The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-15

A Nuisance Complained Of Lately in
Southern Cities.
From the New York Sun.


an inspector for a telephone company, who
has just returned from business trip
through the South. In some places in
the South the inhibitants, and especially
the telephone subscribers, have been made
20 suffer serious trouble. The superintend-
emf in one city sent a communication to
headquarters recently. saying that sub
scribers were falling off in punches and
phones had to be removed from residences
on account of the annoyance caused by
the telephone fakirs. 1 was sent to that
! city. It is a pretty good sized town of its
kind, and I found matters in bad shape.
The telephone girls said they were afraid
to 90 home at night unless they were prop
erly guarded. The gang had sent hum
dreds of messages to central, warning the
girls that they would De killed if they gave
information which would lead to
the gangs being discovered. The
fakirs who were playing the tricks
must have thought il funny, but
their tricks had serious conse-
quences. one morning a lawyer was sit
ting In his office when his desk phone
buzzed, and he answered. A faint voice
came trembling over TO his ear.
q" Is that you? it said. Well this is
the llONoS Il amy SHtdRiil5- 10 MI.
come home quick. Mrs. b. has taken poi
son. The doctor is here and says she can't
live. He told me 10 tell you TO come here
quick, quick, run
THE poor lawyer was greatly alarmed.
He ran down the steps. When he reached
the street there was carriage near and
he bounced in, telling the driver to take
him TO such and such a number. 1t was
a private vehicle and the man refused
The lawyer took the big stick he was car
rying and gave the driver a whacking blow
over the head. lie fell senseless. AS he
started to rise he got a second blow, and
| then the lawyer, who was wild, jumped
on the seat and drove at a killing pace
| for his home. You can imagine how lie
! felt when he reached his gate and saw his
wife just going out with friend to shop
! The lawyer went to the telephone COM
| pany, but got no satisfaction. The man
| ager said it was the work of the freak
! gang. The worst damage from the cruel
! joke was to the driver. He had to be sent
to the hospital for treatment, and it cost
the lawyer a good round sum 20 square
| matters.
"A few days later young merchant an
swored the phone 10 find a female voice,
| presumably that Of his betrothed. She
! said he had not acted deCeatly in a certain
! transaction with ano her woman, the facts
of which had just come to her ears, and
| she wanted o say that she was just then
! going on beard a steamer bound for New
| York. She said that she would never re-
turn 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 half 10 the
] boat. He heard the three blasts so famil-
lar to him just as 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 it was fear ed
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 men,
DRY returned and finally he was abe to
tel of the telephone message. This pro-
| Voked his friends beyond endurance De-
mands were made on the company to as
certain the names of the miscreants, but
this could not be done.
AFTER these two occurrences the gang
seemed to reach down for a lighter p ane.
| Several persons got messages that they
| would be shot on sight and PREPARATIONS
| for defense were taken accordingly. Prac-
| teal jokes were frequent. One day a party
of young men were invited out to dine.
| Everything passed off Pleasantly and the
young men seemed TO have an enjoyable
evening. Early The following morning there
was a ring at the telephone A servant
| who answered was asked to call the lady
of the house. The man who rang gave his
name as that of one of the young men
who had dined in the party. The lady spoke
pleasantly.
''WeE, that's all right" said the voice,
"for it's very proper. 1 guess, 10 speak
nicely to me after that bum dinner of yes
| terday. Now, look here. Mrs. 49,. l can
! stand for q good many tbiDoS III 7 can't
stand for these tomatoes in that soup you
gave us yesterday. Say, that was a bum
dinner anyhow
! "Well, the lady was indignant When
she got her breath she rang up her hus-
band and told him of the conduct of a
man whom they had considered a friend.
The husband rushed to the office where
the young man was working and demand
I ed an explanation. The young man was at
a loss 10 explain. He denied that he had
called up MIS-. -, and that he had been
insulted by the husband, who thought he
could have been gully OF such conduct.
The husband saw that it was the work
of the fakrs and he went over to the cen
tral office to complain. AS usual he got no
satisfaction, but that night his phone
came down.
Not a week after this a minister walked
into clothing store with thirty boys trail
ing at his heels. He called for a member
of the firm.
That was a kind offer of yours he
said, "and 1 have brought my choir BOYS
down for the SUPPLIES.
9 'Surplices?' asked the man in aston
| ishment
Yes, SUPPLIES. I got a telephone mes
sage from you yesterday telling me that
you wished to make a donation in the wav
of surplices and came for Them
1.-THE clothing merchant said he had new
/ er sent such a message or made such an
offer. He told the minister that il wa
the telephone taking gangs work. and
The little boys had to tramp away without
their SUPPLIES.
Late one night soon after this one of
the women most prominent socially was
giving musical reception. While the fes-
tivities were going on there was a cali at
| the phone and a demand for the lady of
the house. This is the chief of police
said the voice at the far end, and the
neighbors are complaining of the noise al
your house. You viii have to stop thai
music right now, and if you don't will
Ion to tf,s