morning we went to Liverpool. There
we visited the police, and I asked to have a warrant taken out for the
apprehension of Murdock.

The superintendent, on hearing my tale, suggested that we should go at
once to Murdock's house in Melville Gardens. We did so, but it was
empty, Murdock, his wife, and Wickham having thought it best to decamp.
The superintendent insisted, however, on having the house searched, and
in a dark closet at the top we came upon a most extraordinary
contrivance. This was no less than an exact representation of the
agent's head and neck in wax. In it was a wonderfully skilful imitation
of a human larynx, which, by a cunning mechanism of clockwork, could be
made exactly to simulate the breathing and low moaning of a human being.
This the man had, of course, utilized with the connivance of his wife
and Wickham in order to prove an alibi, and the deception was so
complete that only my own irresistible curiosity could have enabled me
to discover the secret. That night the police were fortunate enough to
capture both Murdock and Wickham in a Liverpool slum. Seeing that all
was up, the villains made complete confession, and the whole of the
black plot was revealed. It appeared that two adventurers, the worst
form of scoundrels, knew of Cressley's great discovery in Western
Australia, and had made up their minds to forestall him in his claim.
One of these men had come some months ago to England, and while in
Liverpool had made the acquaintance of Murdock. The other man, Wickham,
accompanied Cressley on the voyage in order to keep him in view, and
worm as many secrets as possible from him. When Cressley spoke of his
superstition with regard to the turret room, it immediately occurred to
Wickham to utilize the room for his destruction. Murdock proved a ready
tool in the hands of the rogues. They offered him an enormous bribe.
And then the three between them evolved the intricate and subtle details
of the crime. It was arranged that Murdock was to commit the ghastly
deed, and for this purpose he was sent down quietly to Brent disguised
as a journeyman the day before Cressley went to the Hall. The men had
thought that Cressley would prove an easy prey, but they distrusted me
from the first. Their relief was great when they discovered that I could
not accompany Cressley to the Hall. And had he spent the first night
there, the murder would have been committed; but his nervous terrors
inducing him to spend the