The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-06-27
CAUGHT in A TRAP.

| in Sixth avenue, IN the show-wlndoW OF
which was displayed among other things,
u rat-trap' " it reminds me Of an incident
that occurred when / was clerk in a
Binghampton dry goods store. The estab-
! lishment had once been successfully en-
tered by burglars, who made the visit
very costly one to the owner of the goods
To prevent a repetition Of such visits,
was offered slight increase in my salary
if would agree to sleep in the store at
night. was a bachelor then, and accept
ed the offer, making my couch on a cot
bed in small compartment in the rear
Of the salesroOm
had occupied this room as Sleep
ing chamber for three months without ex-
periencing any incident worthy of note,
when one night, some two hours after
had retired, | was awakened by hearing
a slight rasping sound Rising quietly
in the bed, | listened attentively few mo-
ments, and had no doubt that something
unusual was about to occur. Noiselessly ]
arose from my bed, took my revolver from
under my pillow, and in my bare feet crept
in the direction whence the sound seem
ed to come.
"On tip-toe | cautiously entered the
salesroom, and there the rasping sound
was loud enough to indicate at once the
very spot where the work was going on.
1t was the door leading from the store to
the cellar, which, by the way, was infest-
ed with rats Sometimes the rats would
make their way to the store, and to give
them a fitting reception steel trap, prop
erly baited, was nightly placed near the
hole through which it was supposed they
entered. The hole was at the jamb of
the door at the head of the cellar stairs,
and the trap, with a chain about four
feet long, was there deposited invitingly
open, and to save the vermin the trouble
of rambling further in quest of food. The
chain was fastened to staple fixed in
the surbase, so that when a rat was not
instantly guillotined, and fingered long
in the clutches of the spikes which i'm
paled him, he conld not wriggle off to
corner where the trap might not readily
be found
I" AS I approached the door, could
see by the glare of the single gaslight
which we always kept burning at night,
| the point of saw about four inches long,
and not more than two inches in width
at its broadest part. This saw was being
rapidly worked by some unseen power, ,and
it was evident that the object was to
make hole large anough to admit
human hand that it might withdraw the
strong bolt which prevented the opening
Of the door.
In a few moments | noticed the mar
row blade bobbing in and out My first
idea was to wait until the bolt was with
drawn, then bodily confront the burglar,
with my revolver cooked for instant use.
Then, fearing that the man who was saw
ing might have accomplices who would
not hesitate to commit murder to prevent
capture, | was about to hasten to the
front door, pass out, and give the alarm,
when eEpied the rat-trap on the floor,
and novel idea at once suggested itself.
was standing at the side of the door,
having taken this position to screen my
self, deeming it likely that the operator
on the other side of the door might place
his eye to the aperture was making, to
see if the coast were clear.
Cautiously lifting the trap, held it
in my left hand, with the revolver in my
right, both ready for use.
Rasp rasp rasp The saw con-
tinued its movements, and as | peeped
over the side of the door-frame / could
see that the instrument was rapidly max
ing a circle, about four inches in diane
ter. When the circle was nearly COM
pleted the saw was drawn in, and knife
blade Clipped off small strip of the
wood.
Then saw one finger enter. The
object was to seize the circular piece, and
prevent it from falling to the floor on
the outside.
"The wood readily split, and the piece
which was broken off was carefully taken
inside. Then another piece, and so on
until the hole was perfect
"Then | observed human hand, the
fingers of which began to grope for the
bolt
Now for the trick, | thought, as |
nervously extended my left hand, which
held the trap, toward the aperture, but
a little below it to prevent its being seen.
Slowly the trap was moved, ready for
a favorable opportunity to give the bur-
glars hand a warm clasp.
(" The moment / saw the fingers ex-
tended / plunged the trap at them, and
the hand entered to the wrist
"Click The spring was touched, the