The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-09-15
A HEROIC WOMAN.
A burglars Fingers-A NeiShbor Ii
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A short time since there occurred in
the city of Buffalo an attempt at burg
larry, which for some reason was not re-
corded by the generally enterprising
journals of that city. The circum-
stances connected with the singular
affair were, as we have learned them
saws the Rochester Democrat, as fol-
lows:
A gentleman in that city, engaged In
an extensive trade, often drew cousld'
cradle sum from the bank upon those
DAYS when he intended to start early the
next morning for a neighboring city on
business. His wife demonstrated with
him on this practice, as it OF necessity
LETT the sums drawn in his residence
over night, which would prove a strong
temptation to burglary should any one
evilly inclined know OF the circum-
stance. But the merchant persisted in
the habit, as men often do against the
prudent counsels Of their better, and we
NAV add, wiser halves. On the day pre-,
ceding the night when the singular
event occurred the gentleman in ques.
ton drew, as before, several Thousand
dollars, and went home with it, intend,
ing to leave on the early morning train
Toward nightfall, from some cause, he
changed his mind, and in the dusk o.
the evening departed for the cars, OF
course, taking the money with him.
Women are proverbially light sleepers
and some time during the night
the lady awoke, imagining she heard a
slight rattle of the blinds. Listening
she detected further, first one blind and
then the other softly opened. Rising
noiselessly from her couch, she stole
through the room, and in the wood shed
found an ak, with which she silently
and rapidly returned. The room was
on the ground floor, and next to the
street. Itw perfectly dark inside the
apartment, except where the light from
a glimmering street lamp at some dis
lance shone through one OF the lower
corners of the window. BY the time
the lady reached the window, which she
did so silently that the person outside
was not alarmed at his operations, she
found that the sash was being slowly
raised from beneath. The brave wo
man, ak in hand, waited breathless!y for
the next move of the houSebreaker
After having lifted the sash a few inch,
es, which he effected easily from the
outside, as the catch had been careless
| " left unfastened, the person, whoever
he was, stopped, and soon the woman
who was watching every movement, saw
q mans hand slowly and carefully H.
serted beneath the sash. The AK was
already raised in her hands, and
bringing the blade down with su dden
and accurate movement, she chopped OIL
all the four fingers Of the burglar s right
hand. She heard a suppressed oath,
followed by the sound of retreatlng
footsteps, and all was still.
The brave lady wrapped the bloody
fingers in cloth, and on her husband S
return gave them TO him, at the same
time telling what had occurred. The
merchant, instead OF informing the
police, determined to investigate the
affair himself. He took the fingers to
every surgeon in the city, at the same
inquiring if they had treated patient
who had lost the four fingers on his
right hand. His search was at last re-
warded and the name Of the individual
who attempted the burglary discovered,
1t was one OF the merchants neighborS,
one who lived on the same street, and
only the second house from him. He
carried the matter no farther, and the
circumstances were kept as quiet as
possible. The neighbor had doubtless
learned the merchants habit Of keep
ing large sums at certain times in his
house, had seen him come home with the
money, and being ignorant that the gen
tlemen, contrary to his usual custom,
had departed in the evening, planned
the robbery. The bravery and GOODNESS
OF the lady we're such as would not
often be found under similar circnm-
stances.