The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-10-17
Welch's Spur Telegrapher
Wires News of In
tended Holdup.
DRIVEN INTO OFFICE
Ordered to Remain There.
He Taps Keys ard the
Limited Is Saved.

But for the pluck and presence Of mind
OF i. l." Law, the telegraph operator at
Wclehs Spur few miles beyond Home
stake the casthound North Coast Limited
would have been held up by train robbers
last night. AS il was the plans OF the
robbers miscarried and the train whilzed
by the red light at the rate OF 10 miles
an hour.
i. J.. Law the operator at Welch's Spur
IS young man not more than - years OF
age He is known familiarly as the KID
along the line, His work usually is in the
day time, but last night he was ordered TO
stay on duty un account of the wreck near
Pipcstorc
Shortly before midnight young Law fin
ished his work and prepared 10 20 to bed.
The station at Nclch's Spur consists OF a
box car fitted up rs an Office aud living
room Law sleeps in the office
A Pleasing Surprise.
He went outside TO take in his signal
light when grnn voice at his elbow said:
Leave that light alone, young fellow"
Law turned aud saw two men, beltcd
and spurred as II prepared for long ride.
Their faces were muilod IN such q man
ncr that he could not distinguish their
features III lhc darkness.
Law was ordered to get back into the car
and stay there under pain OF being beaten
over the head With gun.
He complied with the demand OF the
strangers and went inside.
When lie had gone in the men changed
the signal from white TO red.
With the red displayed the North Coast
Limited would have 10 stop. This was
what they desired.
Ordered to Be Good.
Law looked out of the window and nor
being able 10 see the men attempted to 70
outside TO change the light TO white. He
was gruify accosted again by one OF the
men who stated that he would bend
gun over his head" ii he didn't 90 back ia
the Office and keep quiet.
An hour or so went by and within a
short time the limited would reach Home
stake. Law went TO the telegraph key aud
called mp the train dispatcher and Living
ston. IIurricdly he explained The situa-
iion and told him 10 warn the rainmcn Oh
the North Coast Limited to be on the
watch.
The dispatcher sent word 10 IIomcstakc
for the engineer on the eastbound train
not to regard The red light displayed at
Wclcl.
When the thunder OF the approaching
train was heard the strangers stepped back
into the shadow Of huge boulder and
waited for il 10 stop.
WhirIcd By.
Instead Of coming 10 halt at the dan
ger signal displayed at the station the
train whirlcd through at the rate oil 40
miles an hour.
Spsiuo that ilsir ulun had failed the
men mounted horses and rode OFF,
This morning the tracks Of the horses
were plainly seen about the station. The
men had evidently gone toward Whitehall.
Section Foreman Garriiy secured as
sislance OF number Of men with rifles
and followed the tracks for long dis
tance.
Finally The trail was lost in a rocky de-
file and the men had to give up the pur-
suit.
Wclcl's Spur is but few miles beyond
IIomestake, where the hold-up occurred
last winter, when two men stopped the
Burlington. The country is rough at
Wclcl and is an ideal place for train rob-
bcrs. Two men concealed behind the
bouldcrs in the mountain could defy
regiment.
Meant TO Rob Limited.
Whether they forgot about the telegraph
instrument in the Office or whether the men
thought they had the young operator too
badly scared 10 think Of warning the train
men can only be conjectured.
There is little doubt in the minds Of
the railroad officials but that it was the
purpose OF the men to rob the Limited.
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