Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-03-10


course, was outdoing all previous efforts, the
! chickens even began to crow Tompkins, next
door, was halloing Thieves and calling the
governor. | could hear screams and all sorts
! OF talking and noises among the neghbors un-
til at length, the old gentlcman's voice was
heard in the yard calling Tom Tom 2
Tom was sound asleep and snoring
Tom p cried the old man in a voice that
would have reused man from an epiIeptic
fit.
"I judged it prudent to wake then, and
jumped from my bed, raised the window and
rubbing one eye, and looking particularly
frightened (Which | was) asked
80 Why, father what in the worlds the
matter p
"'There's thieves in the house was the
reply get your gun and come Gown and be
quick ?
60 He's in the room below you, Tom = hal
loed TompkinS, Pm certain of it. | saw him
as he ran down, and threw a friedrich at him
| know he didn't pass that door, Mr.. jones'
| was directed to look ont for myself the
governor stood sentinel at the door below
armed with a club, while Tompkius had five
minutes to collect aid from the neighbors, and
less than half that. so thoroughly was every
house alarmed that there was a dozen or more
men in the yard, armed with guns, pistols
and sticks.
The governor led the attack Opening
the door, he called, Come out here, YOU
house-breakng scoundrel If you attempt
to run or resist, I'll blow your brains out p
Nobody came however
"' Watch the door, was the order, while
go in and was told to look sharp and
shoot the rascal if he come up stairs A
momentary search was sufficient to satisfy eve
rybody that the thief was not in that room.
80 He's up stairs, them cried Tompkins,
for I'll take my Bible oath he didn't pass
that door,
g So up stairs they trooped, but had lit a
candle by that time, and there was no bug
bear there. The Strictest search even in look
ing under boOtjack, didn't show the faintest
trace Of him. The yard was next examined,
then the house, and everybody being tolerably
well satisfied that he had escaped, the neigh
borS dispersed to their several homes, but |
was appointed as sentinel for the rest of the
night, and ordered not to go to sleep at my
post under penalty of aogging
The articles missing on thorough inves-
'ISdIlOu uCAC Ndyr NClC thO PIES anu IHc Oil
ladyS silver thimble The thimbe turned up
in week or two, but the pies have never been
accounted for to this day. On oath | could
have given very material testimony as to the
disposition of the stolen property, but as the
case didn't come before any court, remained
silent
Didn't the local editors loom One of
them elongated himself through quarter of
a column, and headed the item, A Diabolical
and Atrocious Attempt at Burglary and Muir
der 2 describing, with graphic particulars,
the fendiSh attempt to throttle Miss --
and her servant, complimented the GOODNESS
and resolution Of Il. Tompkins, Esq, and pc
rorated with withering anathema on the
want of vigilance display ed by the police.
1T was fun for me to see with what wide
awake sagacity the watch used to stop at the
front door and listen, during their nightly
rounds for a month after and you couldn't
have bribed a youngster to go under the porch
on any account after dark. The excitement
died away though, after a while, but III never
forget the night | tried to get in without
making a nose'"