The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-21
CUTTING OFF LIGHTNING.
gutErr WIRES ON THE METROPOLIT1N
uOTEL ran INTO BROIDHdK.
xxh,t IL called malicious Mischief until IL
can be Better Explained noings on tho
u,or Just nefore Midrieht-Inspcctor
Shuiu,nn's search In the Inrk The Result.

shuimnn's search In the IinrL The Result.
Persons walking past the Metropolitan
utl ON tho opposite side Of the street, Mt
ot.ut If o'clock ON Thursday evening tripped |
over strands Of telegraph wire on the sidewalk |
or.tru,k against the parts that extended to the /
r,,f of the building occupied. in the first story |
hv tho American District Telegraph Company |
u,ascngcr boys aud one Of the patrolmen were /
watching the operations OF two persons on the /
rolfof tho hotel pulling aside the strands that |
lay across Broadway and bothered the horses
Of the stages 10y striking against their legs and
twisted and ratified as tho Wheels struck them.
In Prince streut the ends Of the wires were rut-
urugainst the lines Of the Fire Department
1.-THE north end oi the hotel other wires were
hanging. BY the dim street lights the two per-
sons were seen picking their way carefully
along the roof ot the hotel. and before they had
returned 90 the street nro engines ratified down
Brourway to the fire at iS and 90 Walker street.
ak blocks away. The two persons were Night
Inspector Skillman. who had been stationed in
the American District Telegraph Companys
ofllce opposite the hotel. and Detective Kealy.
the wuichman Of the hotel. The strands OF wire
were parts Of the lines Of the District Telegraph
Company. Automatic Fire Alarm Company.
Gold and stock Telegraph Company. Western
Union Telegraph Company. Bell Telephone
Company. and Holmes Burglar Alarm Com
rany. About thirty wires were in Broadway
sixteen of which connected with the District
Telegraph onice. About the same number
were dangling in Prince street.
Between hUlf-past 10 o'clock and twenty
minutes Of If o'clock Inspector Skillman. sit
ting in the rear OF the district telegraph Office.
heard the clicking Of the instruments as the
circuits opened and tho whizzing Of loose wire
ns IL scruucd across taut wire IL is his business
to see that the wire connections are in perfect
order. and picking up his plyers he went into
Broadway. Capt Hazard Of the comranys
patrol WAS in the nriehborhood. and together
they went acre rs the street whore the wires were
dropping one hy one. Nobody could be seen
above but somebody must have been on the roof
with a heavy pair Of plyers The ends OF the
wire were cleau-cut. aud they dropped so fact
that the rafting prevented the click of the ply
eis from being heard. Sending Can't. Hnzard
to arouse the pntro linen ia the nearest branch
Ollie. Inspector 81 Imam IAN INTO the hotrl
ami saving o. Clark Merritt that somebody on
thn roof WINS cut .ng the wires running across
ssrt,' p> muse, So I'VE donf aliow anyh"dy
uu there" Clerk Merritt replied. Detective
k'n|y. who hnd been striiinE ia inc corridor,
r1 approached. The troutl" WIS explained
10 him. hut hr said that n plumber and ear
E"nl bDon nIlowoi on the rSo '''t Tia, day.
amt thut they had been there on account Of
III, nre IN thedining room in the forenoon. Il
more M ihnt time OF night. aud at length In
sp"rtor ; illmHn was permitted to 20 with De-
w. vent up on the Prince stree, side. the
Inspector said. Yesterday and first examined
enrd. Thu short ends had the same clean cut
uat he ends ~ the street had AZ the south
wnirh had boon fastened the wires that extend
pl fo our Office asross the street. While We
Hn eST t9 "" y" R @"T ro6t wi" w a d Sr
up their, aud We had 10 pick our way over the
roof. kealy said that he could find the way
better than and einok hold OF my hand ana
led me along. When about hity feet
from the fixture near the. northwest cor
ner | saw q man, slraddllng me cross
pavement below Whatre doing there 2 said
/ hutih-rr was no answer. just then two men
who hid ,crn sitting near the fixtures stood up
and won't along the north side to a large box
shat looked liSea tank. Who're do you be-
as ice climbed down 60 the roof The United
States Telegraph Company he replied. a. he
walked nway toward where the Two men had
gnu'. Before ! coull say anything more he
lai Joined, thrm. 40 gone, b.hnd n"
revolver but Doc got behind chimney aud
stood waiting. When tnc man climbed down
h"put h.s revolver n ne p4ck, ahd stHT,"d 10
tod him Nut / WIS going 20 70 down ana ct
some loI'n officers tn come az mnd bNo chhrg
mo 0nl ri- ON tni- roof tonight hc said. and
w. went l'wn ih" sunl' way tgnt we v - M
l'1It t.. men ana found that he had IN
M. u0u. Without sreing him | found
ms way the street and went to the corner OF
l.r.. --r.tl. r.-rr lyunt fnund-man Grnut
unlHu.tc Ai""r. We went into thr On TO-"
aUl e-k.I C.re Merritt f we could 20 to thc
r.If alu %. ind Doe Said That 10 was p-nluS. the
ruc-. tod him how much trouble it would
'u4-" tl- "nml. uy Dog u"t allowing tl" wir's g.
ha .Iu..frl again. huf h"niy, who had comr
inNu. ~rpp'd up und -ui 90 ihe ollcrr- You
'Hff ~ uu ana tI.at settles TO- The on Gers hal
some words wtl k"fIy. nni told him not To- %"
s1ori .inu- ut hg refused o. allow us g., 20 up.
and w. went ouf. Irluking thni We could Erton
u"r."f us -.lnS cross AN q joining rool We
w"utt ih"- .u. store aAovei he hotel and w're
prrir.' Uy co.. Wii-Iuau 90 Eo TO the roof.
HUf Iit rive ..IinI..il M there through the scut
Dee vs.. found innf tle root Of tho building be-
lw-.u u- nnl tle hotel wis fifteen or twenty
feet r''uN u-. Hni mat t'cr" WIS no way ot got
ting arr -- io iIr tot.. The roof that ". were
could q. { s"- ANYBODY in the hotel. but We found
tlt tte wire iept rSi"Mi"d from II TO where
against o." wll. That was all We could do, and
". -aye up tNe att"mlt.
From ust time until about o'clock yesterday
morn nS lr-urctor NkliimHn ana ms assistants
wero !r4- SIM: the cut wires tO the roofs and
mas u- .'nt"ilJu pms Win Tue llncS On thc llN.
'nr+ on ~ soutiw"st rnrn'r OF Prince street
and lrIndWay. Ih~ lines were run across
Hr.aIHuy to tue roof Of u" District Te'eHrnph
'il D." and thru across M" street ngnin 10 IN"
rYnf 0f fi.r -eroud store ah1V. the Metropolitan
II .t-. Cgut. HaZlHri ana % SOUND ~ patrol
r'u went +. the houses Of IN" Subscribers ~
The ronpanys instruments and notified them
tnf fIt 50 .rH- needed prOu'' lu lcctue To-"
-Iuu,,.t. u- ,yrr.. broken II the suis,rih crs
ID EN' l.O 90 iarIr 30 res pn'roIIucn went th'r"
a,i suarl.I them. Pltroinen went 70 the
N.rHait.u B1nk. the Bpwery Bank and other
h .He- r.uuectri rs wircs with tho District
lnI graph Oltirr and warned the wutchman.
] r.. ar~ -INtr"n night watch signals and ninr
l4f-ur alarms rnuuecicd with the onlce. amt
T. 'r linen h - to be sent To each. Inspector
IS luuu tIouIht that the cutting 81 the vii. S
ul CIR Pro preliminary 20 q raid bY hurg'urs.
Wade Inspector Skillman WIS wurNing ~ the
tirHf just ie.1r- daylight. DftrctN" h"ulF
c.N'I tim a- .d' and asked, Do YOU say That
YIN saw men cutting wires on the rootf
] " 10 NfIIl so lIIi YOU.
You're another" SkillmHn responded.
we gof you marked. and III put a head on
you nm loss thHn twenty-four hours keaiy SAID
hs Dee walked away.
When duVItgit appeared II was ascertaincd
that every " re thW had been attached To TX
turn4 on the Motel roof had been cut. even Tho
private wires that ran from the stores 81 A. ].
Stewart a Go. 10 the Motel Office and the wires
from thn District Telegraph Office to the hotel
Office. At about 81 4. VI. some OF the District
Telegraph wires were In working order. The
"tirker' m the hotel did not have us wires con-
ne't'd. aud several others up town were not in
working order on that account. But IN Coin.
Bal K Co.'S store next door 20 the hotel "A telc-
phone WIS in wOrkin order. Tho wire that
connects 10 with the firms store at BroOme street
Rud Broadway runs over the hotel. but II had
escaped being cut
Mr.. Clair the manager Of the hotel. said that
ln did Eulyy until ypgtDr UuV morning TINT