The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-09
IELEPHONE FAKIRS.

A Great Nuisance Complained Of
Lately IN Southern Cities = Fake
Messages that Caused TrOuble,
Sometimes Nearly Resulting in
Death.
New York Sun: THE telephone fakir
is the strangest freak with which we
have to deal,s said an ispector for q
telephone company who has just re-
turned from business trip through the
south. In some places In the south.
the Inhabitants, and especially the tel
] ephone subscribers, have been made TO
sufLer serious trouble. The supertn-
tendent in one district sent a cOmmunl-
cation TO headquarters recently, saying
that subscribers were falling on In
punches and phones had 70 be removed
from residences on account Of the an
noyance caused bv the telephone fakirs'
| was sent to that city. u Is a pretty
good sized town OF this kind. and !
founu matters IN bad shape. The tel
ephone girls said they Were afraid to
so home at night unless they were prop
| erly guarded. The gang had sent huns
dredS OF messages to Central, warning
| that they would be killed tf they gave
II kAAehh Wp1AA A5eAA W eAAs 9sssta
being discovered. This naturally
frightened the operators. The faklrs
who we're playing the trick must have
thought It was funny, but their tricks
had serious consequences. One morn
ing a lawyer was seated in his Office
when his desk phone buEzed and he
answered. A faint voice came tremb-
ling over his ear.
rs that you" It said. well. this is
the house. Fanny speaking. Do, Mr..
come home quick. Mrs. b. has
\ taken poison. The doctor Is here and
says she can't live. he told me. 70
tell you to come here quick, quick
rum"
The poor lawyer was greatly alarm
| ed. He ran down the steps. When
ne reached the street there was a car
riage near and he bounced in, telling
the driver to take them to such and
such number. II was private We
| hicle, and the man refused, The law
] yer took the big stick he was still car
rylng and gave the driver q whacktnG
| blow over the heart He fell senseless.
AS he started to rise he got another
blow, and the lawyer, who was Wild,
Jumped on the seat and drove at q
killing pace for his home. You can Inn
agine how he felt when he reached the
gate and saw his wife just going but
with u friend to shop. The lawyer went
to the telephone company but got no
satisfaction. The manager said 1t was
the work Of the freak gang. The worst
damages from the cruel joke was TO the
driver He had TO be sent to the hos
pitRl for treatment, and 1t cost the
lawyer a good round sum to square
matters.
"a few days later young merchant
answered the phone to md a female
voice. presumably that Of his betrothed.
She said he had not acted decently IN u
certain transaction with another
woman, the facts Of which had Just
come to her ears, and she wanted to
say that she was Just then going on
board a steamer bound for New York.
She said 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 mile and a half to the boat.
| He heard the three blasts SO familiar
10 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 q team and
was thrown violently. They picked him
up and the doctor said he was badly
hurt. Friends took him to the hospital
and 1t was feared that he would 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 re-
turned and finally he was able to tell OF
the telephone message. This provoked
his friends beyond endurance. De-
mands were made on the company to
ascertain the names Of the miscreants,
but this could not be done.
after these two occurrences TIL gang
seemed to reach down for a lighter
plane. Several persons got messages
that they would be shot on sight ana
preparations for defence were taken
accordingly Practical Jokes were fire.
quent. One day party OF young men
were invited out to dine. Everything
passed OFF pleasantly and the young
men seemed to have an enjoyable even
ing, 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.
"'Well, that's all right said the
voice, for It's very proper. guess. to
speak nicely to me after that bum DIM
ner Of yesterday, Now, look here, Mrs,
, / can stand for a good many
things. but can't stand for those tomH-
toes In that soup you gave us yester-
day. Say, that was bum dinner any
how
she got her breath she rang up her hus-
band and told him OF the conduct Of o
man whom they had considered
friend. The husband rushed to the
office where the young man was work.
ing and demanded an explanation, The
Young man was at a loss to explain, He
denied that he had called UP Mrs. -
and that he had been lnsulted by the
husband who thought he could have
been guilty OF such conduct. The hus-
band saw that It was the work OF the
fAkirs and he went over to the Central
Office to complain. As usual he got no
satisfaction, but that night his phone
came down.
Not a week after this ministcr
walked Into q clothing store with thir-
" boys trailing At his heels, He called
for a member Of the tirm.
"'ThHt was a kind offer Of yours. no
said, and have brought my choir boys
down for the surplices.
'surplices?' asked the man in aston
ishment.
ayes, surpllces. got telephone
message from you yesterday telling me
that you wished TO make n donation In
the way Of SUPPLIES, md came for
Them
1.-THE clothing merchant said hehad not
sent such n message or made such nm
offer. He told the minister that It was
the telephone taking gangs work, and
the little boys had to tramp away with
out their surpllces,
ar nta nue night uonn nfthr this one of