Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-11-29

Where did you learn telegraphy?'
IN America"
There was u pause, after which came
the question:
Are you not connected with the
bandlts?"
Bandits? Is this a bandits place p
Yes. l am prisoner here, held for
ransom"
! Phewl What had | struck? Amazed
[ tapped another message.
What nationality are your"
American"
How do you happen to know teleg-
raphy?'
Il have been division superintend-
ent of a telegraph line"
your nameY
Edward owen"
Il have heard Of you was once an
American telegraph operator. Now
tell me how you came to be in this
place"
81 am the American recently kid
naped'
He told me that after leaving the
AldO-Brandini grounds he was walking
leisurely when he heard a whistle and
was at once surrounded by men, who
made him a 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 toId me that his window
was barred and his door locked. l ex-
amined the lock Of my room and found
1t large, old fashioned one, placed, as
I have mentioned. on the inside. My
neighbor told me that the lock on his
door had been removed to the outside.
I 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
It off by removing the screws, using
one of my archaeological implements
instead of a screwdriver.
/ proposed to the prisoner to do this,
give him one Of my revOlvers and
we should walk out together. He was
not a fighting man, and only his des-
perate condition induced him to make
the attempt l opened my door suffi-
GENTLY to look out into the hall and
reconnoiter. man was sitting on a
stool asleep, candle burning low in
the socket. A rife lay across his 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 our
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 had no trouble whatever.
Opening the door. | entered Owens
room. He was in the dark. but put
hand on me at once Wa whispered
together, and | handed him a revolver
l proposed that we should go out
together, / to seize the mans rife, |
while Mr.. Owen clapped his hands
over the mans mouth. Then | was |
20 put my revolver to his head, threat |
IN to shoot if he made a noise and |
compel him to let US out of the house. |
But Owen said he knew that there /
we're at least a dozen men in the |
louse and it would be impossible to
,ass them. SO we changed our plan
% a far simpler one. We decided to
20 out by the window of my room.
Stealing back TO where I started,
by Mr.. Owen, made a rope
# the bedclothing. and we let our
elves down on to terra firma. There
vas no yard to the place. no wall TO
% over. the latter having disappeared
many years before. But there
vas something more dangerous. We
lad scarcely touched the ground when
We saw the dim figure Of a man walk
ng to and fro. We huddled near the
vail till he receded, then consulted
Being armed. we were prepared for
fight. but feared to be overpowered
Y numbers. l thought Of the follow
1g as the only feasible plan: The
light was so dark that by crawl
lg on the ground so that the sentinel
ould not see my silhouette I might
love toward him. possibly reaching
I'm when his back was turned. and
iulDu us dEiuS, uuiuiuS ulm NUiS
wen made a dash for liberty, or,
aving a knife. might dispatch him
lently. But owen was averse to
lood splitting.
Hold" he whispered. There's
mother man"
Two men on guard met. chatted for
while, then turned their backs and
alked away from each other.
"Now's our chance" said Owen
Let US steal between them"
We advanced on tiptoe, and before
lie two men came together again we
Id got beyond them and. making a
storr. struck the road a hundred
lrds from them. We walked till
lylieh when we hired team to
Ike me to Frascah. Mr.. Owen to
ONE
He bad been held for $4,000 ran
m. and the day before his release
$ family had received message
ON the bandits stating that II the
oney was not forthcoming within
'qys he would be killed. Their
and dpIioht at seeing him !