The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-02

tfnifauelphta Tines
A funny story Of a womm's pluck wa
told In Judge Alliscn's Court OF Oh,
Quarter Sessions Yesterday In connection
with the prosecution OF John Smith, VIII,
pleaded guilty TO having entered the dwell
ing Of George Francis IN the nighttime
with intent TO steal. Smith was about ii,
feet tall. robust, and OF apparently grca
muscular development. Testimony wa
taken to enable the Court to determine wba
degree OF punishment should be imposed
The chief witness was francis's wife,
buxom middlc-agcd Irish woman. Francis
Is q German. "In the middle OF tn,
night" she said. "vEen ] vast a dhrame
l seemed to hear n great noise. But
didn't mind 1t, for / thought 1t was mt
husband movin' his feet. A little Will,
afther that one OF my five little childel
started upin bed and l awakened. sPhwat's
that 2 says L. sNothin'. mommic.' says
she, but she was trimblin' loike n leaf and
seemed afraid to talk. So l knew some.
thin was up, and IL wasn't pleasant, | as
sure you. | looked over at my husband.
He was sound asleep. His feet were per.
fectly still. and ! knew that they had not
made the noise.
MY little gurril was still sitting I'M and
u stalN Sttt Al III Gl NUtIttDln IN
the dark. l followed the coorse of her
ewes, and heaven bethune us an evil what
d. YOU think | saw ?"
"Whaty" asked Assistant District At
torney kinsey, with evident interest.
.That big man in the dock. Just creep
ing under my bed. Did Ihollcr? oh, no.
/ quietly took hold O. the blanket, never
fsayin' a word and my husband still snorin',
and | waited, scarcely brathin', till the man
cot near enough to me, when | whipped
the blanket over his head and held him
there rs noice as you PLACE. All. IN my
by, says |, l have you now in 4 net. Wild
that be set upsich squirmin' and strugglin'
Thought he would escapemc. He's a good
six feet, rs YOU see, and broad accordin',
an he was loike n whale in n h%erring-net.
But / held him in the blanket with his head
10 the ilure till my husband, Weakened by
the noise and the schramm' OF my childer,
jumped out Of bed TO help me. | gave my
husband the blanket thin, and snatchin' I'D
my youngest baby, eight months old, | ran
TO the windy and cried for help. The man
and my husband had it together. The
man managed to get his head out o. the
blanket, and bolted for the dure and
my husband aither HIM. The thief slipped
on the second or third step and tumbIed
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 pock-
cts. and a pair O. my husbands pantaloonS
were found at his feet. That's all, but |
don't want to do any more robber-catchin'
while l live. | assure Won"
Mrs. FranciS's story was corroborated by
her husband and a police officer.
Smith, who had ali the while maintained
a stony stare, declared that he could not
speak English. Although he had entered
Il plea of guilty, he said through an in
terpreter that he was 4 "marine," and bad
got into Mr.. Francis'S house by mistake,
and had lain down TO sleep. He had en-
tered, he said, "through a window" lie
had pulled Mr.. Fraucis's trousers down
! with him froma nail in the wall, he declared,
| when he tumbled down stairs. He could
not account for the buttons and other
things in his pocket. except upon the the
DRY that they had got there by ga mis-
take" When the Judge told him that his
explanation was too tame TO be accepted he
broke into English that was perhaps better
than the interpreters. He was sent to the
Eastern p%enitentiary for two years.