The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-07-15
The Telegraph Detective.
BY J EDGAR.

n I WAS a in a railroad car that
my vis-a-vis, to while away the
~ time-we were obliged to wait,
@ owing to a broken rail-told the
following story:
"Ten years ago l was a telegraph
operator at a small town in New
Jersey, but. my health failing,
gave up my situation, and, taking
an agency, travelled westward until
l finally reached San Francisco.
While there l took fancy to visit
the mining regions; so, selecting
suitable goods to sell among the
miners, l went, satisfied my curios-
ity, made a little money, and was
returning in the stage coach, when
the incidents / am about to relate
occurred, or at least began to oc-
cur.
"There were beside myself three
inside passengers; an old gentle
man of sixty and two roughly
dressed men, apparently miners.
These two men sat at.opposite ends
of the coach, not appearing to know
each other, while the old gentleman
and myself sat close together. l
noticed that the old gentleman had
a heavy tin or iron box between
his legs, which he seemed to be
ANXIOUS to keep out of sight.
"Aftel short conversation with
him on general subjects, l allowed
myself to drift gently into a doze;
and while in that condition my ear,
trained as it was to the intelligent
sound of the telegraph instrument,
caught faint tick, tick, which re-
solved itself in the following words:
"'Bill, the young one is going to
sleep, and 1 will tend to him while
you pitch the old one out over the
precipice when L make the signal
and secure tie box
81 was now as wide awake as if /
had heen called by an operator to
receive message, but l pretended
to be still doing while 1 listened
intently. Then / heard the coach
window rattle, and it read:
"'All right, Bob We will be to
the Big Jump in twenty minutes.
and then give the word and out he
goes
Taking q cautious look from be-
tween my eye-lids, saw that one
of the villains was telegraphing by
vibrating a knife. blade between his
teeth, while the other used the win
dow for that purpose, neither of
them appearing to notice the other.
81 knew the precipice to which
they referred, terrible place,
where a miner had once jumped off
in a fit of despair at his bad luck,
from which it was known as the
Big Jump. How to communicate
to the old gentleman was at loss
to determine, but finally l took out
a newspaper and underscored the
words in a lengthy editorial, which,
if read consecutively, would read:
"Be cautious, sir. The two villains
here intend to murder and rob us in
ten minutes. When 1 arise you at
tack the one with the moustache
and l will take the other Kill if
necessary
"Then handed the paper to the
old gentleman, saying: ''Have you
read this, sir? It's a most excel
lent EDITORIAL
"He took the paper, put on his
glasses and commenced to read.
Soon the underscored words drew
his attention and he began to study
them. Then l saw him grow pale
and feel for his box with his foot.
Handing me back the paper, he said
significantly;
"'Do you believe that, sirT
az know it to be true, sir" said l.
Horrible! said he, slipping his
hand in his breast pocket, a stern
look coming in his face az he
added: 81 believe that I'd feel like
shooting some one.'
"I saw l had a man of courage to
help me, so 1 cared little for the vii
lainous smile which his remark
brought to one of the ruflians' face.
l saw we were near the Big Jump
and were going down a steep grade
at lively rate, when one of the
villains telegraphed:
"'Nowp
"The next minute l was on him,
knocking him senseless with my re-
volver. The old gentleman did
equally as well, the rufiians being Ia
ken completely by surprise at our
sudden attack. We had passed the
precipIce now, and calling to the
driver to stop, he and the one out
side passenger helped to bind our
prisoners, whom we left inside,
while we climbed to the top. But
when we arrived in Sacramento we
found that the robbers had released
each other and dropped out along
the road.
"The old gentleman introduced
himself as Mr.. Stamford, a Sacra-
mento banker, and insisted on my
accepting the hospitality of his
home, saying that l had saved his
life and large amount of money, i
con sented, and was driven with him
to his handsome residence on the
outskirts of the city, where 1 was
introduced to his wife and two
daughters, the forEaer q kind, moth
erly woman, and the latter a hand
some brunette and pretty blonde.
Three weeks stay at Rose Hill,
Mr.. Stamford's home, with its love
ly walks amid a wealth of tropical
flowers, and the society of Ella and
Blanche Stamford, lovelIer, if not
more beautiful, than the flowers
which bloomed around them, only
served to make me wish for longer
stay, and when Mr. Stamford Of
feFed me a position in his banking
house, 1 most gladly accepted 1t,
not failing to take courage from the
evident delight of the fair Blanche
whom l thought the lovelier OF
the two sisters-when / told her of
n fFar ard daci sion