Evening star., 1899-10-13
FAkIRS AT THE 'PHONE.
Nuisance Complained of Lately ir
Southern Cities.

| Southern Cities.
From the New York Sun.
1.-THE telephone fakir is the strangest
| freak with which We have to DEAL said
an inspector for a telephone company, who
has just returned from a business trip
| through the south. I'm some places in
the south the inhabitants, and especially
| the telephone subscribers have been made
| to suffer serious trouble The superintend-
| ent 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 l was sent to That
| city. 1t is pretty good sized town OF its
kind, and l found matters in bad shape
The telephone girls said they We're AFRAID
to go home at night unless they were prop
! erly guarded. The gang had sent hun
| dreds of messages to central, warning the
| girls that they would be killed If they gave
informat ton which would lead to the gang
being discovered. This naturally frighten-
| ed the operators. The fakirs who We're
playing the tricks must have thought it
funny, but their tricks had serious conse-
quences. One morning lawyer was sit
| ting In his Office when his desk phone
| buzzed, and he answered A faint voice
came trembling over to his ear: =
"Is that your it said We'll, this Is
| the house. Fanny speaking. Do, Mr.. -
| come home quick. Mrs. E. has taken poi
SON The doctor is here and says she can
live. He told me to 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 ana
he bounced in, telling the driver to take
him to such and such number. 1t was
n private vehicle and the man refused
| The lawyer took the big stick he was car
rying and gave the driver whacking nl3w
| over the head. He fell senseless. AS he
| started to rise he got a second blow, ana
| then the lawyer, who was wild, jumped
on the seat and drove at Killing pace
for his home. You imagine how he
| felt when he reached his gate and saw his
wife lust going out with friend to shop.
The lawyer went to the telephone company.
| but got satisfaction. The manager SAID said
! it was the work of the freak gang. The
worst damage from the cruel Joke was 10
| the driver He had to he sent to the hos
pital for treatment and 1t cost the lawyer
| a good round sum to square matters.
"a few days later, a young merchant an
sWered the phone to find female voice.
presumably that of his betrothed. ehe
said he had not acted decently IN certain
transaction with another woman, the 1actS
of which had just come to her ears, and
she wanted to say that she was just then
going on board a steamer bound Tor New
York She said that she would never re-
| turn and that her lover would never hear
of her again. This informal ton set the
young man distracted. His bicycle was
| near and it was mile and half to the
lar to him just as he was leaving the store.
| From that moment he pushed that wheel
at the highest pace. In turning 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 1t 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
Imam was unable to figure out where he was,
Though gradually his memory returned and
tn1l ftn a1n AI,nra
| message This provoked his friends beyond
| endurance Demands were made on the
company to ascertain the names of the
miscreants. but this could not be done
After these two occurrences the gang
| seemed to reach down for a lighter plane.
| Several persons got messages that they
| would be shot on sight and preparations
| for defense were taken accordingly. Prac-
| tical 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 SER
| want 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. I guess, to speak nicely
| Now, look here, Mrs. -, l can stand for a
| good many things. but 1 can't stand for
| those tomatoes in that soup you gave US
| yesterday. Say, that was bum dinner
| anyhow"
| 'Weil, the lady was Indignant. When she
| got her breath she rang up her husband
| and told him of the conduct of a man whom
| they had considered a frieRd. The huS-
| hand rushed to the Office where the young
| man was working and demanded an expla-
| nation The young man was at less to
| explain. He denied that he had called up
| Mrs. =. and that he had been insuted by
| the husband VINO thought he could have
| been guilty of such conduct. The husbanI
| saw that 1t was the work Of the fakirs