The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1912-05-24

message. l had not been there Eve
minutes before the man who had beer
the last passenger to get aboard came
along. Our eyes met, and knew, al
he knew, that he had spotted his man
Even il his manner had not betrayed
him should have known that he was
after me from his coming as soon as
possible to the wireless Office to head
me of from sending my message.
! was greatly disappointed. On land
l should have expected to be refused
at any telegraph Office; at sea 1 be-
lieved ! would have no trouble in send.
Ing a wireless. There was nothing to
prevent my sending my message from
the steamer except this man who was
following me. knew he would move
heaven and earth to prevent me. II
would be war Of wits between him
and me.
There were many ways in which he
could stop me. He might charge me
with being a fugitive from justice;
he might make 1t appear that had
stolen money or some article from him
he might even murder me. What was
my life worth compared with the in
terests of an empire? And would not
his sovereign be sufficiently powerful
to protect him II he were implicated
In my taking of? Suppose I failed to
send my message at sea. Would he
not wire confederates in New York to
arrest me on arrival on any charge he
chose to invent?
He went into the wireless office and,
telling the operator that he wished
to send a private message, shut the
door. When he came out l knew by
the look on his face that he had
fixed" the operator. Having done so,
he went away and left me free to
send all the messages the young man
would transmit for me.
To test the latter I entered his Of
hce and asked him to send a message
for me. He made no objection, and /
dictated a message to an imaginary
person. In my profession l had found
occasion to send telegraphic messages
myself and had learned the Morse al
phabet. I knew at once that the oper-
ator was simply clicking his key with
out sending my message. Neverthe-
less I pretended not to suspect him
and paid his charge.
l hung around that Office, studying
the working of the instrument and es-
pecially the lock on the door. watched
for three days for an opportunity to
get wax impression that would en-
able me to make key, but the opera
tor never left his Office without locking
the door and was never away very
long at time. l often stood on deck
1T night watching the spark over the
office when he was sending dispatch,
longing for just five minutes at the
keyboard myself.
What method the detective had used
With the operator / did not know, but
t was effective. I became acquainted
With Dick--everybody called the opera
or Dick-and used all my diplomatic
kill to find out how l could outbid nv
'ival, but failed signally. l limited at
way he might make $500. I could
zee an amused look on his face. l did
lot possess the means to bid any
higher, and, bidding as I was against
he emperor of Germany, money was
lot factor Of the problem.
We had been five days out, and l |
lad accomplished nothing. l knew
hat my shadower must have sent
Message to New York that would In |
ONE way put me in limbo on arrival. !
fy only chance to outwit him was to |
nd some means of leaving the ship
efore him on the day Of arrival.
The stateroom opposite mine was
coupled by an old lady who carried
nth her a travelling clock. Law
wake one night listening to its tick
lg, and 1t brought me possible So
ltion. l must steal that clock. This
'as not difficult, for the old lady's
.ateroom door was seldom locked
nd every day was hooked open. The
Ven1ng before we reached port
lrloined the timepiece Then l went
bout looking for box. Having found
ne, put the clock in 1t, nailed on the
l and put fictitious address on II.
hiding the captain alone in his room.
took the box to him and told him
lat 1t had been given to me by man
nose sanity l suspected, to be de-
'ered to the address on it in New
ork. He had told me that it contain
FAMILY jewels Of great value, but
had recently heard a ticking In IT
ID feared 1t contained a bomb to :
DIV up the ship. I
me captain, aghast, proposed at
ce to heave 1t overheard, but I sug-
sted that If he did so and DESTROYED
fortune In jewels he would be held l
'ponsible. This staggered him.
How would it do" l asked. $40 :
the box in boat and tow It at !
end of long roper" q
The very thing!" he exclaimed. =
was midnight, and we were Off c
'ntauk Point. The captain ordered n
boat lowered with the box in n II
the rope payed out. He then
mt to his cabin and to sleep, while I h
myself on deck and when dawn A
ne pulled In the boat-it REQUIRED ali m
strength-and Just before passing
teamer cast loose. 1 caught the at.
tion OF the steamer and was taken 10
ara She was bound for Boston al