Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-29
ABILITY AS A TELEGRApHER.
Remarkable Feats Performed by the
Late Lieut.. Swift.

-ShA.ssA MANI c,utS REFORMED Dy the
Late Lieut.. Swift.
From the Chicago Inter-ocean
First Lieut. Swift of the ninth cavalry
United States army. committed suicide at
Fort Robinson, Neb., on Thursday morn
Ing by shooting himself through the heart.
He had been post exchange and acting
commissary officer. During the past week
he was relieved of both duties, and an in
vestigation of his books was in progress.
He leaves wife and large family
Lieut.. Swift's suicide closes one of the
most remarkable careers in the United
States army. From the position of tele-
graph operator in a small town in Vir-
sln1a he became private, corporal, SER
geant and lieutenant in the army in as
many days as there were promotions.
When Cen Myer organized the signal
corps of the army biography was decided
TO be one of the most important branches
OF signaling to be taught to the young men
VINO were to form the corps. They were
destined to serve at frontier posts, where
they were to make tri-daily telegraphic re-
ports on the condition of the weather, and
a knowledge of biography was desirable.
II not actually necessary. Swift had con-
siderable local reputation as a telegrapher
and to secure his services as an instructor
ne was enlisted in the corps and promoted
from day to day until he attained the rank
OF second lieutenant. After joining the
corps and beginning his work as instructor
Re devoted himself to the study of cleo
triclty and biography, becoming one of
the most skillful operators that the world
had ever known and an author on the sub
ject.
There were lot of fancy tricks in send
ing and receiving messages that Swift used
TO do. One of them was to take two mes
sages at the same time. He could write
equally well and beautifully with either
hand, and could take a message from one
0yrt 7;
hand, while he copied another message
with his right. He could also send a mes
sage with one hand while he received an
other message, copying 1t with the other
hand. In the years that he was instruc-
tor in telegraphy for the signal corps Swift
never net his match but once That was
when young fellow that looked like a
typical cowboy applied for admission to
the corps. In answer to the question as to
whether he understood anything about
telegraphy, the young fellow answered
that ne could receive forty words minute
without being very busy. He was sent
INTO another room, which had telegraphic
communication with the main Office, for
Swift to test his ability. At first Swift
sent the young fellow about twenty words
a minute, then thirty. When Swift broke
getting 1T all right, he answered: 90. K.
but hurry up. l haven't much time to fool
away" Then the pace was increased To
forty words and, after keeping this up for
hve minutes, the applicant broke in and
said: III you can't send any faster than
that, you had better quit" He was en-
ployed, and In less than year ran away
with the receipts Of a government Office
in Arizona.
The most remarkable feature of Lieut..
Swifts career in the army Is that it has
been well known among army people for
fifteen years that he was short in his ac-
counts. During that period he has been
robbing Peter to pay Paul. and has been
VIGOROUSLY hard up. For several months
he was stationed at Fort Myer, on the
ton. and during that time he had trouble
every month explaining shortages in army
accounts, and he borrowed money of ali
the men in the command that could loan
1t to him. He had no bad habits. He never
drank, gambled OF used tobacco.