Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-16

work, but, to the hackers Of scheme Of
this kind, expense does not cut any figure
II they can get the right sort Of men to
stand by them.
Even When Underground.
When the wires were placed under
ground the telegraph officials congratu-
lated themselves that their quotations
and news were at least safe within city
limits. But the Taper soon discovered
that 1t was a good deal easier and safer
to tap underground cables than to tamper
with overhead wires.
This revelation came to the telegraph
officials like shock. They had fondly
imagined that the underground system
was absolutely safe, but the willy Taper
was keeping right up with the procession
He not only found way to get at the
strands Of the cable, but he also advanced
in science, SO that he no longer had to
open wire or loop it in for tapping pur-
poses. He worked by induction. and need
ed only one wire instead Of loop to steal
the desired intelligence
Up to this time the electric pilferer had
to have one wire leading from the tapped
line to his instrument and another one
back to complete his circuit Under the
improved system he hitched one wire on
to the main line and ran it to what is
known as a condenser There he ended 1t
within fraction of an inch Of another
wire which ran through delicately con-
structed telegraph instrument to the
ground. The leakage or induction obtain
ed by this method was sufficient to op-
crate the instrument.
1t is not often that one telegraph COM
pany will deliberately tap the wires of a
rival concern in order to steal news. but
1t Is said that right here in Washington
1t has been done. 1t happened during the
Baltimore and Ohio and Western Union
mer was trying to gain foothold. but
was barred out of the stock exchanges,
race tracks and base ball parks. OF
course, at such times, matters shape
the bright particular one in the tele-
graph managers lexicon. The stock ex-
changes tabooed bucket shops and for
bade the Western Union furnishing them
OF customers had to turn to the Baltimore
and Ohio for relief.
Whenever bucket shop was known to
be IN receipt of the markets strenuous eff
Its supply, and sleuths were hired to I'M
earth the wires and destroy them. It
took several weeks for the Western Union
officials to find out the method by which
one bucket shop was getting the markets.
They could see an operator sitting at his
table, with pair of telephone saunders
glued to his ears, but where he obtained
M his news was for long time a mystery.
Ihey searched high and low for the origin,
but were compelled to acknowledge defeat,
and the bucket shop continued to receive
quotations until the Baltimore and Ohio
was "gobbled" up by the Western Union,
when the plan vas unfolded to the puzzled
officials of the latter company.
How 1t Was Done.
private wire, running into the quota
ton room Of a legitimate stock broker on
F street, had been tapped. and connections
made with set Of dead wires that for a
long time had been abandoned. These were
picked up and connected with other wires
running north. until they terminated in an
Office on G street, where a sounder was in
serted From the telephone company a
private wire was rented running from the
office on G street to the bucket shop near
the legitimate stock brokers' on + street,
where the operator. by affixing the tele-
phone saunders to his ears. was able to
hear every click Of the sounder. which was
placed directly in front Of the transmitter
In the office on G street. AS fast as the
quotations were received he jotted them
down and passed the slip over to boy,
who chalked them up on a blackboard It
was cute device, and one we'll worthy Of
its originator. OF course. the office on q
street was kept strictly private, no one
being allowed to enter but those in the
scheme.