The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-02-12

snar the JoD naa peen worked py tap
ping the wires and sending bogus dis
patch, We travelled along the road,
and finally located the spot where the
work was done. 1t was between Kit
tanning and Cowanshannock. The
road runs along there under an i'm
mense high bluff, where land-slides fire.
quently occurred, and often big bould-
erS would roll down on the track. To
prevent accidents of this kind watch
men were placed. at convenient dis
tanccs, and were provided with little
box houses to shelter them from the
storms that whistle along the mountain
side. 1t was one of these places that
McCalla selected. He had no trouble,
for he knew all about telegraphing, so
when he told the Waterman he had
come to examine the wires no objec-
ton was made. He climbed the pole,
and out of half dozen or more wires
selected the proper one to answer his
purpose with promptness that at once
marked him as an expert at the bust
ness. 1t was the Pittsburgh wire he
wanted. Cutting it in two without any
hesitation he grounded the south end and
sent a message 70 the agent at Brady's
Bend. inquiring the name of the ex-
press messenger who was coming IN on
train No. 2. Signed, George Bingham.
George Bingham was the Superinten-
dent of the express company. An an
swer came back promptly, saying the
express messenger ON No. 2 was Bling
ham. brother to George. McCalla
then sent the following dispatch. pur-
porting to come from Pittsburgh:
bingham. Messenger. Train No. 2, March
Il. 1877: J. C. Brooks will meet you at Temple
ton on No. 10. You will turn over to him your
run and take his receipt for money and all
valuables. He will bring your run into Pitts
burgh, and you will return on No. - to Par
kersburg, where you will report to Mcclellan
Route Agent, who awaits you there.
GEORGE BINGHAM,
superintendent.
"Answer."
when Bingham. the messenger, re-
ceived this telegram he sent the follow.
ing dispatch in reply:
"'BRADY's BEND, March u, 1877.
"'GeOrge Bingham, Superintendent Pitts
burgh: will transfer with J. C. Brooks a
Templetou this p. IN. and return on 13 cnd re
port to Mcclellan at Parkersburg. as per youI
message.
(Signed) "THOMAs BINGHAM,
Messenger"
'"This telegram never reached its in
tended destination. 1t stopped on Nc.
Calais ticker, where he had tapped the
wire, between Kittanning and Cowan.
shamrock. With this assurance that
his plans had not miscarried, McCalla
then readjusted the main wire and in.
dited the following letter to himself,
initiating very closely the handwriting
of the supposed author:
PITTSBURGH. March 10 1877.
Thomas Bingham, Messenger, Train No
2: The bearer, J. C. Brooks, will take your
run at Templeton this afternoon and bring i,
to Pittsburgh. You will return on 10 to Parkers.
burg and report to Mcclellan, who wants to
see you on an important matter. You will
take receipt for all money and valuables in
your safe.
"GEoRGE BINGHAM,
Superintendent
''Templeton was the place where
trains met for meals. After McCalla
had finished his work and written the
letter he set out on foot for Cowans-
hammock, the nearest station. In those
days it was desolate sort of q place,
but when the blast furnaces were going
there good many passengers used to
get on and off trains The station house
and platform sat close up against the
bluff side, and the track and the ground
around there were a mass of black
cinders taken for ballast from the
furnaces. 1t was a novelty for q pass
enger to get on train there in those
times. so we were not little surprised
to find that the station-keeper nor his
wife had not seen any one about there
March ID. We got to talking to their
little girl, and she told us she had seen
man that afternoon sitting on a log
near the station, and noticed that he
had torn up piece of paper and threw
it away. Joe Cupples and went over
to the log. Sure enough, there scat
tered over the black cinders were lot
of small pieces of white paper. There
had been fall of rain, just enough
to moisten the surface sufficient to
prevent the pieces from blowing away.
We picked up every particle we could
find, tied them up in handkerchief
and then went to Pittsburgh. In the
meantime we had gotten pretty good
description of the man who had cut the
wire. Well, we spent most of the night
in Pittsburgh, joining those papers to-
gether. Finally, toward morning. we
in producing blank check on
the Bank of Carlisle. Pa From this il
was apparent that the man who tore the
paper into bits evidently desired to
sever all his connection with Carlisle,
and we Immediately made up our mind
that was the place to pursue the hunt
We went, and about the first place we