The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-07-16
coyIILE COUNTS HIS SHINGLES.
A Scene shat Could Only Happen II
Danbury.
Won, the News Jrlly9. ~

A Scene that Could Only HaPpeni n
Danbury,
From the News, Julys. y IN.
There are men who dispute what they
do not understand. Mr.. Coville is such
a man. When he heard d carpenter
cay that there were so many shingles
on the roof OF his house because the
,oot contained 40 many square feet
Covllle doubted the figures, and when
the carpenter went away he determined
to test the matter by going up on the
roof and counting them. He squeezed
through the charlottesville weighs
23O-snd then sat down on the roof and
worked his way carefully and dellber-
a,ely toward the gutter. When he got
mar, way down. he heard sound be-
tween him and the Shingles, and be-
came aware that there was an inter
ference, some way, in his further loco
motion. He tried to turn over and
crawl back, but the obstruction held
him. Then he tried to move along
little, in hopes that the trouble would
prove but temporary, but an increased
sound convinced him that either nail
or a silver had hold OF his cloth, and
this. if he would save any OF it
he must use caution. His folks were
in the house, but he could not make
them hear, and, besides, he didn't want
. attract the attention OF the neighborst.
So he Sat there until after dark and
thought. 1t would have been an ex.
cellent opportunity to have counted the
shingles, but he neglected to use it.
His mind appeared to run into other
channels. He eat there an hour alter
dark, seeing no one he could notliiy Oh
his position. Then he saw two boys
approach the gate from the house. and
reaching there stop. 1t was light
enough for him to see that one OF the
two was his son, and although he ob-
iected to having the other boy know
ing OF his misfortune, yet he
had grown tired Of holding on
to the roof. and concluded be
could bribe the strange boy into 81.
lence. With this arrangement mapped
out, he took out his knife, and threw 1t
so that it would etrike near to the boys
and attract their attention. 1t struck
nearer than he anticipated. In fact 1t
struck 40 close as to bit the strange boy
on the head and nearly brain him. AS
soon as he recovered his equilibrium,
he turned on CovilIe's boy, who, he was
confident, had attempted 10 kill him,
and introduced some establishment and
bruises in his face Then he threw him
down, and kicked him in the side and
banged him on the head, and drew blm
over into the gutter, and pounded his
legs, and then bauled him back to the
walk again and knocked his head
against the gate. And all the while
tie elder Coville sat Or the roof and
screamed for the police, but
couldn't get away. And then Mrs
Coville dashed out with broom, and
contributed a few novel features. to the
affair at the gate, and one Of the board
ers dashed out with a double barrel
gun, and hearing the cries from the
roof, looked up and there espying a
figure which WAS undoubtedly burglar,
drove handful Of shot into its legs.
With a howl of agony Coville made q
plupee 10 dodge the missill, freed him.
self from the nail, lost his hold to the
roof, aud went sailing down the shingles
with awful velocity, both legs spread
out, his hair ON end, and his hands
making desperate but fruitless efforts to
save himself. He tried TO swear, but was
80 frightened that he lost his power OF
speech, and when he passed over
the edge of the root, with twenty feet OF
tin gutter hitcbed to him, the boarder
gave him the contents of the other bars
rel, and then drove into the house to
load up again. the unfortunate Cov'lle
struck into a cherry tree, and thence
bounded to the ground, where he was
recognized, picked mp by the assembled
neighbors and carried into the house.
A new doctor is making good day wages
picking the shot cut Of his legs. The
bosrder has gone into the country TO
spend The summer, and the junior
Coville, having sequestered piece OF
brick in his handkerchief, is laying low
for that other boy. He says that be-
fore the calm OF another Sabbath rests
on New England there will be another
bo, ., Dop hury uho cont weor O ran