The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-12-22

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suspicion of the presence of burglars. AL
most every year the alarm has sounded
once or twice, and we have always found
that it arose from that cause.
He called me up after he heard the alarm
and told me to go over to the Judges
house and close the shutter, and dressed
myself placed small revolver in my pock-
ct, and, taking lantern, went over to find
William Scott, who lives in rooms connect
ed with the stable, and has charge of the
Judges house. ! called him up and told
him the burglar alarm had sounded. He
came out with the key of the house, and
was ascending the back steps which lead to
the wing of the building, when he exclaim-
ed, "Loox there the cellar door is open !"
"Did you leave it open last night?"
asked. "No sir, ;" said he, "I locked it,"
At this moment we saw a light in the
front hall. 1t was moving up the stairs
Scott, who had the lantern in his hand,
instantly concealed it under his coat, and
put it behind the ice house. At the same
time he told me to go over to our house
and get guns and wake up the Dntchman
Herman Frank) l got double barrel
and single barrel gun, giving the latter
to the Dutchman and the former to Scott.
After this l went back to my fathers
house for another gun for myself, and ask
ed him tc go with me. He was not well,
and said so, but l persuaded him to ac-
company me. He took shot, gun with
him, and went to Scott's house and arm
ed myself with Scott's gun. Then, re-
turned and found my father about twenty
PAGES from the open cellar door. He told
me had better 60 to the front gate.
took my station and waited half an
hour The night was dark-so dark that
could not see the end of the barrel of my
gun-and cold drizzling rain was falling.
At length / heard my father say in loud
voice, "Look out They're coming" In
about three minutes from this time heard
two pistol shots coming close together from
the back Of the house. These were followed
by three louder shots, which knew came
from shot guns. Then my father cried out,
"There they come, shoot 'emr
Hermann Frank and myself were sta
toned at the front gate. AS we heard this
order we closed in together and ran toward
the southern side of the house. There is a
space of twenty-five feet between the high
white fence on the southern side and the
Judges house, and we knew the men
would have to come that way Besides,
we did not want to meet them in front OF
the house, where they would have much
larger space to run in.
We could hear the men rushing toward
us at full speed. fired at the man nearest
the house, and the Dutchman and myself,
almost at the same instant, discharged our
pieces at the other man, who staggered to-
ward the fence and fell against it. As /
fired my first barrel l called out to tie
Dutchman, "Give it to him ~ and my
second shot was almost simultaneous with
his first. The man first fired at was
afterward found TO be Moshee. The other
was Douglas, No sooner had the last shot
from our guns been fired than heard the
report of a pistol within four feet of me and
the whizzing of bullet near my head
al turned in the direction from which
the shot came, and was greeted by another.
This time felt the powder in my face.
could see the form of man within an arms
length of me, and could plainly distinguish
the glistening barrel of his pistol. AS he
raised his pistol the third time 1 dubbed
my gun and struck his right arm with the
stock. The blow must have been a strong
one for the gun snapped like pipe stem.
His arm fell pOwerless at his side but to
avoid dropping his pistol he clutched his
right with his left hand, and could see
that he was trying to bring his weapon
into range for fourth shot.
But the useless arm made his motions
slow, and gave me time to draw my re-
volver, which was in the right hand pocket
of my trousers. But as his chances of es-
cape became smaller his desperation and
anger increased, and be uttered horrid
imprecatiOn as the gun struck his arm,
4 When drew my revolver from my pocket
was close enough to slap the burglars
face, but still It was so dark that his form
was indistinct fred while he was still
trying 10 raise his pistol hand, but the sho,
did not seem TO take effect BY this time