The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-10-31
Strange Adventure with Burglars.

/ city, and for the better security of their
store against fire and other casualties,
employed one Of their clerks to sleep in
| 1t at night. The idea Of the store being
attacked 10y robbers was not for mo-
meut entertained, but it was for other OBJ
jects, such as security from fire, and the
like, that young Loriug, the clerk, slept
there for he was not supplied with any
weapons TO tepel al attack OF thieves
But one dark. dreary night he was ava
kened by a singular noise, which resem-
bed that which party Of burglars might
! produce in an attempt to enter the build
ing, and looking towards the back win
dows he soon satisfied himself that one
or more persons were eudeavorlng, AS
quietly rs possible, 10 effect al entrance
at that quarter. They had already re
moved part Of the sash and shutters
with their cunningly devised instrumnets,
and mus. lave been At work some time
before lie Was awakened.
Now young Eorlug regretted that he
had no weapon, but not through fear
that was not characteristic o. the Young
gen:eman-bu but that he NIGH, pepper
the rogues little. At first he deter
mined to cry out and arouse the watch,
but rs they had advanced SO far before
he Was awake, he Thought he would
drive them of hy stratagem lie slipped
on his clothes quietly, and, approaching
the spot where tie thieves were busy, he
saw the hand Of one Of them passed IN
side Of the shutter into the store, IN rs
owners eudeovors to guide IA small hand
SAW, with which lac Was cutting an apcr
ture for his body to pass through.
Young Lorug teI: inclined to chop Oft
the hand with small ha,chet that lay
hard 10y, bat he relraiued, and Iclhought
himself OF powerful acid that Was used
in the testing Of the purity Of silver and
other metals. Ouc drop of this would eat
Instantly into lhe ,sh, and produce n
poisonous sore in ten uinY,cs time. lie
cautiously dropped II little upon tie bur
glars hand aud awaited tue result:
'Bl, at length exclaimed the bursIar
to hIs comradc, 'P,e got a cursed burn
ing on The back OF my hand. It's SO sole
| can hardly work this saw. Phe" . how
ii smnrls ! que I've cut it with the
saw-hold the Gark lantern here
Fudge! replied his companion, change
hands then, but don't "p.
Take the saw yourself, then I. can't
stand this pain y
And while the disc omitted burglar
withdrew to grotu over the suppose cut,
the other took his place with tho saw,
aud III a moment after received few
drops OF The fiery liquid upon ;he back
part of ns hand, and was soon gIoaLing
with agony.
Curse this saw it las cut me, too !!
groaned the second thief.
And after sundry oaihs, mutually eX-
changed until the first aud worNl attack
OF pam WAS over, they renewed the at
tempt to make an entrance.
The c erk permitted them to go on a
while uun'erruptediy, knowing that at
any momen, he could stop their efforts
by crying out, but he hoped to h-ar some
walchman passing in front Of the store,
upon whom he could call to secure the
rogues, and he resolved TO wait !Or tins
until it would do to wait no longer. But
soon tho burglars had so much enlarged
the hole that they would shortly be able
to enter II by themselves.
Seeing that he must do something to
stop them, the clerk crept IN the dar;
closet at Que side Of the window, aud ut
tered u .ow but fierce growI. in imitation
OF dog Both Of the Iogucs stepped
back at this unexpected interruption.
Hang it, Bill, there's cursed dog IL
there. didn't know that the llelJerls
kept one said one TO the other.
y dog that's bal. Curse 'em, II ii
was nan, why shot or a dirk stroke
would fix hm-but dog is quite anoth
er thing, for if We shot i'm, he'd be sure
, TO halt kill one Of US y
Bow, WOW, WOW y cried the clerk
with al his power, as ho saw them pre-
pairing to resume their work.
'Coniound the dog ! exclaimed both
, Never mind 60 ahead, Bill, and ge
it open now. III fix him when We sc
In.'
The burglar addressed as Bill thrus
his hand in once more 10 wrench of th,
last piece OF wood that obstructed lhei
entrance, when the clerk, having alroady
armed himself with a large pair Of PIN
GERS, seized the robbers hand AS thougl
in vice, and set up such barking tina
: the whole neghhorhood was alarmed.
For Heavens sake, Jack, lend us
I Land here the cursed animal is biting
E my hand half off + said the burglar I,
a his confederate
Pull it away-pulI it away, quick
Il can't
Give it = jerk said the other.
900 | can't. Murder, murder !
This cry, added to the believing Of til,
supposed dog, soon brought the watch il
: earnest, and the thief who was 1t Iibert,
to do so, ran for his life 4s.
The watchmau's light showed Bil
Skies that he had been bitten ny pal
, Of piOcers
This is a fact il occurred in New
York city during the winter Of ls4l