Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-09-06

EnSllSu-
"one stopping for the night in this
place"
Where did you learn telegraphy?'
"In America
There was pause. after which came
the question:
eAre you not connected with the
bandits?"
Bandits? Is this a bandits placer"
"Yes. l am prisoner here, held for
ransom"
Phew. What had 1 struck? Amazed.
tapped another message.
"What nationality are you?'
american"
'How do you happen to know teleg-
raphy?',
81 have been a division superintend-
ent of "A telegraph line"
"Your Nance"
Edward Owen"
81 have heard of you. | was once an
American telegraph operator Now
tell rae how you came to be in this
place"
Il am tie American recently kid
uaped."
He told me that after leaving the
Aldo Brandini grounds he was walking
leisurely when he heard 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 large. old fashioned one. placed, as
1 have mentioned. on the inside. My
neighbor told me that the lock on his
door had been removed to the outside.
1 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 l could take
1t 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 cut together. He was
not a fighting man, and only his des-
perate condition induced him to make
the attempt. 1 opened my door suffi-
GENTLY to look out into the hall and
reconnoiter A man was sitting on
stool asleep, a candle burning low in
the socket. A rifle 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 I had no trouble whatever.
Opening the door, | entered Owens
room He was in the dark, but put
hand on me at once. We whispered
together, and l handed him a revolver.
1 proposed that we should go out
together, / to seize the mans rife,
while Mr.. Owen clapped his hands
over the mans mouth. Then / was
to put my revolver to his head, threat
en- to shoot if he made a noise and
compel him to let us out of the house.
But Owen said he knew that there
were at least dozen men in the
house and it would be impossible to
pass them So we changed our plan
to a far simpler one. We decided to
90 out by the window Of my room.
Stealing back TO where l started,
by Mr.. Owen, I made rope
Of the bedclothing. and we let our
selves down on to terra firma. There
was no yard to the place, no wall to
20 over, the latter having disappeared
probably many years before. But there
was something more dangerous. We
had scarcely touched the ground when
we saw the dim figure OF man walk
ng TO and fro. We buddled near the
wall till he receded, then consulted.
Being armed, we were prepared for
l fight. but feared to be overpowered I
DIV numbers / thought of the follow
ng as the only feasible plan. The I
night was so dark that by crawl
ng on the ground so that the sentinel /
.ould not see my silhouette l might !
move toward him, possibly reaching
him when his back was turned. and 1
1inion his arms. holding him while I
Owen made a dash for liberty, or, /
having a knife. I might dispatch him |
silently. But Owen was averse 10 (
blood spilling.
Hold" he whispered. There's F..
mother man"
Two men on guard met. chatted for 4
while. then turned their backs and |
walked away from each other.
a'Now's our chance said Owen. /
Let us steal between them"
We advanced on tiptoe. and before
he two men came together again we
lad got beyond them and. making
letonr. struck the road hundred
ards from them We walked till
daylight when we hired team to
axe me TO Frascati. Mr. owen to
Rome.
He had been held for $4,000 ran
ON, and the day before bis release
lis family had received message