Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-11-26

The next night was windy and dark, and
the rain fell in torrents. Every door and win
dow was carefully closed by Mr.. NJ. except
the back passage door, and he placed all of
his family in his chamber-in 4 room open-
ing next to him, He sat in this open door
with his gun in his hand about two hours,
| when suddenly his window around the corner
from him was burssed in. with loud crash.
He rushed TO the spot, but could not have
sesn or heard man moving in three feet of
him, on account of the darkness, wind and
rain, and the outcry of his family. He then
| closed and looked the door in which he sat,
aud in order to keep from being seen against
the sky, crawled around to the front of the
house, and placed himself 90 yards in front
of his front door, where he remained until
about day. While there he heard the rattle
of a sash glass, but could see nothing for the
darkness. In the morning he found that the
putty around a side light to his front door,
next to the lock, had been cut out, evidently
with the intention Of unlocking the door
An effort, which was nearly successful, had
also been made to force in the side light
sashes aud the paunels below them
The next day was clear, and Mr.. Moon
made arrangements for eight of his neighbors
to surround the house about half an hour
after the moon went down, which it did that
night about II O'Clock. If any one entered
the house, it was understood that Mrs. Moon.
at one Of the end windows up stairs, and one
OF her sisters at the other, were to raise signal
lights. Mr.. Moon retired TO his chamber in
his usual way, so rs to deceive the burglar,
and after locking the door. extinguishing the
light, and rustling the bed clothes, sat with
his gun in his hand short time after the
moon went down, soft footsteps were heard in
his parlOr, but the wind was blowing, and the
sound might have been deceptive. His son
crePt down and peeping into the dining room,
saw that window had been hoisted Upon
going back and reporting, the ladies doubted
the report. He went down a second time.
satisfied himself fully, and coming back it
was determined he should shoot the rogue as
he went out of the open window In few
minutes he saw man about twenty steps from
the house and fired on him. The signal
lights went up-the fell flat and Crcpt
oil. At the same Instant that young Moon
fired, man ran between two Of the guards,
about two hundred yards, and was fred at by
one of them with pistol. The other guard
could not fire for fear of shooting one of his
companions. The next morning tracks made
by coarse boot, or shoe, were found cours-
ing down the hill from that point. That
night the store room door was found locked,
but upon going in they found a bag with TWO
apartments to it, left on the -four barrel, and
about double handful Of coffee split in with
the -four. \ shawl, missing from the dining
room, was dropped at the spot Mr.. Moons
son shot at the man. 1t SEEMED to have been
perforated with three shots. The entrance
and exit Of the thief had evidently been
made through the back passage door by means
of false key, although the door was found
locked. The window had been hoisted to
escape through in case Mr.. Moon came out
of his chamber. The thief was disturbed by
the whispering up stairs.
The next night it was determined to let the
rogue come in, if he would, and try to shoot
him in the house. Mr. Moons brother stood.
gun in hand, in the back part Of the passage
two other gentlemen were in the house to
relieve or assist him, if necessary. Late at
night, by moonlight, a man was observed
from an upstairs window, crawling Cautious
ly by flower border, from the front gate 1t
seemed to take him nearly half an hour to
reach the house. He had IN his hand long
rod, which was supposed to be Tamrod Ap-
preaching near to the house he seemed to
prefer exposing the front part of his person.
and crawled with his back to the ground
Upon reaching the foundation of the house,
he reached around with his rod and smashed
a side light in the face of Mr.. Moons broth
er, who Immediately fired through the door,
under the mistaken impression that he was
about to enter the house. lie was observed
to move off rapidly, but with his body kept
very near to the ground. The side light Sc
lected to break, was one through which the
door could be unlocked, with the KEY left in
the lock every night The same night he
was seen on the outskirts of the yard again.
The next night there were fourteen men
around the hOuse-two of them, however.
made gap by leaving their posts early in
the night. Mr.. Moons brother was on duty
about sixty yards directly in front At
late hour he heard some one step boldly on
the platform before the front-door, aud unlock
the door and 90 in. lie supposed it was
some member Of the family. One of the la.
dies upstairs heard noise below and awoke
Mr.. Moons son. She afterwards saw man
go out Of the front door aud crouch by the
side of the platform. Mr. Moons son went
to the window and fired at the spot indicated.
The guard rushed to the house and found as
they supposed, that night, large blood stain
on the steps, over which they exulted very
much. Frultless pursuit vas made. The men
came IN, and had hardly gotten quiet, when
signal whistles, frequently repeated, We.e
heard In various directions from the house
eve have failed to mention that, what seemed
TO be signal whistles, have been heard about
Mr.. Moons house, at night, for several
months back--so boldly and frequently
blown, that we suppose at least thirty per-
sons have had opportunities of hearing them.)
In the morning, Mr.. Moon found reason to
question whether the stain on the step was
blood, or not; but had no means of deter
mining its character. eve have omitted to
mention that bag was found this night, in
the passage, which would hold about peck.
II 81 -
powder and caps. which had been left on a
passage table, had been carefully tied up 50
as not mix with anything else that might be
nut in the bag.N