Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-12-03
SAVED BY LIGHTNING
NARROW ESCAPE or TWO TRAIN.
FROM DESPERATE RoesERs.
The Teiegrapher. whs Tells shs story
Was Round Hand and Foot. when ths
Holt Knocked out the Leader and Sc
Fire TO the station.

direct frsn the lips Of a western telegra
pher who made ole Of the group Of story
tellers he playing an important part ia thu
incident. and as his yeracity has neyet
been questioned. the tale must be &C
eepted at the proper value OF undiluted
truth and 40 pass into the record 81 talei
undoubted from the Wild and woolly west
I'm my early experience with the tele
graph business" said he, II was located al
place called Medicine Hat. a small grour
OF shanties on the Northern Pacific rail.
road, as operator, ticket agent and expresi
agent Medicine Hat 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 the mountains |
The entire population OF Medicine Hat
could have been easily crowded into the !
little village station.
One night, after day Of the most sui |
try weather that | had experienced foi
months, | was detained at my Office on &C
count Of delayed trains. A continuous
roll Of thunder, accompanied by SHARP
flashes Of lightning In the distance, warned
me of AN approaching storm. | fretted and
stormed, as wanted To get to my board
ing shanty, about n quarter of mile uE
the country road before the storm broke
was leaning back in my chair musing
over the events that had brought me west
when suddenly voice broke upon my ears
Hold up your hands quickF
balancing up ] saw huge revolver
pointed through the little window in the
wall through which | sold tickets, and be
hind it n weird mask, with terrible shin
| ing eyes In endeavoring to comply with
the command, especially the latter in
4 junction. my chair swung around, my head
struck on the edge Of the table and uncon
scions rolled to the floor.
when | regained my wits found my
self lying ON the floor of the outer waiting
room bound hand and foot. with bad
ungainly looking fellow standing over mt
with IA Winchester. The storm had broker
over us, and the wind. rain, lightning and
thunder were something terrific.
All at once my trained ear caught the
sound ~ the telegraph sonnder, and turn
ug my head perceived n man at my desk
working away at my key. He wore 8
mask, but this did not disguise the fact
that he was "A young man. As the charao
tiers were licked OIL and came to my ears
knew he was feeling his way rs to the loca
tion Of the delayed trains. | also noticed
that he frequently arose and made use OF
the ground wire from the switchboard
which cut off the main Office, in which wal
located the train runner Of the division
At frequent intervals sharp cracks Of light
ming would re-echo through the room Al
they struck the arrester on the switch
! But the man worked on totally Oblivion,
OF his surroundings.
suddenly ! caught the drift OF what h,
was sending out over the wire and was hor
rified to learn that he was trying To ma
wreck. Trains ~ and Is passed each othel
about five miles up the road from my sta
ton. and he was sending out orders with
cool, steady hand 10 train ~ To take sid
!. ing about ten miles east Of Medicine Ha
and 10 train IS to pass a at the regula
place. These orders would have thrown
the two trains, which were heavily la,lel
: with passengers and express matter, 10
gether very near my station.
II could easily hear the sounder an,
y from his orders knew the would lie wreck
er was an expert telegrapher and thorough
iy familiar with train running. Ever
now and then the wrecker would raise hi
= hand from the key a mor, severe strok
Of lightning would come in over the wire
but he was too intent ON his deadly worl
9 to desist. The tramp % heavy boots o
y the platform outside told ma that the con
g templa,ed wreck was an organized schem
9 for robbing the express company and pas
y sengers.
d My mind was in a horrible whirl and
. free .ently strained at my bindings to &c
c my hands loose, but a savage curse frur
7 my guard warned me to be careful or m
life would not he worth much. On accoun
u OF the trains being behind time | knee
u they would be pushed to their utmos
ie speed by the engineer and II they came /,
" gether the wreck would be "A horrible ont
P 1.-The storm continued to increase in fore
and peal after peal Of thunder re-eehoe
over and above the little station Still III
wrecker Mt the key kept steadily at wor
weaving his web Of destruction Suidenl
% he called out in voice Of mingled sati
.. faction and deyilish glee:
d "'Ah, that fixes the matter all righ
70 Forty seven has signed the orders at th
\ water tank and in ten minutes they'll (
= together Tell the men to spread OF
= up
u "Iie never finished the sentence.
= binding flash at the switchboard, shrie
y from the wrecker and the Office appeare
le TO be one mass Of flame. My guard rnshe
. from the building, and with mighty q
= fort wrcnched my hands free and pulle
re myself through the door The little ST
y tion was dry as finder, the oil from III
u trainmeD's lamps added To the combust
BILE nature Of its makeup, and in momeI
flames were breaking out In every part
with loud cries several Of the wrecl
er's confederates dashed toward the lit
N room TO pull their leader out, but the he'
G drove them back and rs voices were hear
ar up the country road coming toward Il
C station they all disappeared in the darl
e ness.
re "A man named iumpty Logan units
e. my legs, as my hands were useless on a
ia count OF the great numhness occasions
az by the tightness OF the thongs, and lquic
ID ~ explained the situation to him. !
ly hunted up "A lamp and dashed down q
IN track aud around the curve in one dire
ton, while swung the lantern upon q
train coming down the straight piece
track to the station in the other directio
he Ny lantern WAS not seen by the engine,
y but the burning station acted as n dang
signal and the train drew up at the static
the engineer totally ignorant Of the dang
N they were escaping and only intent up
helping to suhdue the flames. Twenty.fi
,yi words explained the situation 10 the ems
nd neer and group of passengers that gat
cred around, and as train AZ slow
rounded the curve from the east, substa
tiating my story, the organization Of
of prayer meeting there and then would hR
cd been an easy matter - Washington Stai
10 ANY Time After Sunset.
rs "About wha; time, and where did I
siI knights originate and aourishf' asked {
10 teacher And the smart bad boy said