Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-09-27
AN ITEM By TELEPHONE.

there came a ring at the telephone He
~aited for moment TO see il somebody else
in the bailding was going TO answer, and
then went to the instrument himself.
Hello said a voice. Who is thatf'
1.-THE city editor"
You are Just the man, then, l want TO
talk TO. want you to take down something
that think will be Of interest to the readers
Of your paper"
IAN right Go ahead.' said the city edi-
tor.
Have you got paper and pencil theref'
NO. Go ahead with what you have TO
say. III take ii down"
.sThis requires accuracy. You will have to
have paper and pencil"
Every we'll" said the city editor, wait
moment Now, then" he continued, go
ahead"
us there anybody else theref' asked the
voice.
"What difference does it rnakef'
swell. it makes this difference. that |
want To know if you stay at the telephone I'M
til | am through. Will you promise thatr
III you have any news to send in, said
the city editor, rather Grossly, please send
it in
"Will you pronii q to wait at the telephone
until am through"
IN promise nothing Of the kind" said
the editor: "l'il rang of III another moment"
Listen to the, said the voice; IF you ring
off, you do yourself out Of one of the most
sensational items that has occurred within
the last six innth,. Unless you promise me
I'll riiiS tn opposition paper, and think
they viii he gla,i Of the item"
"An Il. Vt" said the city editor, II prom
ise TO ahead
Now, SEE here, there's another thing At
the end Of every sentence want you TO an
sver yes can recognize your voice and
can tt whether YOU have summoned any one
to your assistance The moment that | find
that you haze done 50, will ring OF at the
central ard you will lose your item. II you
make any attempt to communicate with the
central office | shall hear you and will ring
off,
why, what's all this nonsense about." said
the city editor If you have got any news let
me have it. II you haven't, stop all this talk.
don't want to hear it,
IAN right" said the other, that's business.
Now you are to understand that you are to
answer yes ut the end OF every sentence. |
am going tocoinut suicide"
YES" from the city editor.
II have every preparation for it in my
room an gong to commit suicide in tho
Frenc' fashion with pan OF charcoal. 1t is
here hv my siilc ready to be lighted | am n
young pAy sician wio has had nothing 70 do,
and us either slow starvation or the quicker
rethoi of the charcoal pan. Do you under
tandf
yes
Yum understand now why do not wish
la bc in'errHytedi"
YES answered the city editor,
Il would have written down my sensations
during the coming of death, but am afraid
that my land may get laraly zed, and that
anyway | cannot write es fast as the symp-
toms, which | wish to describe, occur. Be
sides, | think | can talk here longer than
could write anyhow. | have the telephone
fixed down opposite my chair and have my
head propped up against 1t, so that so long as
| can speak can tell you my symptoms
IAN right said the city editor.
Now. in order that this description Of the
symptoms Of a man being poisoned by car
bon nonoxidc 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
I've heard that remark before Well, so
on. Have you lighted your fire yet!"
mo, not yet | want to be sure that you
are perfectly ready and that you have all the
materials with Won for long interview Do
you hear me plainlyf'
First rate" said the city editor. As he
said this he heard n step down the hall
Now" said the city editor perhaps be-
fore you begin to light the fire you will 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 prellmin-
AIRY information about it"
.'I'll do that" said the voice from the
telephone, ''but in any case after you have
the article written, if | were you | would
submit it to some physician, and then if there
are any technical mistakes he will correct
them"
That is a good idea" said the city editor
Now go ahead with the preliminary" Then
placing his hand over the funnel Of the tele-
phone 50 that no sound could reach the other,
he called out:
Fox, is that your
YES answered Fox, coming into the
room.
See here, Fox, I'll tell you what want
YOU 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 is 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 policeman with you and go up to the
house and catch him, if possible, at the tele-
phone. I think we will make an example Of
this fellow"
Fox disappeared While this conversation
was going on the person at the other end OF
the line was talking in this manner:
Poisoning by carbon monoxide occurs in
this way II is the toxic constituent in gases
given out from coal or charcoal fire. An at
moephere containing a small portion Of the
gas produces asphyxia and death 05 per
cent. Of c. o, in the air Is sufficient to kill
small b. RI in a very few minutes. Have You
got that all rightr'
Eyes, said the city editor
Very well,n continued the other. "Now,
here goes for light
In the silence of the Office the almost in
audible electrical crackle OF the telephone
was the only thing the city editor could hear,
but in the midst of this there appeared to
come through the telephone the slight sound
of the scratching of a match. This almost
imperceptible sound had a strange effect on
the city editor. II seemed to give CHASTITY
reality to the whole thing, that up to that
moment had been absent He wished that
be had told Fox to bring with him a physi-
clan as well policeman
why don't you go orr said the city edi-
tor through the telephone, not knowing what
else TO say.
We'll, said the other, up to date there is
nothing to go on with. There are no symp-
toms. may say, however, that the charcoal
is burning, and that have stuffed with old
newspapers every crack and crevice In the
room, and the room isn't very large one
anyhow, and expect to be able to tell you
something by and by. Got your pencil and
paper all readyt'
IAN ready said the other
'Ah, now / feel difference said the
voice over the telephone. Il seem to have
difficulty in breathing"
We'll. you expected that, didn't your said
the city editor
''Oh, OF course, certainly. But did not
know but | might come on some symptoms
that had hitherto been unrecorded Have
you got that downf There is increased in
spiratory and explanatory efforts l am
breathing now as if were running a race
Perhaps you are" said the city editor to
himself Il wish Fox were there
Say" he said aloud, "how far out Of
town are your
''Oh, l am not out of town At AL said the
other.
How far are you from this o6iceT
Il don't know. About . mile, think"
IAN right said the editor
II
now hear the man breathe quickly and
deeply