The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-05-02
SAVED sv A BELL.
Hew . Gang Of Robbers Was Broken Up
by an Ex- Telegraph Operator.


Some years ago my life and $40, 900
belonging to my partner. Jim Bigney,
and myself, were saved, and gang Of
robbers broken up by means OF an cleo
trio bell. Jim and I had been tele-
graph operators, but had abandoned
the business for mining. We had luck
in prospecting, and after few years
had sold our claims for S27, 300, OF
which we took $1,000 in promissory
notes and started East with the bal
ance, chiefly in bank notes It ap-
pears that three outlaws learned the
real value OF our old trunks and con-
tents. I had left Jim at the clerks
desk Of new-fangled hotel in West
ern town and followed the porters as
they carried the baggage to the front
end Of our room, on the fourth floor.
After dismissing them had shut the
and had turned to the wash-stand, be-
hind, when / heard the door swing
slowly open behind me. Thinking it
was Jim, rinsed the lather from my
eyes and turned, only to find man
holding n six-shootee in my face, an
other locking the door and third
making q break for the trunk. /
wanted at first to argue the matter
from o standpoint OF morality, and
so inquired what right they had
to disturb me in dressing. But the
man with the gun remarked, axiomat-
ically: "Might makes all things right,
stranger, and this is might" tapping
his weapon with the disengaged hand.
l felt that the silent instrument in his
hands was deeper, a more potent ar
gument than any could advance, un-
der existing circumstances. Back him
up to the wall and keep him covered
until we get the stuff, and then we'll
help slit his throat and lope," re-
marked the leader. Though the pro-
gramme did not just suit me, acqui-
esced, as far as the wall. "Put your
hands behind you," commanded my
jailer. l did, when happy thought
struck me. My right hand had come
in contact with a knob, which recog-
nized as the electric bell which COM
municated with the clerk. This was q
feature Of civilization the robbers were
not posted about. Unobserved by
them. began sending" the following
message:
JIM-Three robbers have the door locked
and are just waiting to get our dust to murder
me. Get o man and step-ladder, and don't
make sign Of noise, put gun through the
transom and shoot. Be quick and careful
My only hope was that Jim might be
still lounging were left him, in which
case his ear would quickly catch on.
There was a chance in a hundred,
and began to sweat very freely. But
I started repeating the message and
was nearly through, when bang, bang.
two shots were fired from over the
door, and the man, who had not been
hit, turned just enough to let me hit
him back Of the ear with my right
hand-the force of despair and the
knowledge Of being on the right side
at last. 1t would bo painting it o
shade light to say we had sprung q
surprise party on the visitors. had
a gun in moment and kept the thieves
at bay until the two men outside got in
and tied them up, except the leader,
who was as dead as man ever gets to
be. The other wounded one died in a
hospital three months afterward, and
my jailer was killed in attempting to
escape jail about the same time. As I
had expected. when the bell began
ringing the message in the office, Jim
was there and commenced "taking it,"
The clerk gazed in such astonishment
that he forgot to start boy up to
answer it for minute, when Jim
pulled his gun and remarked, 'The
first man that leaves this room gets all
I've got here in the neck" When he
had got the ''ringogram," as he after
ward termed it, he rapidly explained,
cautioned every body else not to fol-
low, took drummer he had met on
the train, snatched ladder and as
soon as he could climb around, the job
was done.-A. Howard, in St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.