Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-29
A THRILLING SKETCH.


%ONASS ANA SSfCA al y hs~A~ ~
in my room, and I preferred to risk that
little and leave my window open, although
of easy access, rather than undergo partial
suffocation. If an unlimited guest made
his appearance, and did not awake, he
would not disturb mes if did awake, l
could feign sleep and let him take whatever
he might find.
"This class of visitors" l reasoned with
myself, ''do not generally commit personal
violence, if they can accomplish theft and
make good their escape without it."
These We're my reflections every night, as
undressed and threw myself on the bed,
leaving my castle open to the enemy. L
had slept one night about an hour, when l
was awakened by the falling of a small
China ornament; starting slightly and open
ing my eyes, l saw the gas burning, and a
tall, broad-shouldered man, with his back
toward me, his face looking over his Shout
der to see whether the noise had awakened
me. Our eyes met, so that the plan of feign-
ing sleep would have been useless. What
followed illustrates the value of presence Of
mind.
Opposite the side of my bed, and about
eight feet from it, was the door Of my room,
two or three feet from which were stairs
leading to the lower hall. The burglar must
have used ladder in ascending the roof,
from which he entered the window. 1t was
some Thirty feet from the ground, and isO-
lated. My plan was, not only to escape harm
myself, but to capture him. | knew the
Policeman's beat, and he would pass it in a
short time.
Sitting bolt upright, then, as opened
my eyes and saw the burglar looking very
lFnfolao onfl Of / said rItbhinp
drowsily-although, to tell the truth, was
frightened nearly out of my life: "Hello,
John, what are you looking for? Can't
you come into my room without making
such a COMPOUNDED noise?"
The fellow, taken somewhat aback at be-
ing addressed in this way, said in low but
menacing voice, and pointing a revolver at
nae:
''Shut up. What do you take me for?"
81 took you for John!' l replied with a
well assumed nonchalance.
"But l didn't suppose he was after any
thing valuable in my room, except one
thing, andy the way, if you are not the
unluckiest fellow in the world"
'How's that?' growled my visitor.
'.Wel, l have very good watch; but if
you want to get it, you must pay a visit to
the watchmaker's after you leave here, for
l had what / considered the bad, but what
seems the good fortune, to break the main
spring yesterday, and left it for repairs"
"You are a precious cool onel" said ne,
evidently astonished at my indifference.
"What's the use of getting excited or at
! tempting to resist you? You are armed,
! and you see l am not. And if you had no
weapon, your fighting weight must be at
least thirteen stone, while mine is not more
than nine and half. l have no idea of
interfering with you. If the room were
| filed with diamonds, l would not Lift my
finger to save them. Take all you can find,
/ am going to sleep, so don't make any more
noise"
"Hsld on said the fellow where are
| your keys?"
81 suppose YOU want TO make as much Of
! a haul as you can" said; $50 look in my
pants, hanging over the bed post there, and
| stamps in it."
1t was nearly time for the policeman to
pass. and paused to listen. must, in a
few moments, put my plan into execution.
A glance quick as lightning showed me
that the key of the door was on the outside.
NV listening expression did not escape
IllC pi tlllNCu VI my I'LL 'AoA1SA' ~
was a curious scene, no doubt. / sitting in
my bed, in my night clothes, unarmed, and
this stalwart rIlffian, pistol in hand, glaring
half suspiciously, half ferociously at Inc,
and almost in the crouching attitude of a
tiger, about to spring upon his prey. But
there l sat, very coolly conversing with him,
the necessity of the moment keeping my
wits too wide awake to allow my fears to
I ,,af tho trpuar hand for instant
"What are you listening to" asked the
burglar.
II thought heard a cry Of fire."
In that instant, and in the dead stiffness
of the night, heard the tramp Of the po-
hceman. 1t was some distance off.
"YOu will find," said, "some clothes OF
mine IN the press; they will, however, be
too small for you. Good night; the keys
are in the middle drawer"
He turned to the drawer indicated, and
as he did so, with one tremendous bound
cleared the space between my bed and the
door, slammed the door and locked it upon
him. Oblivious of my diShGbale, / sprang
to the steps. had two flights TO descend
and the door to open before l could reach
the ward, but it was hardly possible for him
to descend the ladder more quickly. Bound
ing rather than running down stairs, Ifung
back the bolt and dashed into the yard. He
was half way down the ladder. Shouting
"police!' Justify, seized the ladder at the bot
tom, and, using all my power, brought it and
the burglar to the bottom with crash. The
pistol he held in his hand dropped from his
grasp. made dash for it, and he spring
ING to his feet like a cat made rush at me,
and. as | stopped, seized me by the nape OF
the neck. / turned the pistol upward and
pulled the trigger. 1t merely snapped
there were no more charges in it. With a
terrible oath, the baffled villain wrenched
the pistol from my grasp and raised it aleft
to deal me what might have proved fatal
blow, when there was rush behind him,
and lie was felled to the ground. The
policeman had heard my shout and was
ust in time to rescue me.
The burglar was soon secured, and in
nv excitement l was about to relate the
story have here told, when the policeman
with a smile, suggested that l might "ketcl
cold in them clothes"
| then remembered, for the first time since
had sprung from bed, that l was shoelesS
and stockingless, and had nothing on but
nv night shirt, and beat hasty retreat
With long drawn breath, took my fine
gold repeater which had such narrow es
cape, and was not at the watchmakers a
all, from under my pillow, looked at The
hour, turned in, and after a little while fel
asleep.
1t is almost needless to add that the above
story narrated afterwards to a jury, when
was In better trim for storytelling than
was when the policeman interrupted me
had the effect of giving my visitor Lodgings
in public institution, and secured m'
F against repetition of his call for at leas
t ten years.
IT was recently reported that the En-
press Eugene had completed new histor,
, of Mary, Queen of Scots. This work, how
, ever, was actually written by Prof Petit, o
Beauvais The Empress, who is Of Scotcl
} descent has taken great interest in TN
preparation of the book, and has supplies
some historical papers bearing on the sub
ect, but is not otherwise responsible 10
the authorship. The French professor ap
/ Droachad his task with firm belief i'm III