Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-12
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.


Several years ago, when the south Of
Ireland was, as it has ever been within the
memory of the oldest inhabitant, in dis
turbed state, gentleman, advanced in
years, lived in a retired country house He
was a bachelor, and whether trusting tc
his supposed popularity, or imagining that
the general alarm among the gentry was
groundIess, he continued in his lonely man
sion long after his neighbors had quilted
theirs for q residence in town. He had
been indisposed for several days. and, on
the night he was attacked, had taken his
.. supper in his bedroom, which was ON the
ground floor, and inside parlor with
which it communicated The servants
went to bed ; the house was shut up for
the night, and the tea-tray, with its ap-
purtenances, by providential oversight,
were forgotten in the old mans chamber.
Some hours after he had retired to bed
he was alarmed at hearing a window lifted
IN the outer apartment his chamber door
was ajar and the moon shonc brilliantly
through the open easement, rendering OBJ
jects in the parlor distinct and perceptibc
to any person in the inner room. Present
ly man leaped in through the window,
and three others followed him in quick sue
cession-~ The old gentleman sprang from
his bed, but unfortunately there were no
arms in the apartment recollecting, how
ever, the forgotten supper tray, he provid-
ed himself with case-kniIe, and resolute-
ly took his stand behind the open door He
had one advantage over his murderers, they
were in the full moonlight, and he shroud-
ed in impenetrable darkness
A momentary hesitation took place
among the party, who seemed undecided
as to which of them should enter, for ac-
quainted with the locality of the house,
they knew well where the devoted victim
slept. At last one of the Williams cautious
ly approached, stood moment in the door
way ,hesiitated advanced a step, not a whis-
per was heard, breathless silence reigned
around and the apartment before him was
dark as the grave itself
"Go on, blast ye What the deuce are
ye afeerd of" said the rough voice of an
associate behind he took a second step,
and the old mans knife was buried in his
heart No second thrust was requisite,
for, with deep groan, the robber sank
dead upon the floor.
The obscurity of the chamber, the sud
den destruction caused by the deadly
thrust, prevented the rufians in the outer
room from knowing the fate of their com
panion. A second presented himself, cross
ed the threshold, stumbled against his dead
associate, and received the old mans knife
in his bosom. The wound, though mortal
was not so fatal as the other, and the ruff
an had time to calculate that he was
dead man !
Instantly several shots were fired, but
the old gentleman's position sheltered him
from the bullets. \ third assassin advan-
ced, leveled a long fowling piece through
the doorway, and actually rested the bar
rel against the old mans body The di-
rection, however, was a slanting one, and
with admirable self-possession he remained
steady till the murderer drew the trigger,
and the ball passed him without injury !;
but the flash from the gun unfortunately
disclosed the place of his ambush. Then
commenced desperate struggle--the rob-
ber, powerful and athletic rulfian, closed
and seized his victim around the body
there was no equality between the comba-
tants with regard to strength, and although
the old man struck often and furiOusly with
the knife, the blows were Intellectual, and
he was thrown heavily upon the floor with
the murderer above him. Even then, at that
moment, his presence of mind saved this
heroic gentleman. He found that the blade
of the knife had turned, and he contrived
to straighten it upon the floor. The ruIli-
ans hands were already on his throat
the pressure became sui1Ocating-a few
moments more and the contest must have
ended but an accidental movement Of his
body exposed the murders side-the old
man struck with his remaining strength a
deadly blow-the robbers grasp relaxed
and with a yell Of mortal agony, he fell
lifeless acros his exhaust antagonist
Horror.stuck by the dcathshriell oC their
comrades, the banditt wanted courage to
enter that gloomy chamber which had been
irregular volley in, and leaping through
the open window, ran of, leaving their
lifeless companions behind.
Lights and assistants came presently
the chamber was pool Of gore, and the
old man, nearly in a state Of insensibility
was covered with the blood, and encom-
passed by the breathless bodies of his in
tended murderers. He recovered, however,
to enjoy for years his well-woa reputation,
and to receive from the Irish viceroy the
honor of knighthood, which never was con-
ferred upon braver man.
| CHILDREN BITING FINGER NAms-A cor
respondent of the Country Gentleman
writes A circumstance has come to my
knowledge in regard to children biting
their nails which | feel in duty bound to
make more generally known, if possible.
Something over year ago. there died in
our neighborhood a bright little girl of
seven years-and no one, not even the
physicians, could tell what caused her
death but sometime after, a case came to
their knowledge of chid's dying under
, similar circumstances, on which a post
; mortem examination was had, and it was
| found that she had bit off her finger nails
and swallowed them, and they were found
sticking in her stomach, which was ulcer
ated wherever they stuck In the case in
r this neighborhood, the parents had known
t of her biting her nails, but thought moth
| ing of it until the other case was told them.
r They now suppose that was the cause of
t her death, and these parents, being in
, school one day, and seeing my little girl of
S seven years looking pale, and having the
t nose bleed in school, just as theirs did,
they came directly and told US what they