawned on the doctor that it was a
false alarm, and that he must be the victim of some
(radical Joke.
"Well, that's a great note," he growled, as the
man shut the door.
H- descended the steps. . muttering harsh lan
guage at some unknown trickster. As he climbed
btck into his machine and'made ready to start two
men seemed to rise before him as it from nowhere.
As a matter of fact, they had been sent there
by the Clutching. Hand and were hiding in a nearby
cellarway until their chance came.
One man stood .on the running board, -on either
side of him, and two guns yawned menacingly at
bin. ......
'Drive ahead, that way!" muttered one man,
seating himself In the runabout with his gun doee
to the doctor's ribs.
Ihe other kept his place on the running board,
and on they drove In the direction of the mysterious
. --,'
? sS j
if
1
the armor," Cried Kennedy. -
BspleMa ef BaUay ky the reaoo rathe yiarer
dart bouse. Half a mile, perhaps, down the road,
they halted and left the oar beside the walk.
Dr, Martin waa too surprised to marvel at any
thing new, and he realised that he was In the power
of tw6 desperate tnen. Quickly they blindfolded
him.
Jt seemed an Interminable walk, as they led
him about to confuse him. but at last he could feel
that they had taken him Into a house and along
passageways, which they were making unnecessarily
long In order to destroy all recollection that they
could. Finally he knew that he was In a room In
which others were present. He suppressed a shud
der at the low, menacing voices.
A moment later he felt them remove the ban
dage from his" eyes, and, blinking at the light he
could see a hard-faced fellow, pale and weak, on a
blood-stained couch. Over him bent a masked man
and another man stood near by, endeavoring by
improvised bandages to stop the flow of blood.
"What can you do for this fellow?" asked the
masked man.
Dr. Martin, seeing nothing else to do, for he waa
more than outnumbered, now, bent down and ex
amined him.
As he rose, he said, "He will be dead from loss
of blood by morning, no matter It he Is properly
bandaged."
"la there nothing that can save him?" whispered
the Clutching Hand hoarsely.
"Blood transfusion might save him," replied
the doctor. "But so much blood would be needed
that whoever gives It would be liable to die him
aelf.'f Clutching Hand stood silent a moment thinking,
as he gated at the man who had been one of hla
chief reliance. Then, with a menacing gesture,
he spoke In a low, bitter tone:
"She who shot him shall aupply the blood."
A tew quick directions followed to his subor
dinates, and as he made ready to go he muttered,
"Keep the doctor here. Don't let him stir from
the room."
Then, with the man who had aided him in the
murder of Taylor Dodge, be sallied out into the
blackness that precedes dawn.
It was Just before early daybreak when the
Clutching Hand and hla confederate reached the
Dodge house in the city and came up to the back
door, over the fences. As they stood there, the
Clutching Hand produced a master key and started
to open the door. But before he did so he took out
his watch.
"Let me see," he ruminated. VTwenty minutes
past 4. At exactly half past, i want you to do as I
told you see?"
The other crook nodded.
"You may go," ordered the Clutching Hand.
As the crook slunk away. Clutching Hand
stealthily let himself Into the house. Noiselessly he
prowled through the halls until he came to Elaine's
doorway.
He gave a hasty look up and down the hall.
There was no sound. Quickly he took a syringe
from his pocket and bent down by the door. Insert
ing the end under it. he squirted some liquid
through which vaporized rapidly In a wide, fine
stream of spray. Before he could give an alarm,
Rusty was overcome by the noxious fumes, rolled
over on his back and lay atilL
Outside, the other crook was waiting, looking at
hla watch.. As the hand slowly turned the half
hour he snapped the watch shut With a quick
glance up and down the deserted street he deftly
started up the rain pipe that passed near Elaine's
window.
- This time there was no faithful Rusty to give
warning, and the second Intruder, after a glance
at Elaine, still sleeping, went quickly to the door,
dragged the Insensible dog out of the way, turned
the key and admitted the Clutching Hand. Aa he
did so he closed the door.
Evidently the fumes bad not reached Elaine, or,
if they had. the Inrush of fresh air revived her, for
she waked and quickly reached for the gun. In an
Instant the other crook had leaped at her. Holding
his hand over her mouth to prevent her screaming,
he snatched the revolver away before the could
fire It ' N .
In the meantime the Clutching Hand had taken
out some chloroform, and, roUlng a towel in the
form of a cone, placed it over her face. She strug
gled, gasping and gagging, but the atruggles grew
weaker and weaker and finally ceased altogether.
When Elaine waa completely under the Influ
ence of the drug, they lifted her out of bed, the
chloroform cone still over her face, and quietly car
ried her to the door, which they had opened steal
thily. Downstairs they carried her until they came to
the library with Us new safe, and where they placed
her on a couch.
At an early hour an express wagon stopped be
fore the Dodge house and Jennings, half dressed,
answered the bell.
"We've come for that broken suit of armor to
be repaired," said a workman.
Jennings let the men In. The armor was still
on the stand and the repairers took armor, stand
and all, laying It on the couch, where they wrapped
tt In the covers they had brought for the purpose.
They lifted it up and started to carry It out.
"Be careful," cautioned the thrifty Jennings.
Rusty, now recovered, waa barking and sniffing
at the armor.
"Kick the mutt off," growled one man.
The other did so, and Rusty snarled and snapped
at him. Jennings took him by the collar and held
him as the repairers went out, loaded the armor
on the wagon, and drove off.
Scarcely had they gone, while Jennings straight
ened out the disarranged library, when Rusty be
gan Jumping about, barking furiously. Jennings
looked at him In amazement as the dog ran to the
window and leaped out.
He had no time to look, after the dog, though,
for at that very Instant he heard a voice calling,
"Jennings, Jennings!"
It was Marie, almost speechless. He followed her
as she led the way to Miss Elaine's room. There
Marie pointed mutely to the bed.
Elaine was not there.
There, too, were her clothes, neatly folded, as
Marie bad hung them for her.
"Something must have happened to her," walled
Marie.
Jennings was now thoroughly alarmed.
Meanwhile the express wagon outside was driv
ing off, with Rusty tearing after It
"What's the matter?" cried Aunt Josephine,
coming In where the footman and the maid were ar
guing what was to be done.
She gave one look at her bed, the clothes and
the servants.
"Call Mr. Kennedy! " she cried in alarm.
"Elaine Is gone no one knows how or where."
announced Craig, as be leaped out of bed that
morning to answer the furious ringing of our tele
phone bell.
It was very early, but Craig dressed hurriedly,
and I followed as best I could, for be bad the start
of me, tleless and collarless.
When we arrived at the Dodge house Aunt Jose
phine and Marie were fully dressed. Jennings let
us In.
"What has happened?" demanded Kennedy
breathlessly.
While Aunt Josephine tried to tell him, Craig
was busy examining the room.
"Let us see the library." he said at length.
, Accordingly down to the library we went Ken
nedy looked about He seemed to miss something.
"Where Is the armor?" he demanded.
. "Why, the men came for It and took It away to
repair," answered Jennings.
Kennedy's brow clouded In deep thought
Outside we had left our taxi waiting. The door
was open and a new footman, James, was sweeping
the rug, when past him flashed a dishevelled hairy
streak.
We were all standing there still a Craig ques
tioned Jennings about the armor. With a yelp
Rusty tore frantically Into the room. A moment be
stopped and barked. We aU looked at bim In sur
prise. Then, aa no one moved, he seemed to sin
gle out Kennedy. "lie seized Craig's coat in his teeth
and tried to drag him out
"Here, Rusty down, sir, down! called Jen
nings. "No; Jennings, no," Interposed Craig. "What's
the matter, old fellow?"
Craig patted Rusty, whose big . brown eyes
seemed mutely appealing. Out of the doorway he
went barking still. Craig and I followed, whUe
the rest stood In the vestibule.
Rusty was trying to lead Kennedy down the
street.
"Wait here," called Kennedy to Aunt Josephine,
as he stepped with me on the running board of the
cab. "Go on. Rusty; good dog!"
Rusty needed no urging. With- an eager yelp he
started off, still barking, ahead of us, our ear fol
lowing. On we went much to the astonishment of
those who were on the street at such an early hour.
It seemed miles that we went, but at last we
came to a peculiarly deserted looking house Here
Rusty turned in and began scratching at the door.
We Jumped off the cab and followed.
The door was locked when we tried It and from
Inside we could get no answer. We put our should
ers to it, and burst It in. Dusty gave a leap for
ward with a Joyous bark.
We followed more cautiously. There were
pieces of armor strewn all over the floor. Rusty
sniffed at them and looked about, disappointed,
then bowled.
I looked from the armor to Kennedy In blank
amazement
"Tlalne was kidnapped in the armor," he
cried'.
He was right. Meanwhile, the armor repairers
had stopped at last at this apparently deserted
house, a strange sort of repair shop, still keeping
U wrapped In blankets, they had taken the armor
rut of the wagon and now laid It down on an old
broken bed. Then they had unwrapped It and
taken off the helmet
There was Elaine!
She had been stupefied, bound and gagged.
Piece after piece of the armor they removed, find
ing her still only conscious.
"Sh! What'a that?" cautioned one of the men.
They paused and listened. Sureenongh, there
was a sound outside. They opened the window
cautiously. A dog was scratching on the door, en
deavoring to get in. It was Rusty.
"I think It's her dog." said the man, turning.
"We'd better let him in. Someone might see him.'
The other nodded and a moment later the door
opened and In ran Rusty. . Straight te Elaine he
went starting to lick her hand.
"Right her dog." exclaimed Che other
(Continued on Page Nina, Column Three-),
i.
I