Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-03-26

through which Wild Rock held com.
munication with the outside world
was dark save for one oil lamp whose
feeble rays were flashing through the
windew and doing much more toward
Illuminating the depot platform than
they were toward frightening the dark
corners inside the station. In the
operators room there was the constant
| ticlx-tickety- tick-tick of the soundel
as the wires carried their messages
across the table on their journeys east
and west
Beside the table sat the operator
Fred Burgess, in the large, easy office
chair, his feet propped up against the
partition that separated him from the
little waiting-room and his hands
clasped behind his head. The last
train for the night had passed, and
as he was expecting no orders for his
station, he was paying no attention to
the constant chatter of the little in
strument, but was thinking; thinking
of the events of the next day, of the
crimes committed in the name of the
law, thinking of the innocent people
punished and the guilty ones who es-
capped. &
Fred Burgess had come to the little
frontier station, not because he needed
the position that the place afforded
him, for he gave up better one to
accept it, and not because his health
demanded a change of climate, but
for a love of adventure. He had
found the rough hospitality of the
western people uncongenial, how
ever, and was beginning to regret the
fate that had brought him west, when
one day, some months before, he met
Frank Wagner, who had accompanied
his brother to the railway station. The
acquaintance formed that day had
been cultivated, and both had after
ward found the west a much more
congenial place than it had seemed
before.
tx XXX XXX X" The little in
strument seemed mad, so loudly did it
repeat the letters time after time:
but it was not until the sound of the
last "click" had died away and other
letters were passing backward and
forward over the wires that the oper.
ator recognized and answered his office
call.
II have an important message for
Wild Rock. Is there any way of
reaching that point from your office
to-night?" said the instrument, after
the call had been answered.
II am afraid not; there is no one
near here but myself and the section
crew, and no way of covering the 40
miles between here end Wild Rock
after night" answered the operator.
And then the thought flashed through
his mind that 1t might be news of the
pardon they had so long expected, and
he added at once: "What is the mes
sage aboutT
Sent by order of the president to
stop an execution at that place to-
morrow morning" was the reply.
Send it at once and 1 will deliver
1t myself, if God permits" went flying
back to the end Of the line. Then,
with painful slownes.. the instrument
licked out its glad message. 1t was
as follows:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 22.
To JOHN S. A, Sheriff of Navajo Coun :
ty, A. T.. Wild Rock: President orders ex-
ecution of Frank Wagner, condemned to
be hanged tomorrow morning, stopped,
and the release OF the prisoner upon ar
rival of pardon papers forwarded through
regular channels. -, Secretary.
The good words had come, but at
what a time! The operator recognized
the fact that it lay with him whether
or not his friend YVES to die, and yet
could he save him? 1t lacked but Il
little over four hours before the time