The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-08-11
EBENsBURG, PA, THURSDAY, AUGUST IL, 1870.

save all: but my body refused obedience
to my will-not a hand, not a finger
could l move. The robber-for there
now seemed to be but one in my cham
ber-instead of approaching the chest
containing the money, walked directly to-
ward my bed. | wonder that the agony
l then suffered didn't turn my hair gray
at once. The robber who approached me
seemed TO be a man of gigantic stature.
and in the features more terrible than anv.
thing the waking mind could imagine.
lie seemed clad in loose flowing robe,
parted at the neck; in his left hand he held
what seemed to be a flaming torch, and
in his right strange looking weapon OF
huge size. AS he almost reached my
bedside, by protracted and terrible eff
fort broke the spell that bound me, and
IN moment ! was awake Instead OF
my grim, gigantic visitor, with his flam>
ing torch and huge blunderbuss, a little
woman-nOne other than my neice-stood
before me with her long white gown,
reaching almost TO the floor, the very
counterpart of that worn by my magma
ry robber. In her left hand she held a
candle, in her right the key of the money
chest. In short she was the ghost, she
was the giant of my dream and my ex-
cited imagination had converted a very
pretty woman into frightful monster.
In moment | was myself again; and
n significant motion of my neice's head
and hand imposed silence | was not a
little puzzled. What could it mean /?
didn't remain long in uncertainty. for my
neice disclosed in whisper that three
men had entered the house, and ordered
her, at the peril Of her life, to deliver them
all the money in her possession.
Danger frequently quickens our wits,
and in this case | think it had the effect
with me. l had it all in moment =
snatching up an apron that chanced to be
lying in the chair by my bedside, direc-
ted Mrs. NJ to tie it around her body and
in this place TIE money. Then cooking
one of my pistols, | placed it in her ht
hand, and directed her 10 hold the apron
in her left, and with the pistol firmly held
in her right, and concealed in the folds of
her apron, she was TO descend, and to
whichever Of the robbers came forward
TO receive the money, she was to give the
contents of her pistol. / was to follow
carefully down stairs, and conceal myself
behind the door until she fired then
was to spring out of my hiding place and
with my remaining pistol, give a salute
to one of the remaining two, leaving the
disposition of the third one TO be deter
mined by circumstances.
IN far less tine than it takes to tell it,
this plan was carried into execution. The
few moments that elapsed after l reached
the foot of the stairs, before | was signal
led to the scene of action, seemed almost
endless. Would the little woman have
nerve enough to fire That was the rub.
SO intense was my excitement, that
feared the violent beating of my heart
would betray my presence. A few Sec
onds, however, answered the question:
A stunning report told me that Mrs. NJ.
bad done her part, and signalled me to do
mine. AS L leaped from my place of
concealment | was Just in time to see the
forms of two men rushing out of the door.
l discharged my pistol at the flying forms,
but, so far as ever heard, without effect.
Mrs. NJ had made a better shot, and
had secured her game. The wounded
man lay upon the floor, groaning hideous-
ly, apparently unconscious of the glittering
coins that lay in strange profusion all
around him. Poor scoundrel he had
got more than he had bargained for. On
examining | found that he had received a
very severe, but l did not think mortal
wound. But the strangest part of my
story is yet to be told. When stripped
of his disguise, our rob5er turned out to
be none other than fbe veritabe sheriff
himself, arrested in the execution of a
deep scheme of rascality by the hand of
bis own wife The whole matter is now
explained. NJ. had conceived a pan of
robbing himself of large amount Of
money belonging TO the State, and with
this nice sum he would remove to parts
unknown, and enjoy his ill-gotten fortune.
But the best laid plans of mice and men
''gang aft aglee." Nj. recovered, moved
to Oregon, and for aught know, is still
living. OF one thing l feel certain, viz !:
that he will never again try 10 rob him
self as long as his wife stands guard.