Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-28
Incident Where 1t Stays Succor
While RevoIutionists Plum
der PoStoffiCe.
GIRL WIRES FACTS FOR HELP
Request l. Ignored Because in Making
1t Official Formula Has Not
Been Complied With.
Special correspondence.
~ II pct pISRTrbf

Special Correspondence.
q 7 PETERSBURG, March 15.--Rcd
- tape is the hane of official life IN
~ all countries. hut Russia can now
lay claim to the prize. If there is
one for the worst red-tape blunder in
all the world.
The facts have been told me by
man who knows II was scarce moro
than a fortnight ago The scene was
q government postoffice ON the outskirts
OF this city, The branch offices are
quite similar TO those in the United
states excepting that the buildings are
much larger and used exclusively for
government business
In district office No - or buraau 7o.as
II is called here. there are some 80 en-
ployes Much money is handled there.
as all branches or government
business are conducted in the place
ENTER ARMED HOLDUPs.
1t was a wet day and noon was strik-
ing ON the clocks. The clerks we're lust
about To start OF In relays Cor their
dinners. Customers had all departed.
suddenly score of men walked quietly
into the place. They We're armed to the
teeth, y few closed the doors. others
stationed themselves ut the windows
whsle the remainder with revolVers
cooked. marched behind the ratings and
forced all the government employees IN
to one corner where they were COM
PEELED TO stand with hands held up.
said all the employees, but there was
one. mere slip Of girl, who happened
to be in one OF the cloak rooms at the
moment.
GIRL WIRES FOR SuCCoR.
The gang OF men were Revolutionists.
The leaders secured the keys and open-
ed all the safes and drawers and cup
boards. While they were all busy
counting the money. searching for more
or guarding the prisoners, the little
girl. Olga Majimovitch. crept silently
into the back She was a telegraphist
and unobserved managed to reach one
| of the Instruments connected with the
| general postoftice. With one hand she
| held down the sounder SO that the tele-
graph worked silently. With the other
| she worked the key. Flantically she
called the central office. Had she been
| observed the Revolutionists would linz
| mediately have blown her brains out.
But they were busy rifling the regis
| tered mail and transferring all the val
| uables TO small sacks which they had
| brought with them.
Olga Majmovitch felt rather than
| heard the answering signal of the
main office. Hurriedly she sent this
message: Bandits are in possession
of bureau ~. Send help at once. Be
quick They have opened the safes
and are riding the registered mail.
There are 20 men. We are all prisoners
Quick. for the love OF God"
She repeated the message and then
stole silently away to the security or
the cloak room There she waited with
bated breath and beating heart for ,
the sound OF the coming OF the police
and soldiers.
But there was no rush of feet. no
fierce commands, 10 sounds of shoot
| ing The minutes passed and at 20
minutes past noon the band of Revo-
Iutionists unbarred the doors, stole out
| with their plumber and disappeared.
For few minutes the employees
| herd together. Then Olga rushed from
her hiding place and told them OF what
| she had done. The employees praised
her Kissed her. wePt over her for her
bravery. They stll feared the bandits
were lurking outside and prayed for
the arrival OF the police.
They were still wondering at the nom
arrival of help when the telegraph in
struments began calling bureau ~. The
chief clerk hurried TO the instrument.
He responded to the signal and the
receiving apparatus began ticking on
{, message When Il finished the stun
ned chief tore off the tape and handed
Il 10 his fellow employees.
The message ives from the prefec-
ture OF police. 1t read. III you really
desire assistance win you please en-
ploy the official formula usual in such
cases."