The Shadowy Break-in at the Hotel Bay View
A representative of the Independent Telephone company reports a suspicious burglary of his room, exposing a fierce battle for a local utility franchise.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mines and counter-moves are being played thick and fast in the local telephone mix-up. Today Mr. Mortimer, of the Independent Telephone company, reported to the police department that his room in the Bay View hotel had been broken into, his satchel cut open and a number of papers taken. Detective Sullivan was detailed on the case. On entering the room, the detective found papers, letters, petitions, etc., scattered over the floor. Mortimer's satchel had been ripped open with a sharp knife and most of its contents emptied out. The discovery was made at 10:30 this morning by the chambermaid. About an hour before this, Mortimer and his foreman had left the room and gone to Attorney Riddell's office in the Fidelity building. While there, Mr. Mortimer received a telephone message from his landlady, notifying him of the supposed burglary. In company with Mr. Riddell, he hastened back to the hotel and immediately notified the police. Whatever papers were lost were of little value to Mr. Mortimer. His important papers, including a petition containing between 5,000 and 8,000 names, he had with him at Mr. Riddell's office. This petition includes the names of at least 3,000 people who already have telephoned in their homes or in their place of business.
“Mines and counter-moves are being played thick and fast in the local telephone mix-up.”
Corporate intrigue over infrastructure franchises was common in the early 20th century. The battle over telephone monopolies reflects the modern struggles for control over municipal broadband and fiber-optic networks.
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