The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-19
STEALING NEWS FROM THE WIRES
How the Sneak Thief Intercepts Valuable
Information in Transit.
Philadelphia Times.

Information in Transit.
PHILADELPHIA Times.
please tell me how to tap wire, said
Times reporter yesterday to j. E. G. Moore,
an experienced telegraph operator.
"That's a good deal like telling you how
to break bank, but if should tell you, you
couldn't do it. An expert is required for
the work of picking out the one message
wanted from a hundred, stopping it and let
ting the Others 60 on to their destination.
A good many people suppose that it is only
necessary to cut the wire, attach another to
the cut end whence the message is expected,
and run it off wherever it's wanted. The
instant such thing is done the operator
knows it. He throws himself back
in his chair and sings out: My
lines grounded OFF goes a lineman to find
the break. You see, the circuit is
broken and the current runs off into the
ground and, although the Taper can get the
message through his instrument if he hap
pens by one chance in a million to hit the
second when it passes, the interference will
be instantly detected"
Then how should L proceed" was asked
good humoredly.
at depends on whether you merely wish
to hear the message or whether you want to
intercept it and send another in its place. III
either case the great thing is to maintain the
circuit"
whats the circuit?" said the reporter
current over the wire to its destination and
back thro ugh the ground to the place ir came
from In the early days of the science it was
thought ecessary to maintain it by a wire
back to the starting point Since then we
have discovered that the current will pass
back through the ground, like a homing
pigeon through the air. To resume, in order
TO merely overhear the message it is neces-
sary to make loop or V running from the
wire to the instrument of the Taper and
then back to the line. The wire is cut, the
loop line attached and run out to the instru
ment, where the operator is, and then con-
nected with the main wire. 1t is simply add
ing another instrument to those in use on
the line, for you know every message is heard
at every station on the route. Except for
the purpose of cOncealment the interloper
might lust as we'll attach his instrument to
the main wire at the poles. But he can only
overhear; he cannot intercept messages. AT
the most he can change one word-for in
stance, the name of winning horse"
'Then how can a message be intercepted,
suppressed, as at Long Branch" asked the
reporter.
The way those fellows went to work, 1
suppose, was this" said Mr.. Moore. "They
probably cut the connection in the manner
l just explained, but instead of leading it
back to the wire, they stopped it short For
this they must have had two batteries and at
| least two operators In such a case, the wire
| York end to one of the batteries; another is
led from the Long Branch end to the other
battery. Connection is thus utterly inter
/ rupted from New York TO Long Branch but
the circuit is maintained from each place by
these batteries. Then the operator at the
cut end of the Long Branch line simply
constitutes himself the New York terminus.
| He gets every message and gives it to
his co-operator at the other battery and in
strument, who transmits it to New York.
! This goes ON till the expected message comes.
| This he interceptS writes another one to
| keep the number straight-for the number of
| each dispatch is telegraphed with it. and
where one is skipped the connecting oper-
ator Immediately asks what has become of
lt-and his fellow -conspirator telegraphs the
false message to New York. Meantime the
| long Branch Taper can answer all questions
| from the operator, who supposes him to be
| in New York, and thus avert suspicion.
While he is playing New York to Long
Branch, his confederate is acting Long
Branch to New York"
at is very simple, theh?' said the reporter
Simple enough" was the reply; but
awfully risky, because of the linemen One
may come along at any moment and their
trained sagacity is such that they will detect
the smallest wire running down pole where
it ought not to run, and detect the whole
scheme"
"What prevents telegraph hnetapping
from becoming more common" asked the re-
porter.
Simply because the important lines are
duplex. That is to say, one wire will carry
more than one message at the same time.
With an ordinary instrument these, when
received, would be unintelligibly mixed. To
properly take the messages from duplex
machine an amount of expense is required
which would make too large an outlay for
such a risky venture"