Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-02-10
The Adventure Of Mr.. oliver.

The fact that Mr. Oliver lived IN uni
ward, says he Philadelphia Sunday DiA,
patch, was the reason Why lac was unfof
mnate. One moonlight night last week
the noise made by the cats on his root
was simply awful Mr.. Oliver lay in bed
trying in vain 10 get 30 sleep and grind
ing his teeth ia rage. until ut lasI the
uprnar overhead became unendumble.
Mr. Oliver erept out Of the bed softly,
SO that his wife could not be awakened,
lac put on his slippers. seized boot IN
each hand, and clad in the snowy robes
Of night; lac opened the trap-door and
emerged upon the roof. There were
thirty or forty cats out there, holding i
kind Of general synod in the cool oi
the evening, enjoying the braeing ail
and singing gleea. A Mr.. Oliver APP
preached, the cats moved out 10 the neat
roof Mr. Oliver advanced and flung 4
boot at them. They then adjourned sud
denly 30 the summit Of the adjoining
residence. Mr.. Oliver projected anotheE
boot, aud went over after the first one.
In this manner the synod retreated aud
Oliver advanced until the row OF twenty
houses was reached. when the cats ar.
ranged themselves in line along the
parnpet. Fulied up their fur. curved
their spines. and spat furiously AZ Oliver.
That bold warrior gathered up his boots
and determined 10 return.
He walked over a dozen houses and
descended through a trap-door. he
went down stairs 90 his bedroom and
opened the door There was man In the
room in the act OF walking mp and down
with baby. Before Oliver had recover
cd from his amazement, the man flung
the baby on the bed and seiEing reYol-
Yer began firing rapidly at Ohver. Ii
then dAwnel upon Oliver that lac had
come down the wrong trap-door. He
proceeded up stairs again suddenly. The
man with the revolver practising nj him
in a painful manner. When Oliver
reached the door lac shut the trap quick
ly and stood upon it, The man fired
through the boards twice and then
hooked the door upon the INSIDE. A
moment after Oliver heard him springing
watehman's rattle from the front
windos 8 ,ek
As soon as the neighbora knew there
was a man on the roof they al few mp
stairs and fastened their trap doors, aud
Mrs. Oliver fastened hers, with the firm
conviction that some predatory villain
had entered while she slept and stolen
her Oliye9 When be tried the door IL
was fast, and Miss Oliver was screaming
40 fieroely that he could not make him
self heard. BY this time the street was
filed with policemen, all of whom were
blazing away al Oliver with their rcvol-
Vers, while the young men in the houses
ACROSS the street kept steady fire with
pistols. shot-guns and miscellaneous
missiles.
Oliver, with every advantage for form
ing an opinion, said that Gettysburg
was n mere skirInish to IL. He hid be-
hind the chimney. and lay mp against
the bricks 10 keep himself warm, while
the policemen Stationed themselves al
around the square 20 capture him when
he would lide down the water sponta.
But Oliver did not slide. lie sat out on
the roof all night. with the bitter air cir
culating through his TOO trifling gar
ments, listening 20 the yowling cats and
the occasional shouts from the picket line
below, and thinking of the old jews who
used 10 pray from their house tops, and
wondering IL Musselmen we're ever shot
at or bothered with cats or policemen
when they practised their evening devu-
tions on the roofs. And when he won
dered how il would do 20 take OF his
night shirt and wave il NJ flag Of truce.
he concluded, not 60, because OF the
danger Of bullet from some misguided
policemen not familiar with the rules of
war. When daylight came, the neigh
bors rallied in a crowd, armed with all
kinds of weapons from howiskcrs down,
and mounted to the roof.
Oliver was taken down and put 30 bed.
and he Inow has more influenza for n
man OF his size than any other citizen Of
the Fourteenth ward. He says he is
going 30 move into house that is next
to nobody, house that stands in the
middle Of prairie of some kind, and he
intends 10 stencil his name in white on
the trAp-door.