Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-04-27
SAVED BY A BELL BUTTON.
An Old Telegrapher's Successful Expert
ment with ~ Morse Sounder.

An Old photographers Successful Expert
ment with n Morse sounder.
"Some years ago." said A. Howard,
tiny life and 100000 belonging to my
partner, Jim Bigney, and myself were
saved and n gang of robbers broken up
by means Of an electric bell. Jim and l
had been telegraph operators, but had
abandoned the business for mining. We
had luck in prospecting, and after few
years had sold our claims for S27, 800, of
which we took 81 300 in promissory notes
and started cast with the balance, chiefly
in bank notes. 1t appears that three
outlaws learned the real value of our old
trunks and contents. had left Jim at
the clerks desk of new tangled hotel
in western town and followed the par
ties as they carried the baggage to the
front end OF our room on tho fourth
floor. After dismissing them l had shut
the door, neglecting to lock it, however,
and had turned to the washstand behind,
when heard the door swing slowly open
behind me.
thinking 1t was Jim, rinsed the
lather from my face and turned, only to
find man holding six shooter in my
face, another locking the door and
third making break for the trunk. l
wanted at first to argue the matter from
a standpoint of morality, and so inquired
what right they had to disturb me in
dressing. But the man with the gun re-
marked automatically, Might makes all
things right, stranger, and this is might
tapping his weapon with the disengaged
hand. felt that the silent instrument
in his hand was deeper, more potent
argument 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 Wen slit his throat and lope,' re-
sumed the leader.
Though the programme did not just
suit me, / acquiesced, as far as the wall.
Put your hands behind you, command
ed my jailer. / did, when happy
thought struck me. My right hand had
come in contact with knob, which
recognized as the electric bell which
communicated with the clerk. This was
a feature Of civilization the robbers were
not posted about. Unobserved by them,
began sending the following message:
"'JM-Three robbers have the door
locked, and are just waiting TO get our
dust to murder me. Get man and step
ladder, and don't make a sign of noise,
put a gun through the transom and
shoot. Be quick and careful
"My only hope was that Jim might be
still lounging where left him, in which
case his car would quickly catch on.
There was chance in hundred, and l
began to sweat very freely. But started
repeating tho 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 be painting il a
shade light TO say we had sprung sur
prise 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 az
dead as a man ever gets to be. The other
wounded ono died in a hospital three
months afterward, and my jailer was
killed in AN attempt TO escape Jail about
the same time.
"As bad expected, when the bell be-