The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-31

Digging a Pit Beneath his Cash Drawer
and Rigging a Trap Over 1t.

Norwich, Conn. Letter TO the New York SUM-
An amusing case was tried last week in
the Superior Court of this County. George
Avery is typical country grocer, and his
store in the quiet village of Groton has al
most as various stock of goods as was
crowded into the ark. He is tall and lean,
and prosaic and methodical in disposition.
He 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 till. Two or three
months ago he lost quite sum of money
and some valuable goods in this way Mr.
Avery said nothing; but he took q spade and
went down into his cellar and began to dig a
hole directly beneath his money drawer
At odd times for several days thereafter
when trade was dull and the male gossip
had fallen asleep on the cracker barrels up
stairs, Mr.. Avery toiled ut his excavations
When he had finished his work with the
shovel he had pit four feet square and
eight feet deep. From the top of the hole to
the floor of the grocery was distance of
about ten feet. Mr.. Avery next purchased
some of the smoothest matched yellow pine
boards in the market and with them made
a seamless shaft, reaching from the floor of
next cut a square hole in the floor under
the till, al d rugged in trap, similar to those
used on gallows frames, directly opening in
TO his eighteeL-f foot shaft He invented a
reflex action spring that, after the decent of
the trap, would carry the door back into
position, where it would be held by a snap
eaten. Mr.. Avery was now ready for his
next burglar. He arranged his trap during
the day so that neither he nor his clerk
would fall into the bowels of the earth, but
invariably left it baited when he shut up
store for the night He wal ed several weeks
with no result.
On the night OF Jan. . Henry johnson
and partner, wandering rascsls from New
York, decided TO enter Mr.. Avery's store for
pillage. The getting in was simple process
They quietly knocked in O pane of glass. and
Johnson entered. He trod safely across the
store and passed behind the counter. He
approached the till. He placed his hand
on the drawer knob and took a step forward
Instantly the trap shot downward with a rat
tie and bang and Mr. Johnson went down
straight as plumb into the chasm. His de-
cent was so sudden and rapid that he han't
time to utter cry TO bis 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 noisless-
ly into its place, and the automatic hasp
fastened it,
Mr.. johnson, speaking TO reporter con-
corning his downfall, said: Il thought /
was going down TO the bottom of the earth.
l was surprised. L struck all in a heap. 1t
was total darkness. | picked myself up after
while, and found that was lame, but no
bones were broken. then began to think
OF some means of getting out. | thought
was in the cellar, and felt around. My
hand struck sgainst 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. l kicked against the sides, but it
was no use. cuSsed the damniuOn hole
Then L thought 1 might dig under the
boards, and went to work with will, but
after digging for half an hour with my hand;
ard piling up mound of earth behind me
nearly as high as my head, the piled-uT
earth began 70 run back into the hole.
gave up the task as hopeless, and waited foI
Developments was now anxious to be
caught. Anyway to get out of that blasted
pit, which was blacker than midnight"
At an early hour on Jan. 3, Mr.. Avery
came Down to his store, opened ii, and at
once saw that burglars had paid it visit and
that the trap had been sprung. Mr.. Avery
went about his morning duties with his
usual composure, sweeping out the store
and setting things TO rights. He did not 60
TO the shaft to see whether the burglar had
escaped. lie had perfect commence In the
trap. After an hour or two, and after re-
turning TO his home and eating breakfast,
he called the neighbors into the store and
told them about his trap. He added that
he had good reasons for believing that there
was burglar in it. All went to the mo1th
of the shaft, and Mr.. Avery raised the lid.
The party peered down,and dimly deserted
Mr. Johnson, begrimed with soil, sitting
complacently on the dirt pile at the bottom.
He lookep up at the gathering and called
out:
when are ye goin' ter let me outer this
cussed trap?'
Mr.. Avery replied that there was no hurry.
Constable was called in, ropes were pre-
pared, and after a quarter of an hour Mr..
Johnson was drawn up and landed on the
grocery floor. He made no effort to escape
He was taken to New London and lodged
in the County Jail. He pleaded guilty to a
charge OF burglary in the Superiar Court,
and on Tuesday last was sentenced to two
years in the State Prison. His companion,
whose name is unknown, has not been cap
tured. Mr.. Johnson is still lame from the
effects of the fall.