The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-04-24
NUMBER So.

He aUGS not there. I did not under
stand 1t. Had he got drunk, or had
Belts taken him away? Perhaps, how
ever, he was still lettering at the edge
of the grounds; accordingly, I walked
out on the lawn and swung my lantern
| two or three times. Then, as it was
bitter cold and was beginning to SHOW,
I turned in, and, finding it was almost
eleven o'clock, I ord5 red Saunders to
close the house and send the servants
to bed, and to bed 1 went myself.
But as soon as the light was out and
my head touched the pillow was fresh
ly impressed by the mystery of John
sons disappearance, and accordingly I
got up, opened my pistol-case, took out
two revolvers, and putting them and
sword-cane within easy reach 1 returned
to bed.
Deuce take this suspense p I said,
as again lay down. " I sha'n't sleep a
wink" But after tossing few times
and assuring myself I could not close
my eyes I fell asleep-at least, after
time was awakened by a bright light
shining full in my face. ''Good God -
I cried out loud, ''they've come to-
night" For three men, with black
cambria masks cOncealing their faces,
stood over me, each pointing pistol at
my head.
"PIease to get up, Mr.. Powers" said
one of them, in a cool, civil way !;
please to put on that dressing gown
and those slippers. You shall not be
harmed in the least if you will only be
quiet and obey directions. I got up
and put on dressing gown and slippers.
Then one of the men caught my arms,
drew them behind and manacled them
], ~DF
silk handkerchiefs and thus rendered
harmless, was led downstairs, where
my household, in various stages of night
attire, gagged and tied back to back,
were awaiting me in the dining room. I
was put into an armchair, and fastened
to it by feet and hands, then was left
alone to stare about me. Maddened,
desperate though I was, when I discov-
cred that the sixth of the prisoners was
Johnson, the detective, I recognized
him with a keen sense of the ridiculous,
and only wished that Betts-whom I
was mentally matchmaking with curses
not loud but deep-were in his place,
and tasting some of our humiliation.
Besides the three masked men who
had mastered me and brought me down,
there were five others IN the dining
room. Two were left as sentinels over
US, and the rest at once fell to work in
a way that meant business. A small
active man motioned toward the side
board. It was wheeled aside, and, step
ping forward, he pressed the sliding
panel and disclosed the closet where
the silver in daily use was kept, and the
shelves we're at once stripped and the
contents piled on the table.
The bedrooms upstairs were next
visited, the locks of drawers and ward
robes wrenched apart, and the contents
thrown pell-mell on the floor for the
chief expert to decide on what should
be carried off. The upper rooms gut
ted, they came down with their spoils,
which they piled high before our eyes
on the table, and then, leaving us again
alone with our sentinels, they went
through the entry into my library.
It was dark hour. leaned back
my head and closed my eyes, and felt
that fate was cruel to me. Only one con-
ISOLATION illumined the bIackness of de-
spair-my wife had carried her Jewels to
town with her, and I was spared the hu-
initiation of telling her had lost them
for her through my idiotic faith in
Belts. There was long silence now,
which was followed by three muffied ex-
plosions that shook the house like an
earthquake, and almost simultaneously
was heard the noise of a scuffle, and
opened my eyes to see the room filed
with policemen, and hear pistol-shots
exchanged, while our two sentinels were
thrown down, disarmed, and pinioned
before nay eyes.
In less time than it takes me to de-
scribe it the situation had been reversed,
and now Belts, the detective, appeared
in the door at the head of his posse of
men, who brought in eight of the cap
tured burglars, two of them wounded
and blseding profusely, while the rest
showed signs of having maintained
stout resistance all had lost their
masks in the melee, and disclosed sui
len and brutal visages.
"How are you, Mr.. Powers ?" inquir-
ed Belts, coming forward and releasing
me. g hopo you're not hurt. / beg
your pardon for taking possession of
your house In this way"
'' Why did you make me think was
safe for tonight, Belts ?"
g Because, . he replied with shrug,
''I discovered you were Just little mp
set at the prospect, and felt afraid of
you." He ran his eye over the group
beside me, and when he saw Johnson he
grinned, and going up TO him knocked
his manacles off. You're pretty de
tective, you are" said he, ''to be caught
and tied up by the very fellows you
were IN waiting for -
f" Belts" I gasped suddenly, ''you
haven't got the little one"
He gave a tigerish cry, and glared
from one to the other of his prisoners.
g You are sure there was anotherY
No doubt of it., returned any
one of these fellows is four inches taller
than the leader of the gang"
In another moment he had set picked
men at work searching both house and
grounds: but he never succeeded IN
finding even a trace of the eleventh OF
the party of burglar. Not even after
the conviction and heavy sentence Of
tbe other ten would any one of them
confess the secret of their leadership. /
I had easily identified III. &ad Madame
De Sturpes-both swarthy and robust
Frenchmen-amongt them, but in spite
of all my efforts neither one could be
induced even to acknowledge they had
ever heard of such person as Marie,
or that they had ever masqueraded IN
der the respectable disguise Of her en-
plOyers.
But when the SHOWS me ted of Ia the
spring one little silent witness came to
light, and told his pitiful story against
her it was the dog Jingle, found dead
IN the shrubbery, his throat cut and his
frozen eyes still upturned in reproach-
full agony.
The Georgia Crop Outlook.