The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-04
A DARING BURGLARY IN OpELoUsAs

A DARING BURGLARY IN OPELoUsAs!
HEROIC CONDUCT OF THREE YOUNG
LADIEs.-A few nights ago the in
mates Of the house of one of our
most respected townsmen were thrown
into considerable CONSERVATION by a cir
cumstance which we will relate as we
heard it. The inmates of the house
consisted of four persons, viz: A father
(who was confined to his bed from
rheumatism) and three young ladies,
his daughters. It was after twelve
o'clock that one of the young ladies
was awakened by hearing some one
gently open the front door opening in
the parlOr, pass through that room, and
from thence into the dining room which
adjoins, quietly open the door of an un-
occupied room and enter. All Ofwhich
was done with but little noise. As soon
as the footsteps of the burglar ceased,
the young lady who had heard him
awakened her sister and they both, af-
ter awakening their other sister sleeping
in the adjoining room, rushed excitedly
into their fathers In their fright
and excitement it WAS some time be-
fore the old gentleman could be made
to comprehend the state of the case.
When he did understand it he laughed
at their fears, assuring them that they
had been dreaming, etc. It being i'm
possible to convince them that such was
the case, and to calm their fears, he af-
ter a great deal Of pain and exertion
got out of bed, and determined to prove
to them how grOundless were their
fears. There was not q fire-arm in the
house, so arming himself with his stick
and alamp he limped in the direction of
the room in which the burglar had
been lastssheard. One of the young
ladies took possession of the broom, a
very dangerous weapon in the hands of
an excited woman, as We know an
other the bed-stick, also dangerous, and
the last a pair of tOngs, the most ter
rible weapon Of all. In single file the
party arrived at the door of the said
room. Each assumed a. defensive pO-
sitiOn and waited for the door to be
opened. The door was opened, and as
the light illumined each article, their
eyes beheld naught unfamiliar objects.
No burglar in sight. With a smile the
the old gentleman conducted them back
to his room, but all his ridicule of their
great fright was not sufficient to calm
them. No more sleep for that night so
quietly making their toilets, they waited
for daylight when each felt certain that
the truth of all they had heard would
be made plain. AS day was beginning to
dawn one, n of the young ladies de-
termined to prove her bravery by going
into "that room" alone. She started
for the purpose without a lamp, butte IN
cludedthatday was nOtsufficiently broke
to attempt it, returned and got a lamp.
The next thing that occurred was some
thing similartO a meteor, viz: the transit
of that aforesaid lamp on its way back
to the place, in the hands of the young
lady whose face betOkened from it's ashy
paleness that a ghost or something SINH
lar had been seen. An hysteric shrek,
as she entered her fathers room, which
was well echoed by the other two young
ladies, was the first intimatiOn that the
old gentleman received of the new scare.
whats the matter? ?" groaned the old
gentleman, "calm yourself, my dear
don't be frightened, it's broad daylight,
) etc., etc., 81 knewit, / knewit!n came
in agitated tones from the young lady.
"You know what, my daughter IN res
b pended the father. "T kneaU there wa q
man in that TOon," answered the young
J lady, "and when [ entered the room, l
saw his boots peeping out from between
the mattresses, between which he is ly-
r ing" Weapons were again picked up,
the broom-stick had fresh caps put on
/ it, the bed-stick was reloaded, and the
tongs received a fresh printing, ranks
were formed, and the valiant band only
waited for theirleader, who slowly, with
unsurpassed grOans, crawled from his
| warm bed. Ere that feat was accom-
plished, the heavy football of aman was
, heard, with measured tread, advancing
| from that room toward the room in
which they had taken refuge. Horrible
visions Of the next local in the journal
/ which would describe, in detail, the hor-
| rible of three defencelessfemales
| loomed up before them, and with such &
fate before them, is it to be surprised
that all arms were dropped, and that
t three forms shouldhaye been seen jump
ing into the nearest bed and hastily GOV
1 ePing their heads. How long they re-
:. manned In that position we know not
/ nerhafg q half an hour, when, feeling
that they were ain alive, n of the
most daring of the three neeped eau
tiously from the covering which enVel'
oped her and beheld, sitting quietly be,
, fore the fire, with a cigar in his mouth
the daring burglar Of the night, who waf
: none other than an uncle from the coun,
i try, who had arrived rather late that
0 night, and knowingth the ways ofthehou
: hadgoneinto an unocoupied room where
! finding no covering, he had got between
!, the mattresses and slept quietly the rest
5 Of the night. The young ladies say they
E felt very much relieved when they dis
covered who it was. We expect they did
af&&
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