The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-03-26
zy~.yN%A67A Ad1Ns1~s1zN
: a Telegr lolaer 5 !
( S tory Y Y = }

{ y Z Oh " y y 1
S~~~S1NS1~4 ~
Dick Ramsey and 1, after learning;
telegraphy, had gone west together
and taken positions az neighborine
railroad stations. S
One afternoon there came fran
+ic call at the wire. and / hurried to
the instrument to hear Dick tapping
off the words that the express train
had been delayed ahd| to hold the
runaway" due at the station ten
minutes later, until I heard from
him. Directly after the message.
came the line:, Express train In.
SIGHT. Something lwfong. Stand
by" l waited a full minute; then
came Dicks familiar tap tap: cEx-
press is being run by strange hands.
They have stopped at this station.
Send relief"
There was a seconds silence; then,
before could flash the alarm along
the line, the tapping began again.
It ran: Everything all right. Good
I signaled for him to repeat the
message, and again came the words:
Everything all right. Goodby."
/ held the inst ulaentt In my hand
and debated with myself upon my
course of conduct. I did not want
to ncedlessly send the alarm along,
the line. On the other hand, why
had Dick sent his first message?. I
touched the instrument and asked,
eIs everything all right, Dick ?"
And the answer came back, every
thing is all right"
1t did not seem at all like Dicks
touch, but I laid it to nervousness
and quoted my fears while I waited
for the runaway"
I recalled that Dick had told me
over the wire the previous evening
that the runaway" would have
large sum Of money aboard, which
it was to transfer to the express at
,his station.
When the Runaway" came up, I
notified the engineer that the ex-
pr1ss was waiting for him at Lake
vile, and I also casually mentioned
that the alarm had come from there,
but that afterward I had received q
message that all was we'll.
He seemed disturbed and advised
me to repeat the story to the United
States marshal aboard, which did,
with the result that the train pulled
out of the station prepared for emer-
gencies, though neither they nor
thought anything of the hasty mes
sage that had been flashed to me.
Ten minutes later the message
came over the wires from Lakeville:
'Found train in charge of highway.
men. Dick RAMSEY murdered at in
strument. Object was to rob the
runaway but we overpowered them
after desperate struggle. Notify
the stations along the line to send
relief"
This, in brief, was the story Of
the death of Dick Ramsey, and after
I had seen him laid away in the
graveyard at Lakeville I packed up
my goods and journeyed farther on,
for I could not remain so near the
scene of my old friends death.
Well, strange thiy .happeT., and
after had found position with
the same company fety miles away
was assigned back to Lakeville.
I found the village grown into a
settlement of very fair size and the
simple little station replaced by a
very pretentious one, while the hum
BILE little churchyard where they had
buried poor Dick Ramsey was gay
with towering shrubs, and spires Of
marble lifted themselves here and
there among the trees. Dicks grave
was still marked by the rude cross I
had placed over it.
The president Of the road was q
self made man. Often he did not
go up to the city, and on these occa-,
sions- he. wired me on his private
line, and Iwired to the city for him.
One day, CHANGING to sit at the
instrument, there came a call on
the Presidents wire, and, respond
ing, | received this message: Let
me know if the road is clear"
A minute later called up his pri-
vate wire and tapped, "The road is
clear"
"All right" came back the an
sYer. 40 IS
1t was simple enough message,
but it set my pulses throbbing. Me-
chanically. I touched the button and
repeated the message, Tie road is
clear" and Immediately came back
the words, aAll right
sat at the instrument like man
In a dream, and my thoughts we're
with Dick who had satAat fla ca, ma