The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-27
THE SPEAKING TUBE.
BY ], 7, TRoWpRIDdR,
Copyrighted, 1855, by 3, s. Mcclure ]
PARTU

Copyrighted, 1855, by 3, 8. Mcclure
PART II,
That startled me more than anything
had heard yet Iput my ear close down
to the place from which the voices Issued,
and heard distinctly;
"HelOoked out for thatl"
Twas making more astounding dIscoy.
cries than had anticipated. Already l
had satisfied myself as to the origin OF
the voices. Feeling with my hand as
listened, / had found q round, smooth
oriace about ak inches In diameter, II
was In the end OF q gaspipe, slightly pro-
truding into the excavation; the other
end knew was on the Oulskirta OF the
city, where l passed in sight Of 1t. every
day. Lab0Iera had been for sometime
aging II, and II was completely covered,
exceptAt the point II started from, where
II was yet 10 re Joined to the city pipes,
and at the end which had been carried
INTO the Anburbs; that Ia, the end where
vas, remembered seeing the usual Ian.
tern hung over the dangerous spot, when
came to the 0ldboys' house in the even.
ing; but 1t had been extinguished, prob.
ably by the burglars before commencing
lperatIonsi and / had forgotten all about
the light and the hole 1t guarded, when l
rushed out In pursuit Of them, stumbled
1t heap Of loose gravel, and plunged
headlong into the trench.
While was lying there senseless, they
had rende2voused at the other opening,
which was we'll suited for their purpose,
being A sufficiently capacIoua cave tenn.
porsrily rooted over with loose planks,
situated in an unfinished street. All this
graz ually became clear to me, as re.
gained my presence Of mind and studied
The situation. l also remembered that II
was HorstIo who had first called my at
tention to the covered pit, as we walked
past 1t one morning, probably before Il
had been thought Of as q den for his con-
federates. The Gasplps served "a an enor
nous speaking tube, and l was oyerhear.
ing thGlr conversation q mile and bali
away.
Isoon heard enough to make up my
mind that they were not professional
burglars, but young sCamps Of Horatio's
acquaintance, who were always ready for
any roguery that would afford them pres.
emit sport, or provide them with funds for
future lgollcs. They had taken advantage
OF my ungusplCious innocence, and Of his
IintimpCy with mo, In plRn and carry ont
the robbery Of the 0ldboys' premises, es-
peCially OF the closet where tile silverware
was kept, Of which old Phebe had theksy.
How HOratio had managed to ct the lock
with the duplicate key which he furnished
to his companions, along with other false
keys and plans OF the house, never knew.
But that he was at the bottom Of the busi-
ness could have no doubt whRtever-hs
who appeavsd 80 skittish at the sight Of q
pix.shooterl
l even heard his name through the tuhe.
"Rashe did Bplendidly!n And again,
"RashV ought to be hereI"
| heard other names, too, which on.
sbled me to identify Of least two Of the
crew. Marco and Glenn could be no other
than Marcy Hubbard and Clement Wood.
bury, intimate Cronies Of Horatio; had
often heard him speak Of them, and seen
bin in their company.
Hearing me tell the story now, and OK.
plain things In this matter.of-iact way,
you can have no notion OF the state Of ex:
eitement was in, from the time l began
to realize the situation. / had played the
fool, had betrayed my trust, had
sCtnally introduced thieves into the house
was left to protect. ! had no idea how
much or how valuable property had been
stolen but knew very well that my own
reputation and prospects In life were at
stake. Perhaps l should even be sus.
peCted OF q more criminal connection
with the robbery. Under the ciEcum-
RtAnreg, what Waa to do2
Even while listening for more revela.
lions through the tube, felt that / ought
10 be- haatening to warn the police, and
send officers 10 the other end OF It. But
long before could reach them and they
could reach ii, the rogues would undoubt.
eddy be gono. might cause the arrest Of
some Of them the next day, but could l
produce satisfactory evidence against,
them, or secure the recovery OF their
plundef2 They were even then talking OF
how the silver was to be melted and cast
into inSots; but where, or by whom, l
couldn't make out. =.
"Now, boys" heard one oil them say,
stake good look and see 7 there's nobody
in eight, and we'll get out OF this"
Amidst the whirl Of thoughts that dis.
tIacted me, that decided me what to do
turned my ear away and put my mouth
at the elx.inch ori6ce, and Hhouted:
"BoS"
For few seconds heard only q hollow
roaring in.the pipe then startled exClams'
tionB:
"What's thatl"
"Who upokeP"
"H4LLoo BoYsl" l repeated
II was still come seconds before any re.
sponae came back; and I was beginning
TO realize the length Of time II took fol
sound 10 travel mile and q hall. Mean.
while, imagined the confederation into
which the culprits were thrown by the
mysterious call. Alter q brief silence,
during which l ianCied I could hesr
them breathe, came magni6ed whisper:
"Godtreyl there's somebody in the
pipel"
sounded very near 10 them but the rid.
loulouanoes Of the idea that there could be
anybody In that Bix.inch tube, mado me
laugh, serious as the situation was.
"Clem!W Woodbury. u 1 called.
"It'S somebody who knows uSl" said
tits all Up u said another. "Lst's putIn
mo uAo Of running away" said come.
BODY else. "LeL's haul him out,n
HMarce Hubbard J" cried.
AZ their ordinary tones sounded quite
distinct to mo when spoken near the pipe
I could guehs how tremendously loud my
voice must have seemed 10 them, shouted
In the YOfy mouth Of the pipe.
After Q while oStne tho response, EVIL.
IaaNi, hhaNthd trln lha nihne and