The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-05

| net for the wire in case a person places his
| hand upon any OF the instruments while his
feet rest on the wet floor. Brady knew this
and also knew of "Dexter's" habit Of fall
ing asleep if left alone for few minutes.
! Thinking to give the old darby a shock
and fright, Brady called him to the Office
and told him to watch things while he at
| tended to things outside.
| Dexter" fiattered by the responsibility
| placed upon him. Immediately pulled the
door shut and took a seat in the chair. Two
minutes bad hardly passed when his head
was forward on his arms, which were
spread out on the table, one of which COW
cred the telegraph key, and loud snore an
nounced the fact that he had fallen asleep,
as anticipated.
The storm ragged with undated fury and
all the storm-beaten people in the station,
except Brady. forgot Dexter" in discuss
ing the electrical display in the heavens.
All at once vivid flash of lightning was
seen, followed by a thunderous peal. At
the same instant a most unearthly shrek
came from Dexter" followed by the crash
of breaking boards as the thin PARTITION
came tumbling down. and out rolled the old
darby into the midst Of the terrified spec
tators.
1t was at once seen that "Dexter'sr coat
was on fire and tho onlookers Immediately
sprang to his aid, beat out the fire and
that it was a case Of more frightened then
hurt, but Brady realized that he had al
most fathered tragedy. 1t was surmised
that the bolt had come IN over the wire,
jumped the lightning arrester fastened to
the switchboard and came out at the key on
which "Dextersn arm rested, and wet the
floor making a sort OF ground wire out Of
the old darkY's body.
1t would be hard to say whether "Dex-
ter" or the dozen and more people in the
station was the most frightened. The stimuli
taueous crashess were something terrifying,
and all that could get out Of the little room
had left in a bunch, thinking the building
had been struck by lightning and was fall
ing upon them.
Dexter Immediately pulled out for
other parts and although seen 10 the vicinity
no amount Of coaxing could get him TO
come near the office for months afterward.
He evidently told Julius of his experience.
for he, too. disappeared and for many
| nights thereafter Operator Brady kept up
his nightly vigil alone.
AN EXPERIENCE AT MEDICINE HAT,
As the following sensational tale came
direct from the lips of a western telegra-
pher. who made one of the group OF story
tellers, he playing an important part in the
incident. and as bis veracity has never been
questioned, the tale must be accepted at the
proper value of undiluted truth, and so pass
into the record Of tales undoubted from the
wild and woolly west.
"In my early experience with the tele-
graph business" said he, "I was located at
a place called Medicine Hat, a small group
of shanties on the Northern Pacific railroad =,
! as operator, ticket agent and express agent.
Medicine could be classed among the towns
as being thirty miles from nowhere. What
little business was done was on account of
mining village some thirty miles back in
- -N..Ng
Medicine Hat could have been easily
crowded into the little village station.
"One night, after day OF the most sui
try weather that l had experienced for
months, was detained at my office on &C.
count Of delayed trains. A continuous roll
of thunder, accompanied by sharp flashes
Of lightning 10 the distance, warned me Of