, 1840-08-22

have the doors opened until he land his famt
ly returned. You had better call when the
church is dismissed"
now or never"
Impossible" replied she, 'you cannot
enter until he returns"
"Open the door, cried he, "or we will
break it down, and burn you and the house
up together. So saying he threw himself
with all the force he possessed against
the door, at the same time calling upon his
companions to assist him. The door, how
ever, resisted his efforts.
"Do not attempt that again." said Cathar-
inc, 'or you are a dead man," at the same
time presenting from the window a heavy
h%orseman's pistol, ready cooked.
At the sight of this formidable weapon,
the companions of Van Zandt, who had eros
sed the street at his call, retreated.
"Whatm cried the leader, "you towards!
are you frightened at the threats Of a girl?"
and again he threw himself upon the door.
The weapon was discharged, and Van Zandt
fell.
The report was heard at the church, and
males and females at once rushed out to as.
certain the cause. On looking towards the
residence of Judge V-,they perceived five
men running at full speed, to whom the judi
ge's negroes and several others gave chase,
and from an upper window ofhis residence, a
white handkerchief was waving, as if beckon-
ing for and.
All rushed towards the place, and upon
their arrival, Van Zandt was in the agnoies
of death. He still retained strength TO ac-
knowledge that they had long contemplated
robbing that house, and had frequently been
concealed in the neighborhood for that pur-
pose, but no opportunity had offered until
that day. when lying concealed in the woods,
they had seen the Judge and his family 60
ing to church.
The body Of the dead tory was taken and
buried by the sexton of the church, as he had
no relations in that vicinity.
After an absence Of two hours or there
abouts' the negroes returned, having succeed
ed in capturing Finely and one of the stran-
gers, who were that night confined, and the
next morning at the earnest solicitation Of
Judge V-,liberated on the promise Of
amending their lives.
1t was in the month Of October Of the
same year, that Catharine ", was sit
ting by an upper back window of her faith
er's house, knitting; though autumn, the
weather was mild, the window was hoisted
about three inches. About sixty or seventy
feet from the rear Of the house was the barn,
"a huge edifce with upper and lower folding
doors; the lower doors were closed, and in
cidentally casting her eyes towards the barn,
she saw a small back door, on j range with
the front door and window at which she
was sitting, open, and 4 number Of men en-
ter.
The occurrence OF the summer immediate
ly presented itself to her, and the fact that
her father and the other males Of the family
were at work in a field som distance from
the house, led her TO suspect that the opor-
tunity had been improved, probably by some
OF Van Zandt's friends to plumber and re.
venge his death. Concealing herself, Their
fore, behind the curtains, she narrowly
watched their movements. She saw a mans
head slowly rising above the door, and APP
Parently reconnoltering the premises--it was
Finley's. Their object was now evident.
Going to the ''armory," she selected a we'll
loaded musket, and resumed her place by the
window. Kneeling upon the floor she laid
the muzzle OF the weapon upon the window
sill between the curtains, and taking deliber-
ate aim, she fired. What effect she had
produced, she knew not, but saw several
men hurrying out Of the barn, by the same
door they had entered. The report again
brought her father and workmen to the house,
and on going into the barn the dead body
OF Finley lay upon floor.
Catharine V--afterwards married a cap
tain OF the Continental army, and she still
lives, the honored mother Of numerous and
respectable line Of descendants. The house
is also Sin the land Of the living," and has
been the scene Of hay-day of miscLievous
b~oyhood.