The Republican journal., 1876-08-17
The Lurking Place OF an Outlaw

Knoll, about thrce-quarters of q mile from
the little railroad depot III Bayside, l. H.
Is the pretty village schoOl-hOu 1t is a
white painted structure, about 10 by 30
feet in dimensions. 1T is one story in
height, with u cOnical rooted, unlighted
loft, which has been rendered famous in
the villages of Long Island Dy the recent
discovery that for two or three years it
was undoubtedly the retreaI Of the no
torious robber, jeff Knight,
About six months ago. as Miss Bourse,
the school mistress, entered the room. she
noticed that the door of the scuttle, which
is cut through the ceiling Just at the en-
trance door, had been reversed so that the
rough, unpainted side was exposed in
stead of the one that is grained She saw
also finger marks along the wall, and that
portions of the entrance doors had been
broken and bruised AS the scu.tle is
about fifteen feet from the floor and as
there is no means OF reaching it except
by u ladder, which Is not kept in the
school house, she could not conjecture
what had made the displacement When
she recalled the fact that She had ottgn
found bits of chicken bones on the floor in
the aises and that many articles had been
SlOItll nom uSl uCSh tlilt bOphS from Tue
library, her astonishment was changed to
fright. She said nothing until noon, and
at that time she saw that ut some time in
the forenoon the scutte had been placed in
proper position. She sent for her brother,
Mr.. Frank Bourse, Il trustee, and on eX-
pIoring the pltch-dark chamber he found
ON every hand evidence that it had been
long occupied and hastily quilted.
In the corner stood two large barrels OF
ashes. and near by, Il barrel of feathers
and u barrel OF chicken bones. a trunk
made Of unpianed boards. two planed
drawers, Il sperm oil lamp, Il dark lantern,
an oil can Il carpenters level, q saw that
had been stolen from Mr.. Cain, hair and
backing brushes, market baskets, and
some chickens. Along the ratters Of the
loft We're many little rack hooks on which
the occupant had hung his clothes The
robbcr had uscended TO the Jolt by means
Of II rope, in the end OF which was a
strong iron hook. He forced up the scut-
tie with u pole. ON the end of which he
hoisted up the hooked rope and fastened
the hook IN the side Of the scuttle,
AS there had been many robberie5 in
Baysde and other villages, amt rs it was
known that jeff Knight was lurking about,
1t was at onCu oun]ecIured That he must
have been the occupant OF the school
house loft
The school closed about Il month ago
ami Il week ago Mr. Hermann llaak be
gan to put on an addition to the rear wall
In removing the mcodeon, which stood
on little platform near the teachers
desk, one Of the Wolhmcn saw that Just
in the place in which the instrument had
stood, the boards had been sawed through
He took hold Of one end Of the boards, gave
II quick pull, and went over on his back,
followed by II trap door and II heavy stone
that was attached by Il rope. In the cavity
that he had opened he saw IL hole about
twJ feet deep scooped in the earth, and Il
narrow channel extending under the
building.
The school house stands on side hill
and restson The ground ut the rear, and
is uplittctl about two tceet at the front \
heavy plank that had once extended across
the opening had been neatly sawed in two
thus leaving an unobstructed passage
through the opening, which was two feet
long and eight inches wide. Procuring a
lamp, the WorI1men, on hands and knees
crept along the dark channel that haC
been bored in the direction of the houst
front. 1t extends for about eighteen feet
and then the natural space between tho
floor and the earth became high enough
for the passage Of Il man. Further ON thc
men reached the front foundation wall
and there made u discovery,
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