Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-03-13
ALady,s wonderFuI nerve.

Hartford Times.
Mrs. Isadore Middleton, very beauti-
full woman, and one of the acknowledged
leaders of fashion of Mobile, can certain
ly boast of the possession of as much
nerve and true moral courage as are often
vouchsafed to any of her sex.
On the evening of September 18th she
was in her boudoir, putting away some
articles of jewelry, when she noticed that
the peculiar position of a library lamp,
that was burning upon chair in the back
part of the room, had thrown upon the
floor, almost under her feet, the shadow
of man who was crouching under
broad-topped ornamental table in the
center of the room. She also remarked
that the open hand of the shadow had but
two fingers, and remembered that several
desperate burglaries had recently been
committed in the neighborhood, suppo-
sitiously by negro desperate, who was
notorious as having lost two fingers on his
right hand.
Mr.. Middleton was absent from the
city, and, besides herself in the house,
there was but single maid-servant. In
stead of fainting with fear, or shrieking
for help, the brave lady seated herself at
the very table underneath which the mis-
creant was concealed, and rang for the
servant.
"Hand me writing materials, Bridget, -
said she, with perfect ealmness. 81 want
you to take a note this instant to Mr.. For
fair, the jewe1er, and have him send you
| hoo 4
drops, which / left there for repairs sew
eral days ago. Bring them with you, nc
matter if fully repaired or not. They
are by twenty fold the most valuable ar.
ticles of jewelry that possess, do moi
wish to pass another night without hav-
ing them in my bureau drawer.'' fz..
The note was at once written and dis
patched; but, instead of being in thu
tenor she had signified (on purpose fo1
the concealed robber to overhear, for sh,
, had no jeweIry under repair, it was
hasty note to the jeweler, an intimate
! friend, in which she succinctly stated he
; terrible position, and urged him to hastel
! to her relief, with requisite police assist
! ance, Immediately on receipt of the mis-
sive. i.ae@ - a'-# 81"
The agonies' which that refined an
delicate woman underwent when LEI
q alone in the house, with the conscious
ness of the presence of that desperat
robber, perhaps assassin as well ,crouche
d under the very table upon which sh
leaned, and, perhaps, touched by her yer
skirts, can only be left to the readers i'm
q agination; but her iron nerve sustaine
her through the ordeal. She yawneC
hummed an operate air, turned over tn
= leaves of a novel, and in other ways lulle
= the lurker into a sense of perfect securit
! and expectancy, and waited with Wild
L beating heart, and her eyes. fastened upo
% the hands of her little ormolu clock wit
- a greedy, feverish gaze.
At last, however came the prayed fl
= relief. There was a ring at the door-bel
and she strolled carelessly into the ha
- and down stairs to open it. The ruse hs
~ been success. She not only admitte
: Bridget, but also, Mr. Forfair and thrt
p stalwart policemen. The latter passt
80 stealthily upstairs, and into the boudoi
h where they suddenly pounced upon Il
. concealed burglar so unexpectedly as
~ secure him with hardly struggle.
\ The prisoner proved to be a negro erir
10 inal named Chapman, but mostly know
81 as 'ETwo-Fingered JEFF, +" who was in gre
% request about that time for several re
h, berries committed in the neighborhood
ef short time beforeS and hei now servi
70 a twenty years. sentence in the AlabaI
in State prison.