The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-06-13
't*6*6*6*6*t*S
THE WIRE TAPPER'S ERROR.
Miscarriage Of an Attack on a
Big Roll.

lfTHE corralling here the other day
| of that real smooth and glossy
boy, Chappie Moran, the phony wire
Taper, on q charge of extracting
1000 bucks, actual currency, from the
apparel of n moonface who ached to
get rich right quick, he didn't care
how-the mailing of the Chappie
makes me think of wire Taper
once knew who made n heart-break-
ing failure of one of his jobs" re-
marked an old-time Headquarters de-
tective, now retired. II refer to
Lamplighter Barrett. who quit plough
ing these fruitful fields about five
years ago and died in Frisco from an
excessive use Of the hop toi in 80.
1.-The main difference between Mo-
ran and Barrett lies in this, that Mo-
ran, although an expert telegrapher,
never really tapped race wire in his
whole money-making career, whereas
Barrett, in the old days when wire
tapping was possible-which IL dis
tinctly Is not now-actually turned
that trick once in a while when he
found the coin hard to gain on the
mere pretense of wire tapping. But
Lamplighter Barrett worked the imi-
tation tapping dodge with enough
skill to keep him In Turk cigarettes.
the best hop made in Chink land and
choice raiment, for \ good many years
around these and neighboring parts
that 10, he stamped between New
York and Chicago and took in such
intermediary points a. Baltimore,
Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit,
Buffalo and other unassuming little
places like those. .- - ,-s,,. .,..,.,
Although, a. I say, he really knew
how to wife-tSp and TO do y right,
and pulled offss number Of those
tricks, he preferred the easier phony
method, and he was one Of the pion-
GERS at 1.-THE simple scheme Of TAX
Ing the come-on to quiet room, show
ing him a lot of wires and clicking
keys. putting up the talk that It was
all fixed to take the results right of
the main wire, and thus coaxing the
dough out of the come-on's clothes.
"The little incident that I'm going
to tell you about, however. so preyed
upon Barrett's mind-he was dubbed
Lamplighter, by tho way, because he
once achieved hog-killing on that
good animal-and touched his pride
70 hard that he never lifted up his
head any more around here after
ward, and 1t wasn't long before he
streaked for the Pacific.
Barrett was standing in the bar
room of one of the Broadway hotels
much patronized by grafters and
sure-thing men, on fine forenoon in
June, '95. waiting for a good one to
come his way. His pal, Ed Fellows,
was with him.
presently there walked into the
barroom from the hotel lobby, q tall.
lanky man who looked uncomfortable
in his store clothes. BY the looks of
him he was obviously from Painted
Post, or Three Forks, or Ipswich, or
some place like that, and It was the
easiest thing In life to put him down
as one of 'em on his honeymoon tour.
He looked like a new husband from
the woods who had excused himself
from the new wife for minute and
had just sneaked down to the bar to
throw one in for the purpose Of reviv-
ing his tagging spirits. He wore a
dead new black sack suit, new black
derby hat of the up-country block,
new and squeaky shoes and white
string tie. He walked like he was
stepping over burrows.
Barrett and his pal exchanged
grins when they saw him walk up Ia
the bar, but, Of course, they had nc
idea that he was good enough fol-
them. Simply out of habit they
watched him when he paid for his
drink, just to see what he had. When
they observed him pull out of his
right trousers pocket wad Of the
yellow kind that would've clogged q
four-inch waste pipe they exchanged
glances of different sort.
"'Get next Ed, said Barrett, giving
his pal a dig. Dye think there's q
ball of yarn or turnip inside of that
bunch"
"'Not in Million replied Fellows
TITS the goods. Go after it,
1.-The tall, lanky man in the stor,
clothes peeled of a fifty and hurled
it on the bar, remarking that thai
was his smallest, and then he leaned
on one prop and gazed dreamily Al
his reflection in the bar mirror Will,
the barkeeper was making change.
"Well, Fellows was sure there wher
it came to butting in. and two min
utes later he was purchasing a drinl
for the lanky man in the shel
raiment, who, although gawky ant
shy, seemed rather glad to have SOM
one to talk to. Then Barrett intro
duced his pal, and soon the thre'
were in an alcove, touching the but
ton, and engaged In much discourse.
~The man In the store clothea 4