The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-11-12

shook with suppressed emotion, as he
| Judgment seat. I was a dead man.
My heart ceased to beat. l already
stood before my Judge. Brethren,
what could do, but just trust to the
Lord2
''The man who carried the light was
tall, and providentially stopped so low
in entering the cellar that the light shi-
ming against the bank of earth threw a
shadow over me. They searched the
cellar, but did not find me, and went
back up stairs. My wife afterwards told
me that when the men went down cellar,
she took her babe and went into the
parlor, and stood there holding her hand
against one ear, and her babe against
the other, expecting every moment to
hear the report of the revolvers in the
cellar, announcing the death of her hus-
band.
''The soldiers set fire to the house in
several places, and leaving one of their
number to prevent my wife from putting
it out, departed. The man seemed to
be touched with pity, and told her that
if she wanted to save some furniture he
would help her. My wife thinks that
holding the babe in his arms had touched
his heart She pleaded with him, if he
had any consideration for her or her
helpless children, to leave the house and
let her put out the fire He consented,
and left.
"My wife then came TO me and asked
me whether it was all right between NE
and God. Il am afraid they will come
back and kill you yet, and it will be the
greatest comfort to know that you felt
prepared to die"
81 told her that was prepared to die
PRAY.
''Telling Inc to pray, she left me. 1t
was not long before another party of
QuantrelPs men came, and in drunken
tones-for the marauders had become
intoxicated by this time-demanded
whether was in the house.
"'Do you suppose said my wife con-
fidentIy that he would stay here and
you shooting and burning all over the
town. No; he left this morning as soon
as the firing commenced, and unless
some of you have shot and killed him
outside, he is safe. Some of you men
were here this morning and searched the
house. However, you may look for
yourselves
In this way she bluffed them. They
set fire to the house, and left one, who
drew his revolver on my wife, and said
he would kill her if she tried to put it
out. He stayed till tine house was so far
consumed that there was no possibility
of saving it. My wife pulled up a carpet,
and, in taking it to the yard, dropped it
accidentally by the door.
FIRE.
''My wife was afraid. ard so was /,
that would be burned alive, for had
now no thought of doing anything but
what my wife told me. The floor was
on fire almost over me, and the flames
were creeping nearer.
Ny wife stood and threw water, pail
after pail, on the floor, and was doing
this, when a neighbor, a Catholic wo-
man, came and said: ''Why. Mrs. Fish
er, what are you doingl What good will
it be to save that fioorl Besides, you
can't save il.
81 don't care what good it will do"
replied my wife, 81 am going to keep on
wetting that floor"
''But, finally, when she saw she could
not save it, she asked the neighbor
whether she could keep a secret. She
then swOre her by the Virgin Mary never
TO reveal it.
Ny HUSBAND Is UNDER THAT FLOOR.
''WelI, then, said my wife, my hus-
band is under that floor
''The soldiers were still everywhere
shooting and burning, and the air was
filed with the shrieks of wounded and
dying men and women, the wailings of
widows and orphans, and the sound of
falling buildings. Ny wife then called
to me TO come out, and threw a dress
over my shoulder. The two women
picked up the carpet, and 1 erawIed
under it between them, and so we three
proceeded to small brush about four
feet high ont in the yard.
''rhere my wife saw four soldiers
ready to fire. They were not a hundred
yards of Then, for the first time. the
poor woman despaired. A pang then
shot to her heart, and she gave up all
for lost Nevertheless, / skunk under
the bush, and they threw the carpet
over me.
''Save the chairsp cried my wife, and
they rushed to where the chairs were
Piled close to the burning building. and
ran with them and flung them eareIessIy
upon me, and piled up al. that was saved
of our househOld goods about me. The
soldiers evidently thought the pile only
a lot of household furniture, and left it
unInolested.
'sI staid there till two hours after they
left, and then gathered my wife and my