Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-03-04
The Story Of Lady's wonderful
Nerve.

A correspondence of the Hartford Time.
says:
"Mrs. Isadore Middleton, a very
beautiful woman, and one of the &C.
knowiedged leaders of fashion in Mo-
bile, can certainly boast of the posses
sion of as much nerve and true moral
courage as are often vouch ,safed to any
of her sex.
Zone evening she was in her boudoir
putting away some articles of jewelry,
when she noticed that the peculiar po-
sition of library-lamp that was burn
ing upon chair in the back part of the
room had thrown upon the floor, almost
directly at her feet, the shadow of man
who was couching under broad topped
ornamental table in the centre 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, suppositiously by
q negro desperado. who was notorious
as having lost two fingers of bis right
hand.
'Mr. Middleton was absent from the
city, and, besides herself, in the house
there was but single made servant.
ing for help, the brave lady seated her
the miscreant was concealed, and rang
for the servant.
"Hand me writing materials, Brid-
get,' said she, with perfect calmness I
want you to take note this instant to
Mr.. Forfair, the jeweller, and have him
send you back with my diamond neck
lace and ear-drops, which left there
for repairs several days ago. Bring
them with you, no matter if fully re-
paired or not. They are by twenty
fold the most valuable articles of jewell
ry that possess, and do not wish to
pass another night without having them
in bureau drawer
ssThe note was at once written and
dispatched, but instead of being in the
tenor that she had signified ION purpose
for the concealed rObber to overhear, for
she had no jewelry under repair, it was
hasty note to the jewelry, an Intimate
friend, in which she succinctly stated
her terrible position, and urged him to
hasten to her relief, with the requisite
police assistance, Immediately on receipt
of this missive.
"The agonies which that refined and
delicate woman underwent when left
alone In the house, with the conscious
ness of the presence of that desperate
r0bber, perhaps assassin as well, crouch
ed under the very table upon which she
leaned, and perhaps touched by her
skirts, can only be left to the readers
imagination; but her iron nerve sus-
tanned her through the ordeal. She
yawned, hummed an operatic air, turn
ed over the leaves, of novel, and in
other ways lulled the lurker into sense
of perfect security and expectancy, and
waited, waited with a wildly beating
heart, and her eyes fastened upon the
bands of her little ormulu clock with a
greedy, feverish gaze.
''At last, however, came the prayed
for relief. There was q ring at the
door-bell, and she strolled care!esslv in
to the hall and down stairs to open it.
The ruse had been a success. She not
only admitted Bridget. but also Mr..
FOrfair and three saitwart policemen.
The latter passed stealthily upstairs in
the boudOir, where they suddenly
pounced upon the concealed burglar Sc
Unexpectedly as to secure him with
hardly struggle.
"The prisoner proved to be a negro
criminal named Chapman, but mostly
known as Two. o.Fingered jeff who
was in great request about that time fol
several rObDeries committed in the
neighborhood short time before, and
he is now serving twenty years. sen
tence in the Alabama State prison."