Oh my God. How long will I be in the hospital? Why me? I'm just a small glass shop. My kids, oh my God. Am I gonna die?

        Quick, I gotta call 911.

ANTHRAX COVERAGE

• Latest news  • Mail warning  • Q&A  • Interactive: Understanding anthrax

        These are the shards of thought that sped through glass shop owner Tim Wise's mind in the moments after he opened a mailed envelope from his insurance company Saturday — and found nothing but a suspicious white powder he knew could be anthrax.

        “A practical joke, that never entered my mind,” Mr. Wise, of Glass Wise Inc. said at his Linwood shop Monday.

        Hours earlier, his lone employee, Jack Silz, appeared in Hamilton County Municipal Court on a felony charge of inducing panic.

        At least 12 Americans so far have contracted, or been exposed to, anthrax since the terrorist attacks and American retaliation, most through contaminated mail. Also on Monday, a Continental Airlines jet with 55 people aboard was quarantined in Cleveland after a white powder was found in the bathroom.

        Mr. Wise follows the news. He panicked Saturday morning, calling 911, rushing to wash his hands.

        “I thought, "I might be dying,” he said. “A prank. Why didn't he just leave a note, "Ha-ha, Jack.'”

        Mr. Silz, 51, of the 1000 block of Cedar Ridge Drive, Pierce Township, was released on his own recognizance. He will be arraigned Friday. Phone calls to the home number listed on Mr. Silz's arrest report were not returned Monday.

        The cost to Mr. Silz, so far, has been high: Mr. Wise fired him, although he doesn't want to press charges or see Mr. Silz serve jail time. He faces up to 1 1/2 years in prison if convicted.

        The cost to the public is less easily calculated: Cincinnati's only hazardous-material response team spent three hours at the site sealing off the glass-cutting business and treating Mr. Wise. It also might have been out of position had a real biohazard occurred elsewhere.

        Mr. Wise thinks Mr. Silz, who had worked for him as office help for nearly four years, opened the insurance letter Friday, replaced it with fine-powder glass shavings, and expected to be there when Mr. Wise found it on his desk Monday morning.

        But Mr. Wise went into work Saturday to catch up. It's been that way often since he took over the residential glass-replacement business from his father, Henry Wise, who died in 1983. His mail bundle included bills, checks, junk mail and the letter.

        After calling 911, Mr. Wise called Mr. Silz at home to warn him about finding the substance. The machine picked up. But after Mr. Wise started leaving the message, he said his employee picked up the phone: “"No, no, no, that was me.'” he told his boss.

        Mr. Wise said he called 911 dispatchers back, but the unit was already on its way.

SPECIAL ATTACK COVERAGE

Bioterror a threat at the doorstep
Anthrax scare wasn't funny to employer
Scare at Sharonville mail center
Scares scramble emergency squads
Muslims fight fear, anger with understanding
Airport security fix up in air
Airport tries to cope with parking problems
City fire chief seeking money for preparedness
Tall Stacks back in October 2003
Morgue trial jurors deliberate second day
Project aims to remove lead paint
Some schools would lose in budget plan
Commission considers loan fund
Fuller, Luken meet in only radio debate
Norwood's Foust to carry Olympic torch
Obituary: George Helwig was archery expert
State tax increases possible
Tenn. judge nominated for city-based 6th Circuit Court
Annexation attempt may hit a roadblock
Congrats
Good News: Workers give $129K for relief
Indictment in drug case
Local Digest
Traficant cites privilege in seeking evidence suppression
Victims' compensation overhauled
Foal deaths may cost horse industry $336M
Kentucky Digest
New jail may oust agencies
Politics blamed for fund loss
Kentucky quarter draws interest
Rifle barrage hits cruiser