Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-11
SAVED By A BELL BUTTON.
An Old Telegrapher's Successful Expert
ment with a Morse SOunder.

From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat
''Some years ago." said A. Howard, ''my life
and $4,000 belonging to my partner, Jim Big
nev. and myself, were saved. and a gang of
robbers broken mp 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 S27,30O, Of which we
took $500 in promissory notes and started
east with the balance, chiefly in bank notes. II
appears that three outlaws learned the real
value of our old trunks and contents / had
left jim at the clerks desk OF a new-fangled
hotel III western town and followed the
porters as they carried the baggage to the front
end of our room, on the Iou-th floor After
di5mssing them | had shut the door. he glecting
70 lock 1t. however. and had turned to the wash
stand behind. when l heard the door swing
slowly open bchinlme.
Thinking it was Jim. rinsed the lather
from my eye and turned. only TO find a man
holding SiX-shOOter in my face. another lock-
iGS the door. and third making break for
the trunk. | wanted at first 10 argue the mat
ter from standpoint Of morality. and so in
CURED what right they had to disturb me in
dressing. But the man with the gun remarked.
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 4 deeper.
more potent argument than any could ad-
vance under existing circumstances.
Back him up to the wall ald keep him COW
cred until we get the stuff and then Wei slit
his throat ard lOpe, resumed the leader.
Though the program did not Just suit me. /
acQuesced. as far the wall. Put your hands
behind YOU commanded my jailer. l did.
when happy thought struck me. My right
hand had come Ill contact with knob. which
recognized as the electric bell which commu-
nicated with the clerk. This was feature of
civilization the robbers were not posted about
Cnobserved by them, began by sending the
following message:
'Jiin-Three robbers have the door locked
and are just waiting to get our dust to murder
me; Get a 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
loungng where left him. in which case his
ear would quickly catch on. There was a
chance i'll a hundred. and | began to sweat
very freely. But started repeating the mes
sage. 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 it a shade light to say We
had sprung surprise party the visitors.
mad 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 an at
tempt to escape Jail about the same time.
AS had expected when the bell began
ringing the message i'll the Office. jim was
there and commenced taking it. The clerk
gaZcd III such astOnishmeHt 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
Ill the neck When he had got the ring
ogram, as he afterward termed it, he rapidly
explained, cautioned everybody else not to fol-
low. took drummer he had met on the train.
snatched a ladder, and as soon as he could
climb around the JOB was DONE"