One Kind of Wireless (1917)

Under Hennesey's supervision a gang of laborers are making repairs on the tracks near the Claxton Station. Tony, a discharged workingman, loiters about the grounds, gruff and dangerous. Orr, the station agent, warns Hennesey to watch out for Tony but Hennesey merely contents himself with driving Tony off the grounds. In an unguarded moment Tony informs the laborers that he has overheard the foreman threaten to fire them all without paying them last month's wages. When Hennesey arrives on the scene, they set upon and overpower him. They drag him, gagged and bound, to a lone cabin in the woods. There Tony urges his confederates to derail train No, 20 which - according to his version - is bringing strike breakers to the station to take their places. Leaving two men to watch Hennesey, Tony and the gang set out for the track. The sentinels engage in a game of cards and are soon so absorbed in it that they pay no attention to what is going on in back of them. Jack, the stations agent's son and the day operator at the Claxton Station, is relieved by his father for the night and urged to go to bed. Before doing so, he sets out for the woods to get some rabbit snares. From under cover he watches the struggle between Hennesey and the gang, manages to creep into the cabin and to overhear their fiendish plan. After all the ruffians but two had left he contrives to get behind Hennesey. Without being noticed by the gamblers and cuts the ropes from his hands aid feet. The two then overpower the guard in short order and then leave the cabin to save Train No. 20. A semaphore is located at some distance from the cabin. If Jack can only reach it, he might signal to the station and the train might be stopped in time. Hotly pursued by Tony and his confederates Jack and Hennesey manage to reach the semaphore. While the foreman is holding off the gang by physical force. Jack climbs up the pole and signals to the station to stop No. 20 at the Junction. His father signals back that No. 20 has already passed the Junction. Thereupon Hennesey urges Jack to rush as fast as his legs will carry him to the switch, while he takes it upon himself to give the gang a tussle for a few minutes. Jack reaches the switch and closes it just in time for No 20 to rush by. In the meantime his father aid the freight agent, armed with rifles, arrive at the scene of the conflict on a hand-oar and overpower Tony and the gang. Jack turns wearily to his father and says easily: "I guess you were right about my getting some sleep. Let's go home."