The Hazlehurst signal., 1883-12-06
A Remedy for Burglars.


Mr.. Homer Choatc. the New Jersey
bank cashier, is entitled to the graft.
tudc of his countrymen for showing
them tho best use to which burglar
may bc put, and the promptcst manner
I'm which he may be put to II. Saturday
morning last, Mt the unreasonable hour
of one o clock. one of these nuisances
made his way into Mr.. Choatc's house.
As general rule housckoepcrs prefer
not 10 be disturbed and are satisfied II
the burglar carries off all there is in the
house provided he does not wake them.
The burglar. however, was clumsy,
heavy footed fellow. and Mr.. anu Mrs.
Choate, as the sequel shows, were not
housekeepers of this kind, and had rad
ically clear views upon the subject OF
meum and tu,im. More than this, 1t
NAV Lc observed that Mr.. Choatc had
wife who was n treasure. She was a
light sleeper. and when the burglar en-
tered the room and commenced search
ing for valuablcs she awoke. Upon
discovering the cause, she did not close
her eyes aud fcign sleep, she did not
scream. nor did she faint away. She
nudced her husband and informed him
that there was n burglar in the room.
Mr.. Choatc was not one OF the husbands
who savagcly retort upon their wives
for waking them out OF sleep.
or who have the habit OF crcditihg
such announcements to silly fe-
male fancies without first making
AN investigation. He Immediately com.
menccd the investigation with the aid
of his revolver. Mrs. Choate, who now
had enlisted for the war, sat up in bed
to see the target practice. She had u
front seat, and. rs the sequel shows, she
appreciated all that was going on. Mr..
Choate caught sight ut last of the burg
lar and blazcd away at him, but missed
him. Mrs. Choate then took charge OF
the operations from her front seat.
where she had good view Of the field
and the movements Of the enemy. She
had watched her husbands shot rs cool
ly as an expert would watch practice in
a rillc.rangc. and her quick eye di'cov-
cred that her husband was firing too
hich. Instantly she issued her orders
TO him To aim lower. Mr.. Choatc was
a model husband and always accus-
toned to obey his superior officer Most
men would have been unreasonable
enough To have stopped and argued the
point with their wives, or To have con-
tcmptuouSly inquired who was running
that pistol anyway. and meanwhile the
burglar would have escapcd and tho
family peace would have been disturbed
with the customary "l.told-yOu-sO'
wranclc. Mr.. Choatc had sufficient
confidence In his bcttcr.half to obey
the word of command. The burglar
was on the window-sill just in the act
of leaping out. Mr.. Choatc lowered
his revolver and fired just NJ tho burg
lar jumped upon the top of grape
arbor.
Mrs. Choatc then arose and joined
her husband. and the two went ont to
look for game, and they found 1t, dead
as II herring. on the top OF the arbor.
After the ncighbors had risen and spent
some hours in looking up the police II
was taken away. The result shows not
only how coOl.headcd, resolutc man.
seconded by n clcar-hcaded, gallant lit
tie woman. the one prompt to issue
orders and the other quick to execute
them, may acquit themselves in an
emergency. But better still than this,
Mr.. aud Mrs. Choatc have clearly dem
onstratcd the value of the revolver rs a
burglar-cxtcrmin when the man
knows how to use and the woman to
superintcnd il. Thorough rs justice Is
in New Jersey, Mr.. and Mrs. Choatc
ought to receive the congratulations OF
their own city ;or saving the authori-
ties the needless expense OF trial.
Other cites where burglars are not
sure of being punished. even II they are
caught in the act, ought to present MIR.
Choatc with handsome testimonial
for discovering The proper use for
burglars. while Mrs. Choate deserves
to be remembered by all rihc-tcams
for her skill in getting the exact
range of running burglar and
directing the fire to the spot where
it will do the most good. II there were
more Choatcs there would be fewer
burglars. There is no form of moral
suasion so effective in suppressing these
scoundrcls rs q pistol well and prompt
ly uscd.-Chicago Tribune.