The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-24

and sums of money taken from his till.
Two or three months ago he lost quite a
sum of money and valuable goods in
this way. Mr.. Avery said nothing, but
took spade and went into his cellar and
began digging a hole directly beneath
his money drawer. At odd times for
several days thereafter, when trade was
dull and the male gOssips had fallen
asleep on the cracker barrels, Mr.. Avery
tOiled at 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 it was ten feet. Mr..
Avery next purchased some smOOth-mat-
ehed yellow pine boards, and with them
made a seamless shaft, reaching from
the floor of the grocery to the bottom of
the pit. He next cut square hole in
the floor under the till, and rugged in
trap, similar to those used on gallOws
frames, directly opening into his eight
cen foot shaft. He invented reflex ac-
tiOn spring that, after the descent of
the trap, would carry the door back into
position, where it would be held by a
snap catch. Mr.. Avery was now ready
for his next burglar. He arranged his
trap during the day so that neither he
nor his clerk would fall into the bowels
OF the earth, but invariably left it baited
nun AO GAOoBu AOA bllb llknbs hb WdlL-
ed several weeks with no result.
On the night of Jan. 2, Henry johnson
and partner, wandering rascals from
New York, decided to enter Mr.. AVery's
store for pillage. The getting in was a
simple process. They quietly knocked
in pane Of glass, and Johnson entered.
He trOd safely across the store and pass
ed behind the counter, and approached.
the till. He 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 he
hadn't time to utter cry to his COM
paniOn. The latter heard the noise Of
the trap as 1t struck against the side of
the shaft, and at once made off. The
trap, as soon As it had disposed OF its
victim, rose swiftly and nOiselessly into
its place, and the automatic hasp fast
ened it.
Mr.. Johnson, speakingi to reporter
concerning his downfall, said: 81 thO't
was going down to the bottom Of the
earth. | was surprised. | struck all
in heap. 1t was total darkness. pick
ed myself up after a while and found |
was lame, but no bones broken. began
to think of some means of getting out.
thought was in the cellar, and felt
around. My hand struck against the
side Of the pit. l found a smooth sur
face all around me. As high as could
jump it was solid as steel. | kicked
against the sides, but it was no use. l
cussed the demnitiOn hole; and thought
l might dig under the boards, and went
to work with will, but after digging
half an hour with my hands, and pill
ing up mound of earth behind me near
ly as high as my head, the piledup earth
began to run back into the hole. / gave
up the task as hopeless, and waited for
developments. l was now anxious to
be caught. Any way to get out Of that
blasted pit.
At an early hour on Jan. 3, Mr.. Avery
came to his store, opened it, and at once
saw that burglars had paid it a visit,
and the trap had been sprung. Mr.. AY-
cry went about his morning duties with
his usual cOmpOsure, sweeping out the
store and setting things to rights. He
did not go to the shaft to see whether
the burglar had escaped. He had perfect
confidence in the trap. After an hour
or two, and after returning to his home
and eating his breakfast, he called the
ne1ghbOrs into the store and told them
about his trap. He added that he had
good reasons for believing there was
burglar In it. All went to the mouth Of
the shalt, and Mr.. Avery raised the lid.
The party peeTed down, and dimly des-
cried Mr.. Johnson, begTimed with soil,
sitting cOmplacently on the dirt pile at
the bottom. He looked up at the gath
ering and called out:
when are ye gOin' ter let me outer
this cussed tTapP"
Mr.. Avery replied that there was no
hurry. A constable was called in, ropes
were prepared, and after quarter of an
hour MIR. johnson was drawn up and
landed on the grocery floor. He made
no effort to escape. He was taken to
New London and lodged In the county
jail. He plead guilty to a charge Of
burglary in the Superior Court, and on
Tuesday last was sentenced to two
years imprisonment in the state prison.
His companion, whose name is not
known, has not been captured. Mf.
johnson is still lame from the effects
OF the fall in the shaft.
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