Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-01-20

NE like q bolt The lineman want
against the wall with a thnd. ana fha
pistol struck the ceiling and exploded
Ehe burglar whirled round and dlsap-
peared through an inner door leading
INTO the passageway.
Prindle hastily felt about the fSoor
TOR the revolver; but, the weapon not
meeting bis hand at once, he rushed
after the burglar His blood was on
tre with anger. Listening an instant.
ne heard feet flying up the stairs
above him. Apparently the robber had
plAnned to escape to the roof and slide
down q drain pipe into the dark alley
at the rear.
Prindle sprang up through the roof
hatch as the man crossed the almost
nat roof toward the rear and caught
him as he reached the low parapet
wall at the roofs edge.
The rObber was Of larger and heay-
Ter mold than the lineman and was
desperate. AS they grappled he tried
to draw knife from his pocket, but
Prindle clutched those awful fingers Of
his into the mans throat and tripped
him backward They came down to-
gether ON the pitch and gravel Of the
roof, but the rush and fall threw Prin-
die beyond his antagonist, tearing his
hold loose. In another breath they
were together again. fighting desper-
ately.
As they came striking and struggling
into the angle Of the parapet Prindle
suddenly felt himself lifted bodily, and
the next instant he was being pressed
over the wall Feeling himself going,
he set his fingers into the biceps of the
burglars left arm and pinioned his
right hand. In that awful moment he
felt the cords Of his arms and fingers
contract until they burned like hot
wires. With cry of agony the robber
jerked him back to the roof, then
whirled and ran across the roof, draw
ing the knife as he fed. Prindle saw
the moonlight CLINT Of the knife blade,
and, though Infatuated with the passion
Of battle, he recoiled. The burglar
turned in the angle Of the wall, striv-
ing to regain breath before the next
onset
A power wire stretched across the
roof some eight or nine feet above the
floor. Prindle drew a pair of rubber
faced gloves from his pocket. drew
them on and suddenly leaped up and
caught the wire. AS be descended the
wire snapped and fell to the roof. In.
stantly he caught up the two ends OF II
1 nj khe l1r
with upIifted knife.
The craftsman seemed to divine the
terrible nature of the tiny weapons IN
the Hneman's hands, for his face
blanched white. In the moonlight Prin
die looked equally pale. II he could
touch the robbers flesh with the bare
ends of the wires he would win; If MOI
he would probably die by the others
knife.
1t was a strange duel. They Tented
several times, then struck together
The clothing was sheared away from
Prindles arm, but the burglar fell In {
knotted, Quivering heap. The point o.
one of the live wires had gone up biz
sleeve; the other had punctured hi
neck.
When the burglar recovered BIZ
senses Prindle had him securely tieC
with detached pieces of the wire an'
was at the front parapet Of the roof
: looking up and down the street for al
! officer.
The bank people gave Prindle
, handsome reward. When metallic eli
: cults had been run by the telephon
! company on his suggestion and the
found the troublesome induction oveI
J come Manager Towne declared tn
, lplucky lineman worthy to be an
mans son-in-law, and he was.