Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1840-04-02

ring for the servants, VINO slept Ave sto.
RES above the afiray. They furnished
me with warm water and dry night clothes
and went 10 bed less exhausted than sci.
tated, and slept but little. When day.
light shone in upon the battle floor, il pre-
scented terrific scene.
Tie hail, from the front door TO the OF.
flee door, a distance Is feet, was cove
red with blood, and in many places so
thick as to cover the floor cloth. The
Office chairs were overthrown, papers
scattered aud despatched with blood. A.
bout 90 square feet of the carpet was red,
and about seven square feet was soaked
in blood. Out on the steps 10 the side
walk il was traced in streams, and on the
opposite Greene street corner II was re-
newe1. and thence in the centre OF Greene
street, il was traced to Fourth street, and
again in Greene, near Houston, the posi-
ton Of man sitting was marked IA blood.
have received no very serious INJURY.
The stab in the arm has wounded but
slightly the tendon of the biceps muscle,
and as precautionary measure, had II
in ribbon to keep il from motion and
prevent inflammation. The stab IN the
side YVES stopped by rib. The heart is
under obligation TO this rib for protection,
and to God for placing il there. The
blow received on my neck causes most
pain, and fatlgnes il in carrying the head.
NV nervousness and agitation was cured
by nine hours Of good sleep.
| have every reason TO believe that
there were four men in the house that
but one followed me into the basement |;
that the man guarding the upper front
door, suspecting what was gong on be-
low, abandoned his post and fled; that
the mas-in the office was in subordinate
capacity of carrier of booty, as he took
no part in the ARRAY till | retreated there
on my way to the window; that he
was unprovided with lights or weapons as
he used none; that the knife found in the
blood where he lay was dropped by his
comlanion, when the mistake was disco.
yerea in the utterance Of his friend, i
am 81 lbbed - and that am indebted to
this circumstance for the blow that ended
the ARRAY instead Of the knife.
There was a remarkable agreement a.
monn them in the conceament of lights
and voices. The last light that saw
was tie light thrown upon US in the al-
FRAY Ill the basement door, when the man
first came down stairs, the light OF my an.
tagonist being already extlnguished IN the
scuhle. There was no voice heard, ex-
cept the one have alluded TO :" am
stabbed and my own preservation IS
owing 10 the observance Of their rule,
" perfect silence" as IN this way the man
was stabbed byshis friend. If they had
hada light left them to ascertainmy farther
ability for resistance, single glance
would have satisfied them that it was all
over. Ny night dress when dry, would
stand alone from the stiiiening of blood,
and my face and grey hairs were OF the
same color. My iainting continued until
| was released by vomiting.
The crime of house breaking and rob.
bing has been so common that every re-
fleeing man has thought oft, and thought
OF what he should do in such an event.
| had marked Out my course with great
GOODNESS and precision, never doubling I'll
was put upon the trial that | had cour.
age enough, and 10 spare, to meet all 0.
mergences. But this experience, nnd
the amount OF all my experience IN life,
satisfies me that a man cannot anticipate
what he will do, or how he will act, IN
any given circumstances that have not
tried him, and when he thinks he IS act
ing for himself, anG in his own might, he
iorgets the eye that sees for him, the ear
that hears for him, and the arm that sus-
tains and guides him, and that guidance
and protection is as important to HIM IN
the sunshine as in the storms and tempests
of life, and if it be for one moment with
drawn from him, he would be equally Ia
ken bv surprise whether that storm or that
tempest, or that sunshine only, was pre-
sent.
| am. truly, YOUR friend,