St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-14
A DOT and DASH STORY.
The Deaf and Dumb Telegraph Operator
Who Read by Touch.
TWO BAD, BOLD ROBBERS,
Who Took a Roll Of Greenbacks
From Him---How They We're
Caught.

stories? Well, yes, perhaps l cam
The speaker was an old-time tele-
grapher, who, being cornered by a
Lewiston (Me.) journal man, was
sounded for news.
''Did you ever hear of a deaf and
dumb telegraph operator? Don't be-
lieve it? Why, man, taught deaf and
dumb boy his first dots. Believe it?
Come, let me give you the facts and a
little story with it, off-hand like, and
you can work it over to suit yourself
and readers"
Thereupon this foyer with lightning
reeled Off the following yarn: The
deaf and dumb operator was nv twin
brother, so alike in form and feature,
and indeed all save the one great dis
tinguishing mark of speech. as to be
often mistaken for myself. At twelve
years of age a bright, noble boy, that
great scourge of childhood, scarlet
fever, robbed him of those two most
precious faculties, speech and hear
ing. When / had secured the
position of messenger at our local
telegraph office, with the promise
of opportunity to perfect myself in the
art Geographic, it was he who proposed
and carried Outhi purpose to commence
the study at the same time, and so dill
gently did he pursue his labor that,
manned as he was, he acquired by con-
slant practice what would seem an i'm
possibility. He read the fast recurring
clicks of the Morse instruments, not by
sound, as is the rule with telegraphers,
but from the sense Of touch as he placed
his fingers lightly upon the moving
armature. His had been all home
practice from lessons delivered by N.Y.
self after Office duties were over.
Il applied for and secured the man
agement of the office at G., a goodly
town on the Kennebac. Here the sum-
mer found us, my brother and /, busily
employed with Office duties. The deaf
and dumb operator attended strictly to
this branch of the business, sitting with
fingers slightly resting upon the instru-
ments, intent upon calls, or copying
with pen the words as they flowed from
the quick pulsations of the little brass
armature beneath his sensitive touch.
''At first this had been a matter of
great curiosity to the townspeOple, yet
they accepted it after time as matter
of fact, and only occasionally visitors
came to witness the phenomenon.
cit was well along into the ice har-
agent in the town for one of the larger
ice companies, the chief industry of the
town, entered the office, and after a
CHEEKY greeting announced the fact
that $1,000 in greenbackS was eX-
pected on the evening express, to be
used by him in paying the hands on
the morrow. And, boys he added,
'as / suppose you don't care to keep
that amount over night, perhaps you'd
better deliver it to me at the house;
then I'll lock it in my safe and be ready
with the payroll in the morning; for the
men will be anxious for their scrip
We were willing to please the colonel.
and readily consented to do as
he wished. During the afternoon a
furious storm of snow set in. Trains
were delayed, and, in consequence, it
was after in the evening when the eX-
press parcels, and among them the
precious bundle Of cash, arrived at the
office. Ours was small Office, sup
porting no delivery team, and as one
of us must act as messenger, my
brother proposed doing so while [
settled up the days business.
I Had there been thought of
danger in the errand to disturb
us [ never should have consented to his
going alone; being none, | gave gest-
sure of thanks as he buttoned tightly his
coat about him, seized the parcel and
stepped out into the storm. Alone in
the office, the days business was soon
put in order, and the few express par
GELS checked from the way-bill. Then
seated in my brothers chail | fell intoa
reverie upon the courage of the poor boy
who sat there, day after day, deaf to all
save the busy instruments-unt
aroused by an unusual stir at the Office
door. They were bringing him in. my
stained by the storm, and, yes. blood.
What could have happened? His poor
right hand, which could have told in
place of speech, hing useless at his
side, the arm disabled by blow.
s.What is it, man?' No answer,
save that they had found him
struggling through the storm, and
recognizing him, had brought him
here. While plying the questions |
had clasped the wounded boy in my
arms and supported him to his accus-
toned seat beside the instrument. we
have need of a doctor here greatly
raising the injured arm. One of the
men Immediately started i'll search of a
.:Seated amid the light and warmth of
familiar surroundings the poor fellow
revived somewhat, and cast glanceS
about, as if looking for means of COM
munication.
"sWhat is it. dear boy?' asked aloud.
For answer he grasped quickly my right
hand with his uninjnred left, and with
his fingers spelled out the words in the
familiar Morse alphabet, which read
from the simple strokes of his fingers.
sRobbedi Robbed! Two. Muffied fig
~ureS. Struck me down. Chung to
money package to the last-till-till
they broke my arm. Oh. cruel, cruel
two poor boys to rob them of so much
"a severe scalp wound. the result of
blow from. some blunt instrument,
and an arm not broken, but badly hurt.
Such was the verdict of the physician
after an examination.
''1he long winter season at last grew
into spring, then summer, and the sun
danced again Oh the waves of the Ken
nebec. My brother was back once more
in his Old-time seat, fully recovered
the wire as before. Yet no trace of the
stolen money nor the robbers. 1t proved
to be, however, a never ending theme,
this mystery. over which we struggled
for some clew to its unrayeling; but it
remained mystery still, until a curious
accident brought to light both the crime
and the money.
.It was noon. and our telegraph mes
senger's dinner hour, when one event
full day there came message of special
importance, requiring immediate de-
livery. Our established reputation for
promptness must not suffer this to wait
the messengers return, so thrusting
the telegram into the pocket of my coat,
l rushed off on delivery duty. have
said that my brothers appearance so
closely resembled my own as to cause
uncertainty even among our friends in
distinguishing one from the other.
''Now, as my course lay down toward
the river among the Ice houses, no
tifed two idlers of vagabond appear