The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-05-03
MISSED A
 FORTUNE

recognition have let fame and fortune
 slip through their hands! Natural
 forces sull unexplained every day show
 themselves to us as plainly as the sun
 in heaven. but we do not understand
 them Even scientists live in touch
 with the great secrets of nature with.
 out knowing how to explain or utilize
 them. Once. by not understanding one
 Of these secrets. failed to make Q | great fortune.
 In 1870 [ opened a banking house.
 wns young at the business. and the
 fact that ! usually had a large number Of securities and plenty of currency in
 my vaults kept me in constant state of uneaslncSS. In order to be In com
 munlcation with the bank at all hours of the night had a private telegraph
 wire run between it and my bedroom -.-.i s.s..sl.s -..s=..lssl.s s.s..ssls..s. Hart
 man. the Morse alphabet My key was dxed to table close to my bed. within foot of my ear, and could easily hear his call or call him myself. Once when Hartman called me did not hear the click of the key. After that. In order to intensity the sound. attached thin metal sOunder 10 the instru. ment This focused the sound waves lo strike on the drum of my ear and was a great improvement. It worked so we'll that put a duplicate of 1t fin at the bank.
 One night when I was restless and sleeping badly dreamed that bur. glars were ln the bank, that Hartman was screaming at the top of his voice and that one Of the burglars shot him. The report Of the pistol wakened me and was so vivid that lt seemed to me had really heard It. l at once called | Hartman. He did not reply. called | him again and again and at last re, celyed the customary signal. but there was something different in the touch.
 What's the matter with yOuT asked. "Your signal doesn't sound as usual. Are the wires all rlghtT
 To this came the answer: q think the battery Is weak. Go to sleep, sir. Everything Is all right"
 l turned over and tried to follow the advice given, but somehow | had got lt into my head that had really heard screams and the report of a pistol After awhile called Hartman again. This time there was no great delay in the answer; but. accustomed. as was, to Hartmau's touch on the instrument. | suspected that some one else was making the reply. or. if Hartman was doing it, that he was tclegraphlng un- der cOmpulslon. | asked him again 1T everything was all right. and he said that it was. but after some delay and then without the usual vlgor, indeed Rv il.i. .i...-. . ------ - f6cr burglars were In the bank or something was the matter with Hart man. In order Co conceal my suspi' clons [ sent final message: "Nery well. Tn not bother you again to- night"
 I got up and. dressing rapidly. went out. Stopping at a police station, told them that there were burglars In my banking house and promised a hand some reward if they would capture them. Four men accompanied me and, arriving at the bank, surrounded It. Then one of them pulled himself up 10 where he could look fin at window. Two burglars were drilling at the safe door. Hartman was lying on the floor bound and gagged. l gave the police men the keys to the front and rear doors. the only entrances. Two men stood at each door and when l gave the signal turned the keys and entered with drawn reyolyers. The moment the burglars heard the bolts fly back they started up, but the policemen had them covered and at their mercy. The bracelets were placed on their wrists and the night watchman was released.
 Hartman had been overpowered from behind by a man in rubber boots, but temporarily freed himself, when shot was fired from behind that cut on his car. Then a second man jumped on him and downed him. Meanwhile he was yelling at the top of his voice. and they gagged him. Immediately the tel egraph key began to click. and, putting the muzzle of a pistol to Hartmans temple. the burglars compelled him 10 reply to my signal and to telegraph their own response. When the tele' graphing was finished. they bound him hard and fast and. producing a set Of tools. went to work at the safe. While they were engaged my second eail came. They throw down their tools. snrona for Hartman. unbound him ahu compelled him to reply as before. He dared not telegraph me anything ex' cept what they ordered, for the man who held a revolver to hls head de clared that he knew the alphabet and would kill him the moment he sent
 wrong letter. This was probably un' true. but 1t was enough to induce Hart
 man to obey him. However, be pur.
 posely gave way to a hGltlng method
 differing from his usual touch, hoping
 that this would have the enect on me
 that lt had.
 But it Is the sounder attached to my telegraph instrument that Is the impor'
 tant feature Of my story. l no sooner
 heard of the invention of the telephone. | which was made known few years
 ater. than it occurred to me that l had
 really heard a faint reproduction Of
 Hartman's screams and the shot fired bv the burglar It has puzzled me to