Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-03-23

operators. .-i. '@
! took the seat be offered, aud
spreading the paper out before me
began to read--my friend in the
meantime taking down the dis
tpatch and otherwise busying him,
self about the instrument, which
had commenced clicking in a very
lively and animated manner.
"It's from your place. he said,
presently. e...flE @
SIS it ?" said 1, folding the pa.
per to get at the inside.
"It's in cypher too,' he added,
soon afterward.
From my place and in cypher!!
| repeated, throwing aside the pa
per. "Who is it from?"
Haven't come to that yet"
l Rad become strangely interest
ed, | scarcely knew why, and
waited patiently for the complete
transmission of the message.
The instrument went on click
ing, at great rate, and presently
Taylor began to spell aloud, as
fast as it came over the wires, the
name appended to the dispatch.
"G-a--m--n--e--t--t Gam
nett" said be.
"Gamnett!" !" | exclaimed, start
ing up. why, he's my clerk !!
Taylor, let me see that dispatch. !"
Although the proceedings were
somewhat irregular tit not being
usual for telegraph officials TO al
low third parties to become ac-
quainted with the contents of
otherp peoples messages, my friend,
under the present circumstances
(which were considered as partial
justification for the act) handed
me the paper on which he had
Transcribed the message, and CLAN
cling over it eagerly, | saw what
follows :, .
TO Wm, Jackson, 1l9 Coppice
street:
104-2316-16 4724 9-l4-21 2
.2-766-14-23-9 l8-21-1O4-I69l4-
.l7-16-13 S-14-23-5-16 % 1921
l6-1O-18 6 6.IO.7.20 7-23 237-11-
'1.720,1G-2.T1l2l-ll.lS 1Q4 l6-
10 7-76 9-18-20-l6-20-2.lS-l4-10
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
l0-10-4- l6-7-17-17I8-E -E16-13-1S-
l1-lS-6 6-6-l6-10-26,711-24.1S-21
Is 9-6-16-l6-S-10-4-14 1917.
~ GAMNETT."
"Who is this Jackson--the man
to whom the dispatch is addressed
or don't you know ?" l asked.
"Runs a sort of blacksmith shop
and makes tools" said Taylor.
81 don't like his looks-he's vine
gar,visaged."
1 hardly knew why it was but
the fact Of my clerk having sent
tele graph dispatchin cypher looked
very suspicious to me, and | in-
Stinctively thought Of the paperI
had found under his desk, and
which was still in my pocket.
Taylor" said I, Il wish you
would allow me to keep a copy of
this dispatch. 1t ray affect my
interests more than you think for"
"Well, if you think it does, go
ahead" )" said Taylor. "Only don't
get me into hot water-thats all. !"
"IIl take care of that, Taylor"
said I going to the desk and sit
ting down before it. "Now, leave
me alone a few minutes, and I'll
see if | can solve this mystery"
Although | am not naturally
of a prying or inquisitive dispo-
sition, and detest as much as any
one the spirit that actuates a per
son to pry into the affairs Of 9th
crs and become a party to that
which does not concern him, yet
in the present case felt justified
in the course | was pursuing, and
did not hesitate to do all in my
power to decipher the mysterious
figures and ascertain, If possible.
WI at was engaging the attention
of my clerk to such an extent
that he required the medium of a
secret alphabet through which to
communicate with bis friends.
Bv the aid of the piece of pa
per I have heretofore mentioned /
soon obtained the following trans
lation:
"To VIM. Jackson, Il9 Cop.
pice st: Three thousand dollars
in the safe and Parker gone till to.
morrow. Come down with the
tools Immediately and at once be
at the Office and | will let you in.
GAMNETT. +"
I could deduce from this dis
patch only one conclusion. which
was, that my clerk was taking ad-
vantage of the confidence I re-
posed in him, and of my absence
from home, to enter into q. con.
spiracy with some william to bur-
glarize my safe, and carry, off the