The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01
FAKIRS AT THE TELEPHONE.
NUISANCE COMPLAINED OF LATELY
IN SOUTHERN CITIES.

Messages That Caused seriou. Trouhi. ,,a
Sometimes Nearly Resulted in Death
MANY Telephonos Given Up on Account
OF tho AnnoVance-Trlcks Of the Gang.
"The telephone fakir Is the strangest freak with
which we have to deal" said an inspecto, IN, .
telephone company who has Just returned from A
business trip through the South IN some rlncc,
In the oou'h the inhabitants, and especially the
telephone subscribers have been made 10 sune,
serious trouble. The superintendent in one citv
sent communication TO headquarters recent,v
saying that subscribers were falling of in buncb,.
and phones had to be removed from resid,nc,.
on account Of the annoy ance caused by the telo-
phone fakirs. l was sent TO that city II IN a
pretty good sized town Of its kind. and found
matters In bad shape The telephone girls said they
were afraid TO 60 home at night unless they vers
properly guarded. The gang had sent hundreds
Of messagcs to central warning the girls tina,
they would be killed II they gave information
which would lead TO the gangs being discovered.
This naturally frightened the operators The
fakirs who were playing the tricks must have
thought II funny, but their tricks had serious
consequences One morning lawyer was sitting
in his ONCE when his desk phone buzzed, and he
answered. faint voice came trembling over 10
his cor
us that you? II said. Well this is the house
Fanny speaking. DO, Mr.. -, come homo quick
Mrs B. has taken poison. The doctor 10 here
and says she can't live He told me 10 tell you
TO come here quick. quick run
The poor lawyer greatly alarmed Ho
ran down the steps When he reached the street
there was a carriage and he bounced In telling
the driver to take him to such and such number
II was a private vehicle and the man refused.
The lawyer took tho big stick he was carrying
and gave the driver whacking blow over the
. ha at.r - n,i.
he got second blow, and then the lawyer. who
was wild. jumped on the seat and drove at killing
pace for his home You can imagine how he
felt when he reached his gate and saw his wife
Just going out with a friend to shop The lawyer
went to tho telephone company. but got no satis-
faction The manager said IL was the work
OF the freak gang. The worst damage from
the cruel Joke was to the driver He had 10 be
sent to the hospital for treatment and II cost the
lawyer q. good round sum to square matters
"A few days later, young merchant answered
the phone to find q female voice. presumably
that Of his betrothed She said he had not acted
decently in a certain transaction with another
woman. the facts Of which had Just come to her
ears, and she wanted to say that she was lust
then going on board a steamer bound for Now
York She said that she would never return
and that her lover would never hear OF her again.
This information set the young man distracted.
His bicycle was near and it was a mile and q
half to the boat He heard the three blasts 80
familiar 10 him Just he was leaving the store
From that moment he pushed that wheel at the
highest pace. In turning a corner he ran square
into a team and was thrown violently They
picked him up and the doctor said he was badly
hurt Friends took him to the hospital and 10
was feared that he could not live The next
day there were brighter signs and he opened
his eyes. His sweetheart was there by his side
The man was unable to figure out where he was
though gradually his memory returned and
finally he BILE to tell Of the telephone message
This provoked his friends beyond endurance.
Demands were made on the company to ascertain
the names Of the misc1eants but this could noe
be done.
After these two occurrences tho gang seemed
to reach down for lighter plane. Several per-
sons got messages that they would be shot sight
and preparations for defence were taken accord
ingly Practical Jokes were frequent One day
a party OF young mon were invited out to dine.
Everything passed of pleasantly and tho young
men seemed to have an enjoyable evening. Early
the following morning there was q ring at tho
telephone A servant who answered was asked
10 call the lady Of the house. The man who rang
gave his name as that Of one Of tho young men
who had dined in tho party. The. lady spoke
pleasantly.
well. that's all right said the voice. for
It's very proper, guess to speak nicely to me after
that bum dinner Of yesterday. Now, look here.
Mrs -, l can stand for good many things,
but can't stand for those tomatoes in that soup
you gave US yesterday. Say. that was a bum
dinner anyhow
WELL tho lady was indignant When she goa
her breath she rang up her husband and told
him Of the conduct Of man whom they had con-
sidered o friend The husband rushed to the
Office whore the young man working and
demanded explanation. The young man
was at loss TO explain. He denied that he had
called up Mrs - and that he had been insulted
by the husband who thought he could have been
guilty OF such conduct The husband that
IL was the work OF the fakirs and he won't over
to tho Central Ofhoo TO complain. As usual he got
no satisfaction, but that night his phone came
down.
mot week after this a minister walked into .
clothing store with thirty boys trailing at his
heels. He called for q member Of tho firm
That was q kind offer OF yours. he said. and
have brought my choir boys down for the sur
plices.
"'Surplices?' asked the man in astonishment
"'Yes. surplices. got telephone message
from you yesterday telling me that you wished
to make donation in the way OF surplices, and
l came for them
The clothing merchant said he had never sent
such message made such offer. He told
the minister that twas the telephone taking gangs
work, and the little boys had 10 tramp away with
out their surplices.
Late one mig hit soon after this one Of the women
most prominent socially giving a musical
reception. While the festivities were, going on
there was call al the phone and demand for
the lady OF the house This is tho Chief Of Police.
said the voice at the far end and the neig hbos
are complaining of the noise at your house You
will have TO stop that music RICH now. and II you
don't ! will sond down men 10 have tho houso
pulled.
THE woman never thong ht for moment OF the
fakirs: in fact she probably had never heard Of
them and she said she would stop the music She
whispered 10 her intimate friends that the evening
would have TO be closed and begged them 10 go.
80 70 get others away. Well In ten minutes
the music had ceased for the night When every
body had left. the woman confided to her husband
the order from Police Headquarters. He was
ready 10 shoot anybody on the instant Tho
chiefs Office denied that any such message was
sent
These are only samples OF the fake tricks played
by the gang. | got TO investigating and found
that the girls had been frightened into keeping
quiet assured them that no harm could come.
and after that they gave me informal ton which
worked The fact OF my being in the town. how
out and ia mutt ha car On I