The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-07-08
STRUGGLE IN THE DARK.
A MerrIble Fight Between a Clerk and a
Burglar.

A Merrible Fight Between a Clerk and a
Burglar.
Divine, Dubois & Co. do an extensive
business as general country agents in
Morsston, in Sullivan county, on the
line of the Midland railway. They have
in their employ as clerk a young man
named J. W. Denham. The nearest
bank to Morsston is at Elenville. 1t
often happens in their business transac-
tipns that Divine, Dubois & Go. have
charge of large sums of money which
they are unable to bank at once, and are
obliged to keep it in the safe at their
store. The fact is well known, and has
probably led to the murder of young
Denham.
Denham has always slept in o room
over the store. On Saturday night,
about midnight, he was aroused by a
noise in the store. Knowing that there
were several thousand dollars in the safe,
Denham at once sprang out of bed, and,
taking his revolver and q dirk knife,
started down stairs. AS he opened the
door at the foot of the stairs he saw a
man making his exit through a panel
which had been taken out of the front
door of the store. Young Denham took
aim at the man and fired. The man was
undoubtedly hit, for he uttered a loud
cry as he disappeared. The clerk took a
step forward, with the intention of fol-
lowing the man, when he received a blow
on the back of the head, which would
have felled him to the floor if he had not
grasped the counter. 1t was o evident
that there were two burglars, and Den
ham, although somewhat confused blythe
blow he had received, determined to cap
ture the one remaining in the store if
possible. For some time not a sound
was heard. Everything was wrapped in
darkness, a patch of moonlight that came
through the broken door and shone on
the floor being all the light that could
be seen. Presently the clerk heard a
man stealing from near the stair door
toward the front door. He had gone
but q few steps when he ran against a
stove that stood between the counter and
the door. By this time Denham had
recovered from the effects of the blow,
and when the burglar fellagainst the stove
the clerk sprang upon him. He seized
him by the throat, and struck him with
all his strength q blow with his revolver
in the face. The burglar at N crap.
pied with him, and in such a manner
that he could not use his weapon.
After a fierce hand-to-hand struggle,
lasting q minute or SO, Denham succeed
ed in tripping the burglar, and throwing
him heavily to the floor. The clerl
found, however, that he had not only 9
desperate but a powerful man to contend
with. He had scarcely been thrown be
fore he turned with Denham, and, get
ting astride of him, pinned him to the
floor. He then rained blows with a billy
upon the clerks face and head. The
latter placed his revolver at the bur
glars side and fired. The man uttered
a cry and threw up his hands. The billy
dropped to the floor, and Denham be
lieved he had inflicted a death wound OF
his antagonist.
The burglar did not relax a muscle,
however, but cooked a pistol and ex
claimed: eff that's the game we'll enc
this damned quick!" Denham threw
up his hand and struck the barrel of the
pistol Just as the weapon was discharged
The ball missed its mark, but the bal
entered Denham's hand at the middle
finger, and tore a passage through to the
middle part of the wrist. The burglar;
pistol was only a single-barreled one,
and he flung it away. He then at
tempted to wrench Denham's revolver
away from him. The clerk, after dis
charging it once more without effect
threw it from him, and it fell on the OPP
posite side of the store. Denham, see
ing that he was o entirely at the mere,
of the burglar, began to shout for help
He felt himself growing weak from los
of blood and exhaustion.
His antagonist then drew a knife ant
buried it to the hilt in the feshy part O
the young mans shoulder, and twice il
his breast. Not satisfied with his work
he then deliberately plunged the knife
into Denham's side. 1t entered only
quarter of an inch below the heart, anC
struck q rib, which turned it from it
deadly course. The burglar thought, NJ
doubt, that he had accomplished hi
purpose, for he kicked Denham severa
times in the ribs. From that time unit
daylight Denham was unconscious
When he recovered his senses he was s.
weak that he could scarcely move. Afte
a time he managed to drag himself t.
the Morsston Hotel, and succeeded il
arousing the landlord, who summoned
physician at once. Denham told tn
above story, and soon afterward becam
delirious, in which condition he was a
last accounts, and very little hopes ar
entertained Of his recovery.-New YOr
San.