The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-11-28
From The Now York SUM-

For four years Mr.. Walters. Graham,
New York business man, has lived at
NctherwoOd, n. j. His home there was
n neat brick cottage, two stories high,
with peaked roof and high basement
There were bay windows at the side and
high stoop in front and grassy yard,
with walks and flower beds all around.
On Wednesday the flower beds were all
trampled down, the grass was covered
with brick and mortar, and ragged brick
walls only remained where the house had
been. During he time Mr.. Graham had
lived there, and for years before, the one
pet which constantly shared the house
and the affections Of himself and wife
was Skye terrier called Nellie. Nellie
weighed about seven pounds, and when
! her long silver blue hair bad been combed
she was a very handsome dog. Unfor-
tunatcly Nellie lost her sight, from an
unknown cause, about year ago. She
was none the less, but rather the more,
Il pet on that account. She usually slept
at night at the foot Of Mr.. Graham's bed.
The bedroom was on the second floor.
Mrs. Graham and the girl also had rooms
on the same floor.
Nellie was IN her usual place on Tues.
day night. Mr.. Ora ham says he was
very tired that night, and slept soundly
until about 2 o'clock Wednesday morn.
ing. Then he was awakened to find
that the dog had climbed on his chest
and was licking his face and whining.
He at once laid the dog on one side and
then got out Of bed, having feeling that
something was wrong. Picking up re-
volver, he stepped to the room door and
out into the hall. There ho distinctly
heard footsteps going down the basement
stairs. He ran along the hall and into
n rear bedroom. Putting his head out
Of the window he saw a man climbing
the low terraced hill back Of the yard,
and another coming upthe outside steps
from the basement. lie Mt once fired
twoBhots Mt the nearest man, but whether
he wounded him or not is not known.
The man ran away, saying something to
his companion IA he did 10.
Aathe man disappeared behind shrub
Mr. Graham thought he saw puff Of
light blue smoke roll out Of the laundry
door, in the basement. He drew in his
head and hurried along the hall toward
the stairs. Ho had slipped on his trous.
crs when he got out Of bed. Hanging
in the hall was an ovcrcont. As he
caught the coat of the rack his wife,
awakened by the shooting, came out Of
her room and followed him down the
stairs, begging him to return lest he
should he killed by tho burglars. He
hastened out Of the front door and
around the right side Of the house, shout.
ing Thieves !" as he ran.
He had hopes Of getting another shot
Mt the men or of enabling his ncighbors
TO do 40. As he rounded the corner of
Of the house he found that flames were
stcaking the volumes Of smoke that
were pouring out where the first pun
had come. The laundry was on fire,
and the flames were rapidly spreading
through the open door, all over the
basement, and up into the rear of the
second floor Then he shouted "Fme p
and ran back TO the front of the house
His wife had discovered the fire also, an(
had gone mp stairs, and was wrapping
some clothing in sheet to carry out
When Mr.. Graham got into the hors,
again the whole upper story was lillinl
with dense smoke. His wife had triet
to get some valuable sets of silver plat,
from closet in the second story, bu,
the closet was locked and she could no,
find the key.
Without waiting longer Mr.. Graham
assisted his wife and the girl through
the smoke to the front door, leaving the
stuff behind because of the urgency OF
the case, and then ran into the dining
room TO get out some movable property
there. The dining room table, rug
from the floor, and three or four cup,
md saucers, the first things ut hand
we're carried out A basket full of silveI
plated table ware which the robbers hat
backed up but had left on the floor
when discovered was not taken Mt first
because 1t was SO easy to remove that h,
thought he could get it at any time.
When he went for il he found his way
cut of by the fire. Nothing else was
taken out of the house.
A host of ncighbors answered Mr.
Graham's cries for assistance. Some of
them tried Intellectually to put ont the
fire with buckets of water, others broke
INTO the chapel and rang the bell, and
everybody shouted. In the midst ofthc
noise and confusion. Mr.. Graham ~
mcmbercd that he had left blind Ncli,
on the bed on the second floor. Aneigh.
Dor had long ladder in his yard which
Mr.. Graham had seen. He got it rs
quickly as he could and raised it to his
bedroom window. Then he started to
climb 1t, hut his ncighbors pulled him
back. They believed it would be Ger.
tain death Tor him to venture into the
building.
"rhe dog had saved our lives" said
MIR. Graham. "lf Ind slept n few
minutes longer the smoke would have
Snllocatcd us nll suppose acted M
II were wild when l started to 90 up
the ladder"
Az the alarm spread some one tele.
graphed for the Piainiield Fire Depart.
ment. The call was ut once answered
but it is over mile from Motherhood to
Plalniield, and the fire was under con.
troll when the engines arrived.
Tho house contained fine collection
OF vases, plaques, and other bric.a.
broc, n largc number of valuable paint.
Ings, silverware, and icwelry, and the
usual furniture. The loss will amount
% $4,000. Mr.. Graham had SO, 900
insurance on it. The building was valued
It Sl2, 600. IL was not insured.
Mr.. John Plummer saw two men pass
lis house, coming from tho direction of
MIR. Graham's just after tho shots were
ired, One of them was grnonipg