News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-08-27
HIS ouICK.wITTED WIFE.
The TELEGRAPH Operators Experience
with Western Train Robbers.

"Several years ago 1 had station on
a railroad way out on the plains. There
had never been any train robber1es near
us, though there was much talk about
'em. One time the engineer of pas
senger train stopped his engine In
hurry at the 461st mile-post, and then
backed up. He declared that tram
robbers had placed distractions on the
track, and were lying in ambush. In,
vestigation showed that what he had
thought distractions was nothing but
some big rolling weeds which had blown
across the prairie and gathered on the
track. Of course, the engineer was
laughed at for his error, and after that
whenever train robbers were mentioned
somebody would inquire if they were
the same kind that William Roberts saw
at the 461st mile-post.
zone night was alone in my office,
waiting for No. 8. She was an hour OF
more late. was doing over my pipe,
when, on looking up, l saw revolVers
pointed at me from both ticket windows.
OF course, l threw up my hands. They
were train robbers, sure enough. There
were only three of them, but such des-
perate fellows 1 never saw. They told
me what they wanted me to do. was
to write a dispatch for the conductor OF
No. 3, signing the superintendent
name to it, ordering him to leave MS
train at my station, in my care, and take
the engine and several armed men and
go on toward Plum Creek, moving eau
tiously and prepared to attack train rob
beers. This dispatch | was to hand the
conductor through the window when he
came up for orders, as usual, two OF the
men hiding in the Office ready to shoot
me if l attempted to give the alarm.
The scoundrels expected by this means
to have the train left to their mercy. l
told them that No. was four hours late,
and tried to scare them out that way
Then tried to delay matters so that
No. 8 would come before l got the tele-
gram ready. But they meant business,
and in ten minutes the dispatch was
written as they dictated. l cudgeled
my brains for some means to defeat the
robbers, but l could not think of any
thing for long time. Suddenly l re-
membered my wife and the telephone /
had put up connecting our residence
with the station. l made that telephone
myself, and, though crude, it answered
very well. 1 told the robbers wanted
to telephone my wife that the train was
late, and that she should go to bed
g If I don't let her know added,
she will be down here--you know how
queer women are-and you'll have
trouble
''Then was given permission to talk
to her, but was cautioned that any at
tempt on my part to give the alarm
would send a bullet through my head.
So l called to my wife and said:
@ Number three late; trouble at 461st
mile-post; go to bed, as shant be home
till late. Good night
THAT was all, but I was satisfied it
was enough. l felt that my wife would
detect in my tone that there was trouble,
and never would be satisfied until she
had sent down to see. Besides, l had
mentioned the 461st mile-post, to which
my captOrs had no objections, as they
had had there, and hoped this would
alarm her The minutes that followed
seemed like hours. The robbers were
becoming impatient and vicious, and
they more than once threatened to kill
me if l Tucked them. In about fifteen
minutes we heard the tramp of feet upon
the platform, and in walked my wife
with four men, all armed, whom she had
aroused in the village. The two rob-
bers were captured, but they afterward
escaped. My wife said she knew was
in trouble, and it was her duty to come
to me with assistance, as if l had told
her in plain words. tell you I've had
pretty high respect for woman's intui-
ton and sense since that night
Chicago Herald