The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23


''Hellor
In reply he received over the wire.
IN accents Of terrible haste and alarm:
Boyd-robbery-h I'm Smith
Of. God, you'n kill me! You"
Then came the startling noise OF a
heavy blow, as If the speaker had been
violently struck; and then that peculiar
click heard when a distant receiver is
suddenly dropped, instead of hung I'm
It's socket, sound readily recognized
by an accustomed ear. Then rather
more family, yet plainly audible to the
listening man, came the sound Of a
fallen body. as that Of a man stricken
senseless. or lifeless, TO a floor.
The significance OF all this was
alarming. For the fraction of a sec
ond. Boyd listened intently, then
sharply cried:
"Helloi hellor'
No answer.
What's amiss, Felix" demanded
Jimmie Coleman, who then was seated
nearby and had observed Boyd
changing countenance. Anything
There's the devil to pay. guess"
Boyd quickly answered, while he
hastened to ring up the central office
OF the telephone exchange
From the clerk there he hurriedly
,endeavored to ascertain who had COM
municated with him. The attempt
piONSh vain. Inc clerk could report
only that BOydS number had been
called for through some instrument the
number and location Of which were un-
known, and that the desired connection
had been made by means of the CEN
trail office switchboard
Once again Boyd listened briefly at
the receiver, but silence only rewarded
his effort. In so far as he could Judge
the beginning and end of what ap-
peared like dreadful crime, If not an
appalling tragedy. had been suggested
In those few short seconds. those wild
words over the wire, followed by a
sickening blow and heavy fall
THE devil take it, he exclaimed i'm
patiently. as ne hung up the receiver
This is what 1 call having ones hands
tied"
What was it?" auerIed Coleman.
amazedly
Boyd quickly told him what had been
said, and described what he also had
heard.
1T looks very much as if there was
something wrong sOmewhere-but
where?" he impatiently added.
The call most likely came from one
of your own clients" suggested Cole
man quickly. mo other person threat
ened in the way suggested would have
appealed directly TO you"
That's true enough, but have over
fifty patrons" cried Boyd. "I cannot
rush TO all fifty offices at once. and an
attempt 10 visit them successfully
would require half a day. In that time
any sort of a crime could be commit
ted. and the criminals easily make
their escape"
Don't you recall the name of Smith
among your clients, or isn't he one of
them?''
No no, and that's the trouble. The
man who telephoned cried only that
no WAS Smith Of. and there he
plainly was interrupted by a violent
blow. Evidently he was about to add
the name of the firm by which he is
employed. which would have told me
just where TO hasten"
II see" nodded Coleman. "I see.'
But know of no clerk named Smith
employed by any of my clients" Boyd
hurriedly added. That's the devil of
It, For I feel certain that Smith was
I'm some mighty desperate corner when
ne attempted TO telephone to me for
help
Indeed. It looks So"
Plainly his last words were ad-
dressed to an assailant, whom he must
have seen approaching even while he
tried to telephone to me. Then came
the blow I distinctly heard. and then
the fall OF a body. Yes yes, Smith
certainly was in some desperate situa-
ton. It's like being on nettles, this
sitting here in ignorance whittier TO
turn" Boyd nervously added. "A muir
der may have been committed. rob-
berry may at this moment be in prog
ress. I tell you, Jimmie. my reputa-
tion is at stake. What the deuce en-
to do?''
TRY the directory cried the cen
trail office man. jumping TO his feet 10
get II. I'VE may find Smiths name
there. and that of the firm by which he
is employed
L., .
impatient derision. Good heavens,
Jimmie there are a thousand Smiths
I'm the New York directory. 1t would
take an hour to examine the entire list,
and then the search might prove fu-
tile"
by Jovei that's true"
There's but one thing to be done, -
Boyd decisively cried, reaching for a
leather bound book on his desk. Here
is a list Of my patrons. I'll draw off
half OF II on paper, and start you on a
round to the several offices TO learn If
anything is wrong. Meantime l will
take the balance OF the list and do the
same. That's all we can do"
Stay" exclaimed Coleman. your
idea is all right, and I'm with you; but
you can expedite matters if you will
tear the pages from the book, instead
OF delaying TO copy SO long a list.
That's the stuff Now give me half of
them. and I'll let no grass grow under
my feet. You look after the others"
Boyd had acted upon the suggestion
even while Coleman was making ii,
and. before the latter fairly had fin
ished. the two men were Fastening
from Boyd's Pine street Office, each
with some of the pages torn from the
book. and botn bent upon reaching the
Offices of the numerous business houses
with the least possible delay. That
the interrupted telephone call had
come from one Of them seemed most
probable save alone that the entire
episode was only q practical joke,
which seemed too remote TO be serious
" considered.
Boyd's employers, moreover, COM
prised many OF the wealthiest firms i'm
the great banking district; and thither
both men FASTENED. parting company
as they approached Wall street. As a
-.nAAa.. % fnnt Tho foIonhnnn coll had