The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-06-08
l.lueky Mrs. Francis.

A funny story of woman's plucl
was told in Judge Allison's Court Of the
Quarter Sessions yesterday in connec
tion with the prosecution of John
Smith. who pleaded guilty to having
entered the dwelling of George Francis
in the night time, with intent to steal
Smith was about six feet tall, robust
and of apparently great muscular
development. Testimony was taken to
enable the court to determine what
degree of punishment should be i'm.
posed.
The chief witness was Francis wife,
q buxom middle-aged Irish woman.
Francis is German. ''In the middle
of the night" she said, 'when was in
dhrame, l seemed to hear great
noise. But l didn't mind it, for
thought it was me husband movin' his
feet. A little while afther that one OF
my five little childer started up in bed
and / awakened. 'Phwat's that?" says
l. .Nofhin', mommie.' says she, but
she was tremblin' loike leaf and
seemed afraid to talk. So / knew
somethin' was up and it wasn't pleas
ant, assure YOU. looked over at my
husband. He was sound asleep. His
feet were perfectly still and l knew that
they had not made the noise.
MY little gurril was still sitting up
and trimblin' and starin' hard at some
thin in the dark. followed the coorse
of her eyes and heaven bethune us an
evil what d you think saw?'
WHAT" asked Assistant District
Attorney Kinsey. with evident interest.
That big man in the dock. just
creeping under my bed. Did hollerF
o. no. | quietly took hold O. the
blanket, never sayin' a word, and my
husband still snorin', and 1 waited,
scarcely brathin', till the man got near
enough to me, when l whipped the
blanket over his head and held him
there as noice as you PLACE. All. ha!
my by, says |, have you now in a net.
Wild that he set up SIGH a squlrmin' and
Strugglin' l thought he would escape
me. He's good six feet, as you can
see, and broad accordin', an he was
loike a whale in herring net. But .
held him in the blanket with his head to
the tlure till my husband, Weakened by
the noise and the schramin' of my
childer, jumped out of bed to help me.
l gave my husband the blanket thin,
and snatchin' up my youngest baby,
eight months old, ran to the windy and
cried for help. The man and my hus-
band had ittogether. The man managed
to get his head out of the blanket and
bottled for the dure and my husband
afther him. The thief slipped on the
second or third step and tumbled all the
way to the bottom. l saw an officer on
the street. called out to him and he
came in and arrested the thief. A To-
of my buttons and spools O. thread and
other little things were found in the
mans pockets, and a pair O. my hus-
bands pantaloons Were found at his
feet. That's all, but don't want to do
any more robber catchin' while l live, l
assure you"
Mrs. Francis story was corroborated
by her husband and police officer.
Smith, who had all the while main
tanned stony stare, declared that he
could not speak English. Although he
had entered a plea of guilty., he said
through an interpreter that he was a
marine" and had got into Mr.. Francis
house by mistake and had laid down to
sleep. He had entered. he said, Through
a Window He had pulled Mr. Fran
els trousers down with him from Il nail
in the wall, he declared, when he
tumbled down stairs. He could not ac-
count for the buttons and other things
in his pocket, except upon the theory
that they had got there by "a mistake. E"
When the Judge told him that his ex-
PLANTATION was too lame to be accepted
he broke into English that was perhaps
better than the Interpreters. He was
sent to the Eastern Penitentiary for two
years. Philadelphia Times. .H