The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-02
An Abuse Of
the Telephone
By F. A. MITCHELL

Copyright. 1917 Western Newspaper Union
I'm call you up about nine o'clock
and let you know the result
You can't call me up because
have no telephone In my house"
mo telephone? Why. l supposed
every house had telephone nova
days"
mine hasn't. 1t had one and had
1t taken out"
"Why SOP"
swell, there's little story about 1t.
II you care to hear it, I'll tell it to
you. You know, live out at Hibton,
an hours ride from the city. When I
, was first married. my wife was alone
all day, being in town at business,
so we concluded to put In telephone
so that she could call me up once In
while to break her loneliness, or if
anything unusual occurred.
We'll, the first thing to be com,
municated was, I caught the mouse
/ set the trap for; what shall l d1
with it?' The next thing to be COM
municated was, Someone is i'll in the
house opposite; the doctors convey
ance is standing before the door
Then she called me up to ask me to
bring her Il spool of thread when l
came out in the evening. | must walk
six blocks to Il store where | could
buy the kind she wanted, and she
could get it by walking two blocks, or
send for it by telephone. l told her
to do this and she said she didn't like
to ask the storekeeper to send so small
a package costing only two cents. 1t
was the same with an yeast cake.
But all this was nothing to what
happened one night when l stayed in
town taking an account Of stock. At
ten o'clock was rung up and my wife
said: I'm going to bed, dear. It's
awful to think that you won't be at
home till tomorrow EVENING" I tried
to cheer her by promising to go
home early the next evening. and after
telephoning half dozen kisses
hung up the receiver and continued
my work. Ten minutes later was
called again:
"'Reginal! Oh Reginald!
"'What Is it, dearr
az hear sounds below. Someone is
trying to break into the house.
"What could do? l couldn't ask
my wife to go down and face robber,
l asked her what the sounds were like
and she said they were like those
made by someone boring.
II now really became frightened
myself I was not so much afraid Of
burglars attacking my wife; for ]
knew that she had her bedroom door
locked and furniture heaped against
It. What I feared was that she would
be frightened to death. However, ]
must plan for her.
II called a council OF those working ,
with me In stock taking. stating that !
my wife was locked in her room al |
home while burglars were below bor !
ing In the door, doubtless intending !
to make hole to put In an arm ia !
remove the chain and open the door /
All voted it complicated case. 1t
was suggested that / telephone the
police at Hilton to go at once to my |
house, surround it and capture the
burglar. wondered that had not /
thought of this plan myself, for 1t !
was very simple. and telephone mes:
sage from me from the city would be .
as effective as from my wife in Hilton.
II called up the police In Hilton
and told them to go at once to my
house, where they would find some
one trying to bore his way in. The :
man at the desk said that burglars
didn't really effect entrance In that
way. but he would send some men
right over.
'While awaiting the result my wife
telephOned me that she had located
the boring. It was at the door Of a
storm shed which was held closed By
an iron hook. I thought that any
burglar who planned to effect an en-
trance to my house there was fool.
After unlocking the storm door he
would have to open the door within.
which was protected by an excellent
lock.
1T was net long before I received
word from the police at Hilton. We
got him. he is now IN . CELL
II at once telephoned my wife that
the danger was past. But realizing
that she had suffered a shock, I said
that I would go home on the one
o'clock train.
II reached the house about two
o'clock and found several Of the neigh
bors attempting to so0the my wife,
whose nerves had been terribly
strained. While sympathizing with
her I received a telephone message
from the police that their prisoner
claimed to be my wife's brother and
desired that I come Immediately and
identify him.
Great heavens! could this be so?'
Il answered the summons immedi-
ately and on reaching the station,
there waiting for me sat Jim Cham
bers, my brother-in-law, true enough.
"'What in thunder he began.
"'What the dickens were you try
Ing to break in-Y