Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-01-25
HOW A THIEF WAS CAUGHT


IN amusing case was tried last week in
the Superior Court of Norwich George
Avery is a typical country grocer, and his
store in the quiet village Of Groton has al
most rs various IL stock Of goods as was
crowded into the ark. He is tall and lean
and prosaic and methodical in disposition
He never smiles No one ever accused him of
hUmor orslrcwrincss Atntcrvals of several
years his store has been entered by thieves
ut night and small sums Of money have been
stolen from his till. Two or three months
ago he lost quite Il sum Of money and some
valuable goods in this way. Mr. Avery said
nothing, but he took Il spade and went into
his cellar and began to dig hole directly
beneath his money drawer. At odd times
10" several days thereafter, when trade was
dull and the male gossips had fallen asleep
on theeciacker barrels up stairs Mr.. Avery
tniicd ut his excavations. When he had
finished his work with the shovel he had
pit four feet square and eight feet deep.
From the top of the hole to the floor of the
grocery was distance of about ten feot
Mr. Avery next purchased some of the
smoothcst-matched yellow pine boards
III the market, ana with them made a
seamless shaft, reaching from the floor
OF the grocery to the bottom Of the pit. He
next cut Il square hole in the floor under the
till, and rugged in Il trap, similar to those
used OIL galloWS frames, DIRECTLY opening
into his eighteep-ioot shaft. He invented Il
reflex action sp%Lg that, after the descent
OF the trap, oud Gerry the Coor back into
position, where it would be he'd by q snan
catch. Mr.. Avery was now ready for his
next burglar. lie arranged his trap during
the day so that neither he nor his clerk
wOn|d fall into the bowels Of the earth but
invariably left it baitcd when he shut UP
store for the night. lie waited several
weeks with no result.
On the night Of Jan. >, Henry Johnson
and Il partner. wandering rascals from New
York, decided to enter Mr.. Avery's store
for pillage. The getting in was simple
process. They quietly Knocked in Il pane
OF glass, and johnson entered He trod
safely across tho store and passed behind the
counter. He approached the till. Ho
placed his hand on the drawer knob and
took step forward Instantly the trap
shot downward with rattle and bang and
Mr.. Johnson went down straight as plumb
into the chasm. His descent was so sudden
and rapid that he hadn't time to utter
cry to hiscompanion. The latter heard the
noise o! the trap Us it struck against the
side OF the SHAFT. and at once made of. The
trap, as soon as it had disposed of its victim,
rose swiftly and noisclcssly into its place
and the automatic lasp fastened it.
Nr. Johnson. speaking 10 Il reporter con-
rcrung his downfall, said ''Ithought was
@oiI!:: ,ioHI to the bottom Of the earth 7
WAS surprised. | struck all in heap 1t
WI total darkness. picked myself up al
tcl Il wniic. and found that was lame. but
TO bones were broken. I then began to
think G! some means Of getting out |
thought was in the cellar, and felt around.
NJ hand Slrucl, against the side of the pit.
found there was II smooth surface all
around me. is high up as could Jump it
was solid as steel | kicked against the
sideS hut ii WAS no use. cursed the dem
milton hclc. Then | thought | might dig
under lhc boards. and | went to work with
Il will, but after digging for half an hour
with my hands and pilng up mound of
earth behind me nearly as high as my head
the piled up earth began to run back into
the hole. gave up the task as hopeless
and waited for developments. | was now
anxious to hc caught. Any way to get out
o' tHit DlaStptl l,lt, WillcD was DlaCkef lnan
midnight
At an early hour on January Mr.. Avery
came down TO his store, opened it. and at
ouce saw that burglars had paid it visit
and that the trap had been sprung. Mr. Avery
went about his morning duties with his usual
composure. sweeping out the store and set
ting things to rights. He did not 60 to the
shaft 10 see whether the burglar had es-
capped. He had perfect confidence in the
trap. After an hour or two, and after re-
turning TO his home and eating breakfast,
he called the nei9hbors into the store and
told them about his trap. He added that
he had good reasons for believing that there
was burglar in it, All went to the mouth
of the shaft, and Mr. Avery raised the lid.
The party pecred down, and dimly described
Mr.. Johnson, bcsrimcd with soil, sitting
complaccntly on the dirt pile at the bot.
tom. He looked up at the gathering and
called out:
when are yc goin ter let me outer this
cusscd trap?"
Mr. Avery replied that there was no
hurry. \ constable was called in, ropes
were prepared, and after quarter of an
hour Mr.. Johnson was drawn up and landed
OH the grocery floor. He made no effort to
escape. He was taken to New London and
lodged in the county Jail. He pleaded
guilty to n charge of burglary in the Superior
Court. and on Tuesday last was sentenced
TO two years in the State prison. His CON-
panion, whose name is unknown, has not
been captured. Mr. Johnson is still lame
from hp rtfnctS af tho FL