The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-12-30
CAP TURED
electrically,
A Strange Duel In Which the
Lineman Was Victor.
BY ALvAH MILTON KERR.


given him finger grip which caused
his chums to avoid shaking hands with
him. He could make an insulator tie
with No. iron wire with apparent
ease. This remarkable power Of con-
traction In the finger muscles once
saved him from probable death.
At the time Of which | write q local
company In Layton had installed tel
ephone exchange. Several OF their
wires paralleled the telegraph wires
along the tracks and also those of the
lighting and power company in the
streets. The result was a bad case Of
induction, that mysterious transfer
ence of electrical impulse between
wires where there Is no direct connec-
ton.
SO great was the influence OF the
telegraph and power wires on the
wires of the telephone company that
the rfttle and clicking Of our instru-
ments could be distinctly heard in the
telephone receivers, and the singing
snarl OF the dynamos at the power
house annoyed every one trying to use
the phone
The manager angrily declared that
some enemy Of his company had
thrown threadlike copper wires across
from wire to wire, thus tangling up
the currents.
Prindle went over" the wires care
fully twice and reported that he could
find no Gross Of that sort. Still he
kept studying and inspecting the mat
ter, because the telephone managers
daughter was very good friend Of
his.
Emerging from the managers house
one night near the hour of II, he no
ticed dark figure stealing down a
side street. Touched with suspicion,
/ Prindle followed after the skulfing
form, the malicious enemy" theory
suddenly alive In his mind.
Presently the figure crossed moon
lit street and entered an alley leading
between two business blocks. Through
the alley ran the wires Of both the tele-
phone and power companies, and Prin-
die crept carefully forward through
the shadows at the base of the build
ings, keeping his eva on the man ahead
Of him. Suddenly and to the linemans
astonishnent the man began walking
up one of the telephone poles.
"'Pon my SOUL gasped PrindIe, If
be hasn't got spurs strapped on his
shoes! | guess Manager Towne must
be right: some ones tampering with
the wiresI I'll nail the rogue when lie
comes down.
With ttngiing nerves be crept near
err, but to his amazement the climber
stopped before reaching the cross arm
and skillfaliy threw the iron hooked
end Of rope ladder over the sin Of an
open window in the side OF the build
ing some six feet away. The other end
Of the ladder he strapped to the pole,
then carefully crept across the bridge
thus formed and disappeared through
the window
Prindle fetched low whistle and
looked all around. "Wheww he half
whispered. @This is interesting, and no
mistakel That chap has gone into
room above the bank! Must be he's
figuring on getting down into the vault
rOomi"
He stood in silence looking up at the
window and listening The slow, soft
rasping of some sort Of instrument
came to his ears. Placing his hand on
his hip pocket to see IL the little pistol
he carried when out late at night was
there. he slipped of his shoes and be-
gan climbing the pole. Slowly and
carefully he drew himself up until his
hand was on the strap Of the LADDER
then he paused. The rasping noise had
ceased.
III that fellow hears me be will like
" come to the window and shoot me
In the face" was Prindle's thought.
He hung perfectly motionless for a
time, hearing nothing louder than the
strong beating OF his heart Then the
rasping sound began again.
Immediately the lineman drew him
self higher. Then, taking the pistol in
his hand, he crept warily across the
rope bridge and in at the window
Letting himself down on the floor, be
stood still The rasping sound came
from closet at the back end of the
room.
HE is saving through the floor with
the expectation Of working his way
through the patchwork covering the
top Of the bank vault was prindle'SS
mental comment.
With pistol In hand he began step.
ping craftily toward the closet, but a
board in the floor creaked. and the
mufEled noise of the saw suddenly
ceased. The lneman held his breath.
A misty kind Of darkness filed the
room, the moons radiance being re-
fiected dimly from the opposite wall Of |
the alley An instant later he saw the
door Of the closet pushed open and the
outline Of human form rising in the
opening.
To the burglar the dim and immova-
Bile figure IN the middle Of the room
must have seemed frightful Had Prin-
die not spoken It is possible the robber
would have fallen on his knees. think
inc he was confronted BY spirit but
when he said quietly, though with a
distinguishable tremor Of excitement,
"Throw up your hands, mister, or III
flre,v sudden fury Of energy moved
the man. He came across the room In
one long leap and struck against Prin-
die like bolt. The hneman went
against the wall with a thud, and the
pistol struck the Getting ana exploded
The burglar whirIed round and disap-