The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1911-06-15
Morse telegraph,c alphabet that / bad

4sVVSAuB IuycSlIp uoISueO UIt0e W0Olo
alphabet had been given.
Thoughts as to the explanation Of the
phenomenon few thick and fast
through my brain, but they bad no
dime to tnd Judgment, Tor nd sooner
90 tie tapping cease than l began 70
tap I message On the van with one Of
my implements used {ol serapinE ar.
ttelsa foQnd A exsaXat Ins. s3sS
"Who Is that tapping the Morse al.
phabeti" I asked in Italian. ..z&f&
..Nho are your" The reply came in
English; s~
zone stopping Tor the night in this
plaesl"..--sas --,~
"Where did you learn telegfaphy7"
I'm America
There WIS a pause, after which came
the question:
"Are you not connected with the
bandits?"
Bandits? ls this a bandits placer
Eyes. am a prisoner here, held for
ransom" ~.
Phew! What had I struck? Amazed,
tapped another message.
"What nationality are your"
american" s-A
"How do you happen to know teleg-
raphyY'
II have been division superintend-
ent of telegraph line"
"Your name?"
Edward Owen"
Il have heard of you. I was once an
American telegraph operator. Now
tell me how you came to be In this
place."
II am the American recently kid.
naped."
He told me that after leaving the
Aldo Brandini grounds he was walking
leisurely when he heard q whistle and
was at once surrounded by men, who
made him prisoner. They knew he
was an American and supposed him to
be very rich. He was not rich at all.
He had come abroad for rest and rec.
reation after years Of hard work.
We began to lay plans for his liber-
alton. He told me that his window
was barred and his door locked. ex-
amined the lock Of my room and found
It q large, old fashioned one, placed, as
have mentioned, on the inside. My
neighbor told me that the lock on his
door had been removed to the outside.
presumed that it was the same kind
as mine and screwed on instead of be.
ing set into the wood. as In the case
Of modern locks. If so could take
1t off by removing the screws, using
one Of my archaeological implements
instead Of screwdriver.
proposed to the prisoner to do this,
give him one Of my revolvers' and
we should walk out together He was
not fighting man. and only bis des-
perate condition induced him to make
the attempt. opened my door suffi-
GENTLY to look out into the hall and
reconnoiter. A man was sitting on a
stool asleep, q candle burning low In
the socket. A rife lay across bis lap.
He was at the other end OF the hall,
and we would have to pass him to
get out. 1t was so dark where orr
rooms were that I resolved to attempt
to remove the lock on Mr.. Owens door
and let him out before tackling the
guard. who was sleeping soundly The
lock was so old and the screws so
loose that I had no trouble whatever.
Opening the door, entered Owens
room. He was in the dark. hut put a
hand on me at once. We whispered
together, and handed him revolver.
proposed that we should 60 out
together. ! to seize the mans rife.
while Mr.. Owen clapped his hands
over the. mans mouth. Then I. was
to put my revolver to his head. threat
en- to shoot II he made noise and
compel him 10 let us ont Of the house.
But Owen said he knew that there
were at least dozen men In the
house and It would he. impossible to
pass them. SO We changed onr plan
to "a far simpler one. We decided to
60 out by the window of my room. !,
Stealing hack TO where started,
followed by Mr. Owen. I made a rope
Of the bedclothing. and we let .onr-
selves down on to terra drma. There
was no, yard, TO the place. no wsll to
60 over, the latter having disappeared
probably many years before Bnt there
was something more dangerous. We
had scarcely touched the ground when
we saw the dim figure Of man walk
ing to and fro We huddled near the
wall till he receded. then consulted.
Being armed. we were prepared for
fight. but feared to be overpowered
by numbers. I thought of the follow.
ing nh the only feasible plan: The
night was SO dark that by crawl.
ing on the ground so that the sentinel
could not see my silhouette might
move toward him. possibly reaching
him when his back was turned, and
ptnion his arms. holding him while
Owen made a dash for liberty. or,
having knife. might-dispatch him
silently. But Owen was averse to
blood splitting.
"Hold" he whispered. There's
another man."
Two men on guard met, chatted for
| awhile. then turned their hocks ond