The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-11-03

A T midnight Miss Stella Vensel, the
~ night operator of the "HY" tower
1 \ on the Pennsylvania Railroad at
Mount Braddock, near Uniontown, Pa,
heard voices near the track
1t was dark and lonely. The operator
knew that no one had any legitimate bust
ness in that place at that hour. The coun-
try was full of rough and strange men
since war work had brought new activi-
ties into the country. The situation was,
therefore, a dangerous one for a woman,
or even a man left in charge of railroad
property and the lives and safety of others.
That night turned out to be an ordeal of
terror and danger for Stella Vensel. in
which she showed herself true heroine
not less worthy of admiration than those
who risk their lives on a battlefield.
She faced every danger with unfiinching
courage and came out of every difficulty
triumphantly.
Fortunately she was well prepared for
trouble, for she carried two revolvers and
a strong electric fashlight.
Peering into the darkness she made out
three men around a telephone booth across
the track, about thirty feet from the sig
nal tower
She flashed her electric lamp at them
and saw that they we're disconnecting the
telephone wires.
Hey, you men, get away from there,
quick" she called in fearless voice.
Without a moments hesitation one of
bor hot
one of the tower windows and whistled
past her ear.
"Move finger and we'll kill you," called
back one of the men, in a German accent
Perhaps the shot was only meant to
scare her Certainly it didn't have that
effect She replied with a volley from her
own revolver aimed at the telephone booth
across the track
Run. while you are still alive. you curs!"
cried the woman operator.
Then seeing that she was faced by SUI
perior numbers. she retreated quickly and
ran up the steps into her tower.
The men now proved that they we're
criminals of no common type, but desper-
ate bandits determined to stop short of
no crime in their work and ready to face
every danger themselves. Finding that
they had only one woman to deal with,
though she was well armed and coura-
geous, they planned to rush her tower and
kill her, even if one of them got killed in
the attempt.
In a second the three of them were at
the foot of her tower, so close beneath
her window that it was harder for her to
aim at them than when they were further
away.
At the base Of the tower is a wooden
landing. From this a flight of steep steps
leads up to the door which gives admission
to the tower.
From the bottom of the tower the ban
dts fired a shower of bullets at the win
dow, expecting to kill or disable the girl.
By keeping away from the window she es-
capped death. Many of the bullets that en-
tered the window struck the roof
In another second Miss Vensel knew
that the murderous rush up the steps would
come.
Alone. with not a soul within call. with
out moment TO spend in signalling for
help, she determined TO foil the three
woUld-be murderers
Her bosom heaving deliantly her keen.
strong young face set with resolution her
1.-THE figure vibrant with energy, Stella
Nensel summoned all her wits to meet the
peril
First she dragged a heavy desk I'D
against the door, so as to make barri-.
cade against any attempt TO break in.
Then she placed chairs and all the other
furniture so that they would brace the
desk and serve as obstacles to anybody
entering
Even as she did this she heard the rush
Of footsteps up the steps. Fortunately ii
would b. impossible for them to reach the .