The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-06-09
PluckT Mrs. Francis.

was told in Judge Aflison's Court of the
Quarter Sessions yesterday in connec-
ton 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 inn
posed.
The chief witness was Francis wife,
= buxom middle-aged Irish woman.
Francis is German. I'm the middle
Of the night. she said, .when was in
= dhrame, seemed To hear great
noise. But / didn't mind it. for |
thought il 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 thatp" says
/. 'Nofhin'. mommie,' says she, but
she was trenholm loike leaf and
seemed afraid to talk. So knew
somethin was up and it wasn't pleas
ant, assure you. l looked over at my
husband. He was sound asleep. His
they had not made the noise.
"My little gurrl 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 sawp"
"Whaten asked Assistant District
Attorney Kinsey, with evident interest.
THAT big man in the dock, just
creeping under my bed Did l hollerp
0, no. quietly took hold o. the
blanket, never sayin a word, and my
husband still snorin', and waited,
scarcely brathin', till the man got near
enough to me, when l whipped the
blanket over his head and held him
there rs noice as you PLACE. All, ha!
my by, says !, have you now in a net.
Wild that he set up sich squirmin' and
struggln' | thought he would escape
me. He's good six feet, as you can
see, and broad accordin', an he WIS
loike a whale in a herring net. But
held him in the blanket with his head to
the ilure till my husband, wakened by
the noise and the. schramn' of my
childer, jumped out of bed to help me.
j gave my husband the blanket thin,
and snatehin' UP my youngest baby,
eight months old, ] ran to the windy and
cried for help. The man and my hus-
band hadittogether. The man managed
TO get his head out of the blanket and
bolted 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. | saw an officer on
the street. called out to him and he
came in and arrested the thief A lot
Of my buttons and spools O thread and
other little things were found in the
mans pockets, and 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, !
assure you.
Mrs. Francis story was corroborated
by her husband and apolice officer
Smith, who had all the while main
tanned a stony stare, declared that he
could not speak English. Although he
had entered a plea of guilty, he said
marine" and had got into Mr.. Francis
house by mistake and had laid down to
sleep. He had entered he said, Through
window He had pulled Mr.. Fran
els trousers down with him from 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 ga mistake. !"
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.