COLUMBIA, Mo. -- It wasn't nearly as fast as calling 911, but for a Hallsville, Mo., woman whose telephones had been hidden from her, e-mail did the trick.

Assistant Boone County fire chief Ken Hines found an e-mail from the woman at 7:40 a.m. Thursday saying she had been beaten and needed help. Hines called the sheriff's department, which sent deputies to the woman's home.

The woman told officers that all of the phones in the house had been hidden, so she had to use e-mail to get out her plea for help.

A deputy said the assault is believed to have occurred between 3 p.m. Wednesday and the time the fire department received the woman's e-mail Thursday.

Officers said there were no visible signs of injury on the woman, who was taken to an area hospital for examination.

Deputies on Thursday arrested a man who lives with the woman on suspicion of third-degree domestic assault.

District Fire Chief Steve Paulsell said he's never heard of someone e-mailing for help.

"I've had people call me at home and tell me their house is on fire, but I don't believe I've ever heard of someone sending an e-mail for help," he said.