Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-05-11
THE CLICK
in THE HALL

=. o'.lh passengers who were mostly
p,e;.sure or health seekers, among
them an American gentleman, Mr.. Es-
ten and his daughter Alice. Alice Es-
ten was in delicate health, and this
was the reason for their making the
trip. Mr.. Esten was wealthy and spent
his money lavishly. He took the best
rooms in the hotel and had all the
servants at his beck, each striving to
win the coins he kept in his pocket to
secure their attention. l made his ac
quaintance one evening, and when he
learned that l was telegrapher he
told me that he had been an operator
himself; had secured an interest in a
telegraph line which had afterward
been sold out to a combination for so
much money that his share had made
him rich.
He was very unwise in not conceal
ing his wealth, for the Sicilian brigands
are noted for kidnapping rich people
and holding them for ransom. They
soon spotted Mr. Esten and one day
when he was climbing an ascent back
of the hotel alone took him in charge.
When he did not return for dinner a
search was made, and he was not to
be found within distance of dozen
miles. Then it was determined that
he had fallen into the hands of brig
ands.
The landlord commissioned me to
break the news to Alice Esten, and
1 confess / found it a difficult mat
ter. She cast her large blue eyes, full
of tears and pleading, at me and beg
ged me to save her father from being
murdered. 1t was impossible to avoid
seeming to acquiesce, and | told her
that l would start at once in search
of him. / was to go into the interior
on business, but l had not the faintest
expectation of being of any service to
Mr.. Esten. Indeed, his case was in
his own hands. Probably at first he
might not defer to the demands of his
captors, but after awhile, with death
staring him in the face, he would be
obliged to yield.
l did not forget either the father or
former. / opened telegraph offices
and often in communicating with the
coast asked if any news had come
from the captive. A reply finally came
that it was reported that the demands
of the bandits, who thought he was
fabulously rich, We're so enormous that
he could not pay them. AT least this
was the assumption from what the
bandits had permitted to be known.
worked across the island, then back
again. One night l stopped at sta
ton in the mountains where there was
only one building in which a stranger
could be accommodated, but its owner
and the people l saw about the place
were so villianous looking that
feared to stay there. However, there
was no choice, and, leaving what
money l possessed at the station. l
took up my quarters in this uninviting
abode.
The head of my bed was against Il
wall, and before going to sleep heard
what at first / took to be a houses
gnawing, though the wall was of stone
and mice do not try to work their way
through masonry. My surroundings
were so disagreeable that i did not
get to sleep easily, and this continued
click in the wall did not add to my
ability to do so. Finally it occurred
to me that there was, to speak para
doxically, an irregular regularity about
the clicks. Besides, they would stop
and be resumed at intervals which
were about equal. They began to in
terest me. After a silence, when they
were resumed again l listened atten-
lively. Almost any telegrapher from
force of habit will attempt to find let
tiers in such sounds, and l soon found
myself trying to do so. What was
my astonishmeIt the moment / began |
to read:
"Any one procuring his release"
With beating heart waited for the |
tapping which ended with the word |
release to recommence. When it did |
l followed the words.
''An American gentleman is impris- |
oned here by bandits. He will give a |
ouLi W uGy OhS phSNuAlno Aio &c
lease"
The moment the message was fin |
ished l sprang out of bed, took large |
knife from my trousers pocket and
with the handle telegraphed on the
wall:
"Are you Mr.. Esten"
Eyes. Thank God for the question:
II am the operator you met at the
hotel"
1t was determined between us that |
we should wait till morning, when / |
would telegraph for a force to come
up and release him. We chatted half
the night, however, and didn't sleep
a wink. He had been sending his mes
sages at intervals ever since he had
been captured.
The next morning sauntered care
lessly out Of the house, sent my mes
sage, and that night troops surround
ed the place and captured every one
on It, Mr.. Esten and l returned to the
coast, and in time three brigands were
pyQcutpd for his "a ntI,ra