The Message to Headquarters

A wealthy American, while traveling through a lonely part of Italy, was captured by bandits and held for ransom. He was rescued by an officer of the Carabineri, The bandit chief was captured and vowed vengeance, but the young officer dismissed his threats contemptuously. The officer found favor in the American girl's eyes, and when she returned to America she had promised to marry him. A few months later the officer was ordered to America on a secret mission, and wrote his fiancée that he would soon be with her. At the pier he was met by a man who displayed the badge of the United States Secret Service and showed him a letter from the chief. The young man took a hasty leave of his sweetheart, promising to see her the following day and entered a waiting carriage with his companion. He thought their destination was the office of the secret service, but before he could suspect anything wrong he was overpowered and taken into a lonely house. There he found another captive, the real member of the secret service, whose credentials had been taken away and used to ensnare the Italian officer. While the conspirators were subjecting the Carabineri officer to the ordeal of a mock trial, the detective, tied to one of the ceiling beams, hung head downward. He realized that unless help soon came that the young officer would be put to death. At the other end of the room was a wall telephone. Although he could not loosen his bonds he succeeded in reaching the telephone and sending a call for help to headquarters. Assistance arrived when the young officer had only a few minutes to live. The conspirators were captured and punished, and the Italian officer warmly thanked his preserver who, though a captive, had saved him from death. - IMDb