The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1918-08-08
YOUNG LADY ATTACKED
Miss Ruth Burge, Telegraph OperatoG
at Athol Fights Off Brutal
Aftempf

at Athol, Fights Off Brutal K
| Attempt.
About midnight Wednesday of lasl
week Miss Ruth Burgc, telegraph op-
orator for the Missouri Pacific rail
road at their station at Athol, about
six miles south of town, was the vic
tim of one of the boldcst and most
brutal attacks that ever occurred in
this section of the country.
Since the war has taken so many OF
the men telegraph operators the rail
roads have been forced to use many
girls and women at stations where
the work is not heavy and some time
ago Miss Burge, of Joplin, a regent
graduate of a telegrapher's school
was placed III charge of the office at
Athol. Wednesday night she went on
duty at the usual time. She was ac-
companied to the box car used as a
telegraph office by small son OF
Chas. Burk, who lives near by, Be
fore the boy returned home she bor-
rowed his pocket knife, and as it
turned out, luckily forgot to return it
when the boy left for home. As a
general thing as soon as it got dark
Miss Burge locked up the office. but
that night it was so hot that she lett
the door open About midnight
Whitley" Ben Rhoades, a big fellow
who had been working for contract
or who was doing some grading for
the company, entered the station and
asked to send telegram to a bank
saying that he had ovcrdrawn his ac-
count and wanted to notify the bank.
Miss Burgc informed him that she
could not send tie message as the
office was only for railroad business.
He grabbed Miss Burge and was
choking her when she managed to get
hold of the pocket knife belonging to
the little Burk boy that she had bor-
rowed earlier in the evening. She
made a slash at Rhoadcs and man
aged to get loose long enough to cali
Butler ON the telephone and ask for
help. While she was trying to tele-
phone Rhoades again grabbed her and
the noise that they made as they
struggled around the small room
could be heard by the men on duty ar
the Butler depot. They telephoned
up town and called Marshal Bradep
tand Sheriff Baker who hurried to thc
depot ard took freight that was
just starting south. ~,
In the meantime Miss Burge had
gotten loose from Rhoades and ran
across the road to the home OF Mrs.
Carnic who she awakened and told
that a man was at the station. She
was told by Mrs. Carnie to awakcn
some men that were asleep in another
part of the house. However, think
ing that the man had gone she did not
do this, hut went back to the station
and found that the man was gone, a
short time later she looked up and
saw Rhoades and another man peer
ing in at her through the win'lnW.
She grabbed small revolver from
the desk and tried to shoot the men;
but something was the matter with
the revolver and only at the third trial
did she succeed in firing it and the
men ran.
Mr.. Ochenbein. the contractor IN
charge OF the grading work heard the
shot and ran to the station. where the
young lady was found unhurt but mad
through and through. About that
time the freight arrived from Butler
with the officers who started hunt
for Rhoades and his companion, but
they had disappeared and no trace
of them could be found. Sheriff
Baker went on to Rich Hill on the
freight and started hunt for them
there. Marshal Braden and a young
man from the Butler Missouri Pacific
office spent the remainder OF the
night in the neighborhood of .Athol.
but could get no track OF the brutcs,
Miss Burgc is thoroughly game and
is still on the job every night, but she
has a better revolver now, and If I
man wants big bunch of trouble and
excitement all he has to do is to go
fooling around the Missouri Pacific
office at Athol some night and nc
will think that he has run afoul OF the
allied army.
Saturday night Sheriff Baker and4
Officer Worthington. of the Missouri
Pacific, arrested Ben Whitley
Rhoades and man known as
"Blackey." at Joplin and they were,
brought to Butler and placed in the
county jail, where it is likely they
will remain until the next term OF
court, when in all probability they
will be sent to the penitentiary tor
long terms.
1t is supposed that after attacking
Miss Burge and being frightened OFT
by the revolver shot, they went west
along the river until they came to the
Kansas City Southern railroad which
they took to Joplin, which is said to
be the home Of Rhoades.
Notice to War Savings Stamp
Solicitors. <l
]. w. Jamigon, Bates county chair
r a 20 NJ.