Connecticut western news., 1883-01-24
HOW A BURGLAR WAS CAUGHT.
Digging a Pit Beneath a Cash Drawer and
 Rigging Trap Over It.

New York SN71 says:-An amusing case was tried in the Superior Court of this county. George Avery is a typical country grocer, and his store in the quiet village of Groton has almost 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 en- tered 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. MT. Avery said nothing but he took spade and went down into his cellar and began to dig hole directly beneath his money drawer At odd times for several days thereafter, when trade was dull and the male gossips had fallen asleep on the cracker barrels up stairs, MT. Avery toiled at his excava- | tions. 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 a distance of about ten feet. MT. Avery next purchased some of the smoothest-matched yellow pine boards in the market, and with them made & seamless shaft, reaching from the floor of the grocery to the bottom of the pit He next cut 8 square hole in the floor under the till, and rigged in trap, similar to those used on gallows frames, directly opening into his eighteen-foot shaft. He invented 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. 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 in- variably left it baited when he shut up store for the night. He waited several weeks with no result.
 On the night of January 2, Henry Johnson and partner, wandering ras- calls from New York, decided to enter MT. Avery's store for pillage. The get ting in was simple process. They quietly knocked in 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 ster forward. Instantly the trap shot down. ward with rattle and bang, and MT. Johnson went down straight as plumb into the chasm. His descent was sc sudden and rapid that he hadn't time to utter cry to his companion. The lat ter heard the noise of the trap as if struck against the side of the shaft, and at once made off. The trap, as soon as it had disposed of it's victim, rose swiftly and noiselessly into it's place, and the automatic hasp fastened it.
 MT. Johnson, speaking to a reporter concerning his downfall, said: "I thought I was going down to the bottom of the earth. was surprised. struck all in a heap. It was total darkness. Ipicked myself up after while, and found that I was lame, but no bones were broken. I then began to think of some means of getting out. I thought I was in the cellar and felt around. My hands struck against the side of the pit I found there was 8 smooth surface all around me. As high as I could jump it was solid as steel I kicked against the sides, but it was no use. cussed the demnition hole. Then I thought might dig under the boards, and went to work with will, but after digging for half an hour with my hands and piling up g mound of earth behind me nearly as high as my head, the piled-up earth began to run back into the hole. I gave up the task as hopeless, and waited for develop ments. I was now anxious to be caught. Any way to get out of that blasted pit, which was blacker than midnight.
 At an early hour on Jan. 3 MT. Avery came down to his store, opened it, and at once saw that burglars had paid it g visit, and that the trap had been sprung. MT. Avery went about his morning du. ties with his usual composure, sweeping out the store and setting things tc rights. He did not go to the shaft te see whether the burglar had escaped
 He had perfect confidence in the trap
 After an hour or two, and after returning
 to his home and eating breakfast, ht called the neighbors into the store anc told them about his trap. He added
 that he had good reasons for believing that there was burglar in it. All wen to the mouth of the shaft, and Mir Avery raised the lid. The party peeret down. and dimly deserted MT. Johnson , begrimmed with soil, sitting compla , gently on the dirt pile at the bottom He looked up at the gathering ant called out t:
 "When are ye goin' ter let me oute 2 this crssed trap?'
 7 MT. Avery replied that there was n F hurry. A constable was called in, rope r were prepared, and after quarter of g. hour MT. Johnson was drawn up an landed on the grocery floor. He pleade 3 guilty to a charge of burglary in tn l Superior Court, and on Tuesday last wa ) sentenced to two years in State prisor 3 His companion. whose name is unknown 3 has not yet been captured. MT. Johr s son is still lame from the effects of tn l fall.
 AN old man wOllld not believe he cor1
 hear his wife talk distance of five mile t by telephone. His better half was in q | country store several miles awav whe1