The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1908-06-19
a lessage by Telephone.


would be allowed 20 sleep till morn
ing. when there was ring at my tele-
phone.
"Are you DR.. MurdockY' came
child's voice.
YES"
"Pm"-- couldn't make out tho
name.
"Who?
Again the name was tumble.
Speak louder" said.
Il don't dare. They'll hear me-"
well. what Is 1t? Why do you tele-
phone meT
YOU'RE our family doctor. I've called
you up for mother often. This after
noon l was passing carriage stand
ing by the sidewalk. Two men pushed
me In 1t and carried me on. Come here
and get me out"
"WhereY
IL don't know"
Cant you tell me something about
itY'
.I saw Washington street on lamp
post. The next street sign saw was
Burnett
Repeat that"
"Burnet"
All right 60 on.
"We didn't turn out of Burnet. 1
kept looking at the street names, and
after we crossed Chestnut
That was the last word l got. l
called again and again without any
reply, only the buZzing common in tele-
phones. 1t occurred to me at once that
child-I couldn't tell from the voice
whether 1t was boy or girl-had been
kidnapped and had got hold of tele-
phone only to be stopped in time to
prevent my getting definite informa-
tion. called up police headquarters
and told my story, and after few min
utes' consultation among them they
requested me to so with them for II
search. A carriage containing three
men I'm plain clothes soon drove up to
the house, and we started for Wash
ington street, turning thence into Bur
net and, crossing Chestnut, stopped to
survey the locality.
Meanwhile we had come to the con-
clusion that the kidnapers must have
taken the child to n house of good
class since 1t contained telephone.
The houses near where we stopped
were fine residences. 1t was the month
of August and, while there were
lights In most of them, one had evil
dently been closed. A policeman
walked around it and reported that Il
ray of light came through crack in
an upper story. / was requested to
ring the bell and ask If n doctor had
been called for. rang. but received
no reply. Again and again l pushed
the button, and ut last the door was
opened, and n woman stood in the
opening. L asked her If a doctor had
been called for, and she said no.
The policeman in charge of the squad
was with me, carrying my bag OF
medicines. He pushed into the vesti
bule
..Shall / strike a light, doctor?" h,
asked. And without waiting for
reply he lit the hall gas jet. We saw
that the woman was old and of forbid
ding appearance.
Say" said the policeman, "we'v,
been telephoned that there's n child
sick in this house, and the docto
must see him."
At the mention of the child and th
telephone the woman drew a loni
breath This was enough for the pc
liceman. He ordered the house sur
rounded and, directing the woman t.
follow, went upstairs to a bedroom
where he found a telephone. l wen
with them.
''I thought So" he said at seeing th
phone.
Taking up the receiver, he called VI
the nearest police station and in
few minutes couple more men re
ported. Then commenced a searchin;
OF the premises. We soon came upol
man In bed, who was routed out, ant
both he and the woman were taker
along with us. We went from garret
to cellar without finding anything
We Were looking about in the laundry
when 1t occurred to one of the men to
raise the lid of a stationary wash
tub. 1t was fastened. The man called
upon the old woman for something to
pry it open with. She turned pale
Two men grasped the cover and lift.
ed 1t.
There, lying in the tub, was boy
about six years old. He was insensi.
BILE, having been given an anaesthetic
to prevent his crying out recognized
Eddie Thornton, the child OF one OF
my clients.
tOoh " revive tie 10y
and he soon came to his senses. Th,
man and woman, on being questioned
said they had never suspected that
boy of six would know how to use
telephone, though they had forgotten
the phone when they pu+ him wher,
1t was. The woman heard him, as sh,
supposed. talking to himself, but soon
suspecting that he might be mp t.
some mischief, rushed into the room
and took away the receiver.
/ went upstairs, telephoned the boy.
parents, who were In frightful condi
ton Of mind. and told them the news
Then / drove Eddie home.
Since This episode have recon
mended all parents to accustom theil
children as soon as possible to the use
OF the telephone. Eddie, remarkably
precocious child, had been infatuate,
with the instrument ever since it's In
PRODUCTION into the house His mothe