Milford chronicle., 1889-10-25
AN ITEM BY TELEPHONE.

Tho city editor sat alone in his room in the
newspaper office. He was in very bad humor
that evening because he had been hoaxed by
a piece of alleged news that lac thought
Trustworthy, and it had narrowly escaped
getting into the paper As the city editor
was laying his plans to catch the hoaxer
there came "a ring at the telephone. He
waited fora moment to see if somebody else
IN the building was going TO answer, and
then went TO tine instrument himself
"Hcllo," said a voice "Who is thati"
"The city editor"
.'You are Just the man, then want 70
talk TO- want you to take down something
that / think will be Of interest to the readers
Of your paper"
IAN right. Go aheadl" said the city edi-
tor
"IIave you got paper and pencil there"
"N0. Go ahcad with what you have to
say. I'll take it down"
'"thiS requires accuracy. You will have to
have % paper and pencil"
"Vciy well, said the city editor wait a
moricut, Now, them he continued, go
alg&d'
as there anybody else therer' asked the
voice.
"N hat difference docs it maker
"lycl. il makes this difference, that /
want to know if you stay at the telephone un-
til am through. VIII you promise thatr
"If YOU have any news to send in, said
the city elitor, rather Grossly, please send
it in
'WiH YOU promise to wait at the telephone
until | am throughl"
an promise nothing of the kind" said
the clitor; I'm ring off in another moment"
Listen to me, - said the voice; IF you ring
OF, You do yourself out Of one of the most
sensational items that has occurred within
the Last six months Unless you promise me
I'll ring up the opposition paper, and think
thoy viii be glad Of the item"
An right, p said the city editor, Il prom
ise. Go ahead
"Nov, see here, there's another thing. At
the end of every sentence I want you 20 an
swcr yes I can recognize your voice and
can tel whether You have summoned any one
t. your assistance The moment that tiud
that you have done 50, l will ring OF at the
central and you will lose your item If you
make any attempt to communicate with the
central Office l shall hear you and will ring
OIL"
"Whv, what's all this nonsense aboutf said
the city editor Ii you have got any news let
me have it, II you haven't stop all this talk.
! don't want 20 hear it
"All right said the other, that's business.
Nov ycu ure to understand that you are to
answer yes at the end Of every sentence. /
am going tocoumit suicide"
"Ncs, from the city editor
Il have every preparation for 1t in my
ROOM 1 am going TO commit suicide in the
French fashion with pan Of charcoal 1t Is
here by my side ready to be- lighted. am
% l...- n..1v .r,eHf f..1s e.. T..
and it's either slow starvation or the quicker
method Of the charcoal pan. Do you under
standf
yes"
"You understand now why do not wish
to be interrupted"
"Yes, answered the city editor.
II would have written down my sensations
during the coming Of death, but | AN afraid
that my hand may get paralyzed, and that
anyway / cannot write as fast US the symp
toms, which ! wish to describe, occur. Be-
sides, | think can talk here longer than
could writo anyhow. l have the telephone
fixed down opposite my chair and have my
head propped up against it, 50 that so long as
can speak can tell you my symptoms"
"All right, said the city editor
Snow, in order that this description of the
symptoms of man being poisoned by car
bon monoxide is of any value you must be
accurate The trouble with you newspaper
men is inaccuracy, especially when you touch
ON any scientific subject"
YES. that's all right, said the city editor
"Ivc heard that remark before. Well, go
on. Have you lighted your fire yetr
''No, not yet. l want to be sure that you
are perfectly ready and that you have all the
materials with you for a long interview. Do
You hear Ele plainlyf'
"Frst rate" said the city editor. As he
said this ho heard step down the hall.
'Now," SAID the city editor, perhaps be
fore you begin TO light the fire you viii tell
me something about the cause Of death in
the method you are about to adopt. You
see. know nothing whatever about the mat
ter and would like to have little prelimn-
airy information about it,"
"iu do that" said the voice from the
telephone. "but in any case after you have
the article written, if were you 1 would
submit II to some physician and then if there
are any technical mistakes he will correct
them"
''That is a good idea" said the city editor.
snow 60 ahead with the preliminary" Then
placing his hand over the funnel Of the tele-
phone so that no sound could reach the other,
he called out:
FOX. IS buuJ your
"Yesn answered Fox, coming into the
room.
See here. Fox, I'll tell you what l want
yoa to do. Go right up to the central office
of the telephone company and find who Is
connected with me. I've got to stick right to
the telephone. There some fellow who is
trying to hoax us again and | want TO catch
him. As soon as you find out positively who
it is, get a policeman with you and 90 up to the
house and catch him, if possible, at the tele-
phone think we viii make an example of
this fellow"
Fox disappeared While this conversation
was going on the person at tho other end OF
the line was talking in this manner;
Poisoning by carbon monoxide occurs in
this way. 1t is the toxic constituent IN gases
Personal.
MN II Froblirhefeii of Mobile Ala writes