The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-02-05

TELEGRAPH STORIES.
Operators Experiences on the Frontier.


Several old telegraph operators, IN
the course of long conversation here !
told some of their experiences on tue i
frontier. One of them began by recall
ing the greet bullion robbery at tn
place. 1t WAS at noon, and most OF
the depot and stage hands had
gone across the yards 10 dinner AS
the operator sat in the teleg aph Office
alone two men presented themselves at
his door and der anded admittance.
Both had revolyers- He Jumped up
and let them in. and IL ey quickly bound
and gagged him. Relieving he was
safe. they disappeared and he saw no
| more OF them. As soon as they were
ont OF sight he managed 10 get To his
| instrument. and by lying down oh the
! table found that with one OF his La nds
| he could reach the KEY. 1t was diff
I cult work but by degrees he improved
! his position until finally he raised the
Cheyenne Office and communi sted the
| fact that a robbery was in progress.
| The operator at that point kept him
posted as to the proceedings there. and
! in few minutes he was. gratihed to
hear the intelligence licked over The
! wires that tn. Superintendent and a
/ party OF detectives were en- route Tor
| Sidney on >pecial train. The distance
was lu2 miles. but the run was made
| so rap div that the people of the town
! We're hardly aware of the robbery be-
fore the train dashed in. The operator
had hS That time teen released. and it
was found that the THE, es. who had
been, secreted under the depot. had
come up through hole in the floor
| l., l,aI I.,1
lion weighed about 800 pounds, and aS
il was thought they could not have car
ried it far vigorous search was made
near at hand. Before night the great
er part of the gold was found in hole
under the depot and the remainder was
| discovered in an adjoining cGal-shed.
where it had been dropI.ed. The thieves
got away with only about $4,000 in
| currency.
Another man remarked that he was
the man who discovered the Ogalalla
train robbery. He was in charge OF
the little Office at Kearney. He had
had a very stupid afternoon, and as the
day was miserable without he doZed
more or less. AS no one came N he
leaned forward, placing his arms apoR
hi table and his head upon them.
Il must have slept sonndly for
awhile" he said. 'for lost myself en-
tirely for an hour or two. but presently
had an indistiuct impression that some
one was calling for assistance. In my
dream it seemed to me that / could
hear the CRY, Help! help!' and that |
was powerless 10 render any assistance.
Finally sat bolt upright. with a nerv-
Gus feeling as though something terri
BILE had happened which ought TO
have prevented. rubbel my eyes
and looked sround sleepily. The de
pot las empty. 1t was dark outside
and rain was falling. l stepped to the
door and looked out for minute. but
heard nothing. Then I went back 10
my desk, filled and lighted my pipe,
and began to read. My eyes had Just
fallen on the page when my instrument
sounded once or twice very feebly. l
looked at it closely 1t ticked again
almost maud bly,. Something's the
matter, thought L. l got up, leaned
over the sounder, and listened. I
could just catch the faintcst click. a if
child might have been playing with a
kew somewhere When | listened |
began to comprehend the nature of the
message that was be NO sent could
not catch all the letters. but got
enough, after listening TO it dozen
times. TO make out this much: 'Oga-
lafla, Ogalalla! Help!' 1t flashed up
on me all at once. The overland train
was being robbed or had been robbed.
grabbed my key and let everybody
have it from Cheyenne to Omaha.
There was some lively telcgraphing
there for a time. They sent engines
out from two or three points. and got
to Ogalalla II me to scare the robbers
off. You see was - good deal further
off than dozen other operators, but
somehow | was the first one that
caught on. The way it happened Mas
this: The robbers came into The depot
at Ogalalla about an hour before train
time and bound and gagged the opera
tor After they got him lived they sat
around and waited. When the Train
drew up they left him, and he immedi-
atelE got himself in position where he
could use the key little. The boys
who saw him say it was mystery how
lie ever did it. His legs We're tied
twice. and his arms were pinioned be-
hind him So that it was almost impossi-
BILE to move even the fingers. The fact
that could not catch Two consecutive
letters until had heard the message
ten or twelve times shows how faint
the stroke was. 1t was the queerest
experience OF my life. --.Sidney (Se6. J
CJr. Detroit Times.