Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-11-04
War in a Dry Goods Store.

The following rich affair is reported ID
one Of The Philadelphia papers as having
come Oh in that city few days ago. The
incident OF the day was an assault on dis
tinguished dry goods man in Second street.
by Mrs. Dorothy Owen, lady who sells
country produce in High street market
Mrs. Owen, with a basket full of eggs on
her arm, went 10 MIR. IS store 10 buy
three quarters of yard Of pink sarsanet.-
The storekeeper misunderstanding her, gave
her three yards and quarter instead Of the
quantity required. Mrs q. laid down half
eagle, and Mr.. -, of course, took payment
Tor three Yards and qnarter. Mrs. Owen
protested that she had called for only three
quarters OF yard. Mr.. - boldly assert
Gu ,hat the quantity demanded was thfes
yards ana quarter. Mrs. Owen now fired
up, and let Mr.. - know that she had al
ways entertained suspicion that he was a
rogue, bui now suspicion was changed to
certainty. Some other hard words passed
between them, and as hard words often lead
TO something harder, Mrs. Owen made a
punch at Mrs bread basket
Then MIR. ----- made a nIasterly retreat
to an elevated perch where his desk is fixed,
aud there, like the indignant bmrun in his
turreled lower, babe defiance 10 his furious
assailant. But Mr.. - in his imaginary
security forgot that The improvements Of
warfare make The defence Of castellaled holds
a very precarious undertaking; he forgot, in
short, that The science Of projeciiIes had
been added TO military tactics, and that can.
non balls and shells do tremendous execti-
ton at a great distance. He was soon re-
minded of this fact or something like il,
when Mrs. Owen belhought herself of her
basket Of eggs, un expensive art ice of am-
munirion at the present time, being tery
scarce, and costly in proportion. Mrs Owen
considered that offensive wnr cannot be car
ried on withou; a pcuniary sacrifice, and
submitting TO the necessities of the case, she
began TO lombard The lower or lofty fort in
| which Mr.. - had iutrehched himself
The first missile aimed at Mr.. IS facs,
was avoided by timely dodge, bui il took
effect on the face Of the clock, which was
placed just behind the desk, and a fragment
OF the shattered glass cut off a small slice Of
the storekeeper's ear, leaving enough Of the
organ, however, for any use or ornament
The next Two or three discharges were high
ly crediiable TO Mrs. Owens skill in GUM
merry. One of the rockets hit Mr.. - in the
middle Of the forehead, and bursting there,
poured its uusavory contents downwards
4 OFcT MS muse unu HOulI. announcer, e4p,OU-
ing on his black satin vest, left nm orange
colored line tha! appeared 10 I've a buresque
imitation of gold guard chain. The clerks
perceiving in what extremity their employer
was placed, hastily endeavored to- erect on
the counter breastwork parape composed
of bolts of Osnaburg, Russia duck and brown
| shrtnos to cover the besieged fortress
| But Mrs. Owen was not TO be baked by any
| ,,rl t,ar taIn hair
and thence attained the elevation of the
COUNTER and having thus surrounded the en-
emy's works, she poured in her fire with
such overwhelming effect that the besieged
parry capiruate,i, begging a cessation Of hos
tihues, and promised TO make all right
This surrender however, was only Strata
gem of war for Mr.. - had secretly des-
patched one of his clerks for reinforcement
which came from the police office, and Mrs.
Owen yielding to superior numbers, was
made priso ner.