The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-06-16
ATELEPHONE
CALL
BY WILLIAM CHANDLER

ring at the telephone bell in the hall.
Going there, took up the receiver and
placed it at my ear. l heard a re-
markable confusion of sounds. The
speaker at the phone was a woman,
but there were others in the room, one
of whom, man, was shouting wildly.
1t was difficult to distinguish what the
woman at the receiver was saying on
account of the other voices, especially
the shouter. will give my dialogue
over the phone as well as can, with
its Interruptions:
Voice at Transmitter-Oh my good
ness gracious! He's slashing right and
left! He's going to kill US all!
Voice of the Madman-Give 'em the
bayonet! Rout 'em out of the trench!
Hold on therel Save that gun! Goodl
Never mind
1 asked again and again for an ad-
dress and finally got 175 Wash
Mans Voice mot at TRANSMITTED
Remember. men, that you are Cana
dams, and what you do today
Voice at Transmitter-Do comel
VIII is delirious. He fancies that he
Is leading his company into
Woman's Voice (not at transmitter)-
Oh, heavens! He's got his sword!
Never mind who l am. Give me
your street and number.
Voice at Transmitter-Oh, horrorsl
l hung up the receiver, waited a few
seconds, took it up again and called
cab-to come in a hurry. Then l went
downstairs and out, walking in the
direction from which | expected 1t.
Seeing a vehicle coming at gallop, l
headed it off, got in and told the driver
to take me to 175 Washington avenue.
There was a Washington street in the
city, but the voices / had heard came
from refined persons, and Washington
street was mostly taken up with shops
and saloons.
| had some distance to go and shout
ed to the cabman to move faster. He
came to a sudden stop, and 1 heard
him speaking with policeman, who
had stopped him. | opened the door
and told the policeman to get in with
me, explaining why I wanted him. But
he got on the box, permitting the driv-
er to go as fast as he could get the
horse to move.
l suppose we were ten minutes in
making the distance AS soon as we
reached the house l told the policeman
that he would be expected to tackle an
armed lunatic. He demurred, saying
that he must telephone for assistance,
and went off to a call box. l did not
propose to wait for him and, going up
the steps of stone front house, rang
the bell
While I waited for assistance heard
sounds in the second story as l had
heard them over the phone and above
the din the lunatics voice shouting:
cline up there, men! Come on, you
fellows, and fill these gaps! Now al
together! Forward
The front door was opened, and a
young woman as white as a cloth ap-
peared.
"I'm the party you got on tho
My explanation was interrupted by
sounds of steel slashing wood and the
shrieks of women above. The girl,
without word, led me upstairs. While
ascending determined upon a plan of
action. Whether it would avail any
thing did not know. On reaching the
upper hall | found a girl crouching.
The door of bedroom was wide open,
and a man was inside hacking a post
bedstead. His back was to me, so
he did not see me.
"Retreatr' 1 shouted. 1.-The general
orders a retreat. We are flankedP'
The 1unatic ceased to hack the bed
posts and backed through the door into
my arms. l seized both of his, taking
his sword arm at the wrist. This l
held as in wise, for l was stronger
than he.
And here the girl who had admitted
mel learned afterward that she was
the one who had talked to me over
the telephone-showed great presence
of mind as well as pluck. Taking in
the situation, at the risk of being stab
bed she ran forward, clinched the luna
ties fist and dealt him a blow ON the
back of the hand holding the sword.
The weapon dropped to the floor. The
girl stopped, picked it up and, running
to window, threw it out.
now got my arms over both the
mans, pinning them to his side. be-
lieved l could hold him till the arrival
of the police, but it was not pleasant
job, and If he got away from me he
might yet do some damage. I asked
the girls If they could get rope, and
one of them went downstairs and
brought up a clothesline. she tried to
get it around the mans legs, but he
kicked so that It was impossible. While
we were struggling we heard a patrol
wagon dash up at the door, and in an.
other minute the lunatic was secured.
There were in the house his moth
er, an old woman, and two young la
dies, his sisters. He had been fighting
in Belgium, in command of his COM
pany. and had been wounded in the
head
Since that time he had acted strange
ly and had been invaded home For
awhile after his arrival he had behaved
quite normally. but during the past
few days had relapsed. His mother
and sisters were intending to remove