The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-28
Trapping q burglar.
DIGGING A PIT BENEATH A CAsii-DRAwER AM
RIGGING A TRAP OVER IT-A QUEER STORY.

DIGGING A PIT BENEATH CASH-DRAWEh AM
RIGGING A TRAP OVER IT-A QUEER STORY.
An amusing case was tried last week in
the Superior Court at Norwich, Conn.
George Avery is a typical country grocer,
and his store in the quiet village OF Gro
ton has almost rs various stock Of goods
as was crowded into the ark. He is tall
and lean, and prosaic and methodical in
disposition. lie never smiles. No one
ever accused him OF humor or shrewdnesS.
At intervals OF several years his store has
been entered by thieves at night, and small
sums OF money have been stolen from his
MI. Two or three months ago he lost
quite sum OF money and some valuable
Goods i'm this way. Mr.. Avery said moth
| ing: but he took spade and went down
| into the cellar, and began TO dig hole di-
recty beneath his money drawer. At odd
times for several days thereafter. when
trade was dull and the male gossips had
/ fallen asleep on the crackeT-b barrels up stairs.
MIR. Avery toiled at his excavations.
| When he had finished his work with the
shovel he had ditch four feet square and
eight feet deep. From the top Of the hole
trthe floor OF the grocery was distance
OF about ten feet Mr.. Avery next pur-
chased some OF the smOotheSt-maiched
yellow pine boards in the market, and
with them made 4 seamless shaft, reaching
from the floor OF the grocery to the bottom
of the pit. He next cut a square hole in
the floor under the till, and rugged in a
trap. similar TO those used on gallows-
frames, directly opening into his eighteen
foot shaft. He invented a reflex action
spring that, after the descent OF the trap,
would carry the door back into position,
where it would be held by snap-catch.
MIR. Avery was now ready for his next burg
| lar. He arranged his trap during the day
so that neither he nor his clerk would iall
| into the bowels of the earth, but inyaria-
| bly left il baited when he shut up store for
! the night. He waited several weeks with
no result.
On The night OF Janualy2 Henry john
son 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 passed be-
hind the counter. He 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 q
plumb into the chaSm. His descent was 80
sudden and rapid that he hadn't time TO
utter a cry to his companion. The latter
heard the noise of the trap as it struck
against the side of the shaft, and at once
made off. The trap, as soon as it had dis
posed of its victim, rose swiftly and noise
lcsSly into IFS place, and the automatic hasl
fastened it.
Mr.. Johnson, speaking to reporter con-
cerning his downfall, said: 81 thought
was going down to the bottom oi the
earth. i was surprised. struck all in q
heap. II was total darkness. ] picked
myself up after while, and found that
was lame. but no bones were broken. ]
then began 10 think OF some means OF get
TING out. ] thought / was in the cellar
and felt around. My hand struck against
the side OF the pit. found there was-a
smooth surface all around me. As
high up as | could Jump it was
solid as steel. | kicked against the
sides. but it was Of no use. | cussed the
demnition hole. Then thought might
die under the boards, aud ] went to work
with will, but after digging for bali az
hour with my hands and piling upa mound
Of earth behind me nearly as high az my
head, the piled-up earth began to run bach
into the hole. / gave up The task rs hope
less, and waited for developments. was
now anxious to be caught. Any way t(
get out OF that blasted PIT, when was
blacker than midnight.
AT an early hour on january MI
Avery came down TO his store, opened II
and at once saw that burglars had paid II
visit. and that the trap had been sprung
Mr.. Avery went about his morning duties
with his usual composure, sweeping ou
the store and setting things TO rights
He did not 90 to the shaft to see whether
the burglar had escaped. He had peI1ec'
confidence in the trap. After an hour OF
two. and after returning TO his home ahC
eating breakfast. he called the neighbor'
into the store and told them about his trap
He added that he had good reasons for be
ljeying that there was burglar in it. AL
went to the mouth Of the shaft, and Mr.
Avery raised the lid. The party peeret
down, and dimly deserted Mr.. johnson
beerimed with soil, sitting complacentl!
on the dirt-pile at the bottom. lie looked
up at the gathering and called out;
"When are ye goin' ter let me outer TN
cussed trapf"
Mr.. Avery replied that there was no hur
rv 4 constable was called in. ropes Wer'
prepared, and after quarter OF an h0u
! Mir. Johnson was drawn up and landed
ON the groceryfloor. He made no effort Il
! escape. He was taken to New London ant
Ioaged in the county Jail. He PLEADED
guilty to q charge OF burglary in the Supe
rior Court, and on Tuesday last was sen
fenced TO two years in State prison. III
companion, whose name is unknown M
not been captured. Mr.. johnson Is SUI
lame from the effects Of the fall.-Ez
/