Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-20
DOTS AND DAsRKs FROM srooK.
The Aessage Over an Instrument without
Wires Battery.

~.
The Nessage Over an Instrument without
Wires or Battery.
Prom the csncinnsu Enquirer
One OF the wildest, weirdest stories Of the
supernatural that has ever come under the ex-
perience Of mortal man is told BY r. II. Field.
the Big -Four telegraph operator at sou;hside
station.
Ny. Field is very intelligent and conscien-
tious man. and he relates his fearful expert.
ence with q candor and earne.tness that almost
makes one believe il in spite Of its extreme i'm
probability.
Il have been = telegraph operator for
twenty-five years. have told nv story TO a,
least hundred people. and have never me.
one yet who would believe that It was an actual
fact. know that il will be severe test on
your credulity, but my experience is Gospel
truth. want VOC to understand that / have
never. and do not now. believe in the super
natural. L have never attended a spiritualistic
seance In nv life, and am rather inclined 10
accept the philosophy Of Bob lngersoll."
Mr.. Field was quite reluctant about telling
his story for publication. but finally consented
to do 30. He is an entertaining talker. and re-
lated the great eveut of his life with an case
that showed that he had told il before at
was several years ago, he began. when was
much younger than am now. was assigned
to night duty at little station called Evans
burg. in Pennsylvania, on the New York Penn
syivania and Ohio railroad. / hadn't been
around the world very much, but fiattered nv
self that had good deal of mechanical genius
The office was in charge of an old fogy sort OF
a fellow named Jones. The telegraph instru-
ment got out Of adjustment, aud knew some
thing about repairing il. Jones suggested that
L take TO my home an old-fashioned relay box
and nx IL up. Glad OF the opportunity TO show
what could do. carried the box TO NV board
ing house one morning and put il on a shelf in
an old cupboard and went to bed. intending 10
fix 1t after nv sleep was over. l had been
in bed but few minutes. and had not got 20
sleep. when, TO NV surprise and astonishment
the armature. or what il OF herwise known NJ the
lever on the instrument. began ticking. was
perfectly amazed and thought there must be
some mistake. To satisfy myself that / had
not been carried away by my imagination. for
the ticking was faint and subdred, I got out
OF bed, and, with fear and trembling. opened
the cupboard door. took the instrument in
my hand and il continued to work. put IL on
the table, but the sound IL made was unintel-
hgible j turned the spring 30 that there
would be less resistance, and then. in clear
and perfect Morse as / ever heard. the invisi-
BILE person. spirit, or whatever il was, wrote:
do you get me?
81 was SO overcome that involuntarily an
swered Yes, without putting il on the instru-
the beautiful writing. il continued
Thank God, at last! MY name is Charles
Blake. l am old-timer. NV parents, who
reside in Mount Pleasant. Iowa, have lost me-
They don't know what my fate has been. I
want you TO write TO nv father Homer Blake
at Mount Pleasant Iowa, and inform him that
died at Shreveport, Tex, OF yellow fever,
on - have forgotten the date. but it was
several years prior to the date of this commune
cation. j was frightened to death. Nv hair
stood on end. MY boarding house was two
miles from the telegraph station and there
no battery nearer than the station and there
was no telegraph wire Of any kind in that vi
cinity. was little dubious about the COM
munication from the other world or from some
where, l will not undertake to say. Before
yenturing to write to Homer Blake. as directed
| picked up Western Union tariff book which
had In my room TO see IL there was such a
town rs Mount Pleasant. Iowa. found that
there was such place, q fact that / did not
know before, and that il was located on the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad. To
satisfy myself and not be taken in. I wrote a
letter to the postmaster at Mount Pleasant and
asked him if he knew of any one in the vicinity
named Homer Blake. and to give me what in
formation he could, without telling him what
wanted il for. A few DAYS later received a
reply. and have his letter somewhere among
my effects, in which he said that Homer Blake
had lived in Mount Pleasant some years before.
out UNI ne uau mONtu away. 10 what place
he did not know. Blake he informed me. had
two sons, one Of whom. Charles. was supposed
to be dead, and the other was a grain merchant
in the far west
did you not pursue your investigations
further?'
mo, I did not. The truth is I was scared TO
death. worked that wire for eighteen months
Every time ! took of the relay il made the
same peculiar noise and worked in a sputtering
sort of way. and to show that there must
have been some hidden or occult force il crossed
the other wires. Every once in a while used
to ask Jones if he heard the noise. and he
laughed at me. He never believed INV story,
although the reply from the postmaster at
Mount Pleasant somewhat staggered him I
was actually 50 afraid TO take the relay of that
my hair used to stand on end. and never had
any further communication with the hidden
force that called itself Charles Blake. / shall
never forget that experience as long as live
People look SO incredulous and are so apt to
believe me a crank spiritualist when tell
it hat never relate it any more unless am
asked to do SOL
Mr. Field lives with his wife at Southside
He is well known in this city, and has the repu-
tstion Of being truthful and sensible man
There is no doubt in the world that he sincerely
thinks that he was talked to on that old instru-
ment without wire or battery, and he declares
most solemaly that it could not have been
matter Of fancy.
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