The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-19
robbers foiled in their search for plum

wrote a message hurriedly, secured II
to the bird, which l placed upon the win
dow sill, when, after a moments hesita-
tion, it assembled skyward, and when il
passed from my sight was flying like the
wind in the direction of Uncle Toby's
The message read as follows;
UNCLE TOBY: The house has been
entered by six masked burglars. Come
Immediately. Bob.
Scarcely had the bird started on its
homeward flight when the robbers reached
my door and tried to force it; but had
pushed my bedstead against the door, and
with my personal efforts to prevent them
from entering had improvised a barri-
cade that promised to resist all attacks
made against it.
The prolonged defense l was making
incensed and exasperated the fellows to
such degree that they poured forth
threats of vengeance upon me. Their
patience became exhausted at last, and a
pistol shot, which grazed my cheek,
warned me of the danger of long remain
ing in that position. 1t had been fired
through the panel of the door.
l rushed to the window and gazed out
upon the lawn below. The distance was
great, and it seemed to me that, while
torture awaited me if captured by the
robbers, there was certain death in leap
from the window.
What should l do? The distance to
Uncle Toby's house was but five miles,
which the pigeon must have covered by
this time. But suppose the bird should
not be discovered? Suppose Uncle Toby
had gone to his room for the night, and
my message would not be seen and read
before morning? The very thought was
50 agonizing to me that refused to en-
tertain it.
All this time the fellows were working
at the door. The bolt was forced, and
slowly but surely the barricade was
yielding to the power outside. | saw a
masked face peer through the opening
thus made, and the glimmer OF the dark
lantern outside. / could remain no
longer. Death itself seemed preferable
to the uncertainty of my fate at the
hands of these desperate fellows.
| rushed to the window, and, without
hesitating, l jumped. 1t seemed to me to
be a lifetime, before had struck the
ground, and, when l did, | rolled over
upon the grass, temporarily paralvzed
by the shock had received. When / at
tempted to rise the grip of an iron hand
pressed my throat, and | felt the cold
steel of a pistol as it was pressed against
my temple.
To resist meant death. The house was
surrounded. l held my peace while the
robbers proceeded to bind me, for when
ever | displayed any restessness that cold
steel was pressed against my head The
only struggle | made was when he at
tempted to insert gag in my mouth,
but had tosubmit for received blow
from the butt OF the fellows pistol that
multiplied the stars saw in the heavens
a hundredlold.
Completely discouraged, gave myself
up i'll despair. | resisted no longer, clos
ing my eyes to shut out, as it were, the
gloomy prospect before lie. Somewhat
at the prolonged delay of the
robber in perfecting my pinioning, l
opened my eyes.
Uncle Toby stood over me. Stretched
upon the grass by my side was the fellow
wno had secured NE, gaping wound in
lis head atiording an explanation of the
sudden ending Of his attempt upon my
liberty.
A dozen determined and wel-armed
men were with him. The masked rob
bers at first showed disposition to re-
'ist, but on reflection, seeing the hopeless
ness of such an attempt, they surren-
aered Internationally. At the next term
Of the court they were each sentenced to
fifteen years imprisonment.
Uncle Toby was making his final
round of his grounds on the night in
question, when the rustic of birds
wings attracted his attention. 1t entered
the pigeon cote. Unable to control his
and anxious to ascertain the
cause of such peculiar proceeding, he
a ladder, assembled to the cote,
and there, to his surprise, he found that
the carrier pigeon had already returned
and with message. He read it, sum
moned his neighbors, and arrived Just in
time to bag the fellows.
The old bird is dead now, but while it
lived there was not money enough in our
town to buy it from me.