The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-10-22
A Momnn,s presence Of Mind.


DIR. j. G. Walker, of Indianapolis,
Ind. gives the following account of the
encounter with burglar In his house
At about three o'clock In the morning 1
was awakened by my wife telling me
that the gas was unaccountably low.
We keep jet lighted in the hal during
the night in case Of call or other emer-
gency. got out of bed and elevated it
to the usual height, thinking that the
pressure was unusually light, and say
ing to Mrs. Walker that that was
doubtless the cause of Its burning so
low, and returned to bed. That did not
satisfy her. however. She imagined
that the turning down of the light meant
something, and woman-like looked un-
der the bed. She saw the feet Of man
sticking out toward the west wall, near
the head of the bed, and here comes tho
most remarkable part OF the story. She
knew was awake, and considered thai
ii she told me there was man under
the bed j would grapple him. and he
undoubtedly being armed would kill
me. So she arose and went into the
boys room and awakened them care
fully, telling them there was man UNI
derneath our bed, and for them to get
up quickly and watch while she went
downstairs for revolver. When she
came back she gave it to John, remem-
bering, even in that moment OF supreme
peril, that Frank had just recovered
from long spell of sickness, and was
consequently weak and nervous. She
then went along the hall to the room of
the colored man, whom she knew had a
revolver also. She then returned and
went into Franks room, where the two
boys were.
In the meantime began rendering
what she was about, and just after she
passed the door the second time thought
heard slight rustling under the bed.
l turned over toward the side she va
Gated, and met the gaze of man, whose
head alone was raised over the bed rail
near the foot, watching me. The state
of affairs flashed across my mind in an
instant. Mrs. Walker had seen the
ored man to assist, If necessary. The
burglar was doubtless aware of her
movements, and was bordering on what
was to be done. OF course I imagined
that that was to shoot me, and to pre-
vent him / lunged at him with my right
hand, striking him in the right eye ond
knocking him back on the floor. AS l
struck / threw myself upon him and
bore him to the floor. The space where
we fell was narrow and Giro umscribed
and, although had the fellow by the
throat, he succeeded in grasping my
wrist with such grip as to temporarily
paralyze it. never before felt, and did
not think it possible for man to have
such a pressure. In our struggle he
managed to get his right arm from un-
der his body, and with it he fired his
revolver, the ball grazing my left side
and penetrating the ceiling. thought
young cannon had gone off.
The explosion somewhat startled
me, and l let up on my grip, which
enabled my antagonist to break away
from me and rush into the hall. just
emily, two shots followed, and then all
was still and dark. The shooting had
extinguished the gas, and the agony OF
the moments that followed was almost
unbearable. 1t seemed to me, of course,
that the two shots had killed the boys,
for l did not know that there was re-
volver in the house, much less that Mrs.
Walker had provided the boys with it.
ran out into the hall expecting to en-
counter the burglar, and found the door
into Franks room partly closed. tried
to open it, but could not, and then it
occurred to me that by chance the
boys might not be hurt, and / called
out, is that you. Johnt' and the an
swer was like the sweetest music to my
ears, for recognized his voice.
Are you hurtP"
"No, father, am not, and Frank and
mother are here with me, all right"
"Who did that shootingP"
81 did, and ! know hit him."
As soon a, possible the gas was re-
lighted, but no burglar could be seen,
either in the hall or on the stairway.
Organizing an investigation party we
went downstairs The fellow, after
being shot through the heart, had run
downstairs through the dining-room
and kitchen, and fell prone on the
threshold of the porch-dead. He had
his revolver in one hand and knife in
the other as he lay.