Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-23
PLUCKY FARMER NEWTON
Am Aged Farmer Fights Two Burglar With A Stout cane And Brighten

FA R MI FER NE w IONs Am Aged Farmer Fights Two Burglars
 With A Stout cane And Frightens
 Them From The House.
 MT. Peck Newton is farmer seventy-Jwo years of age, living in an old fashionad farm house about half mile from the Congrega tional church in Woodbridge. In the house besides MT. Newton live his wife and his two sisters, both of the ladies over seventy five years of age. These two old ladies, who are known as Aunts Betsy and Debby, sleep on the first floor of the house, while MT. New ton and his wife sleep on the floor above. The folks retired about eight o'clock Satur- day night as usual, little thinking that be- fore the sun rose Sunday morning they were to meet with a startling adventure in which Ar. Newton was to take prominent and brave part. About one o'clock Sunday morning Mrs. Newton was awakened by slight noise in the back room and opened her eyes only to meet the glare of two dark lanterns shining into her face and that of her husband, and to behold the figures of two men, one of whom was masked and carried in his hand revolver, while the other one was not masked and carried an axe which he ob- tained in Mir. Newton's woodshed. A mo- ment later the man who held the pistol in his hand said to MT. Newton, who was also now awake: "We want your money or your lifeP'
 ''Well, thereIl be 8 dead man here before you get it." shouted out MT. Newton, who had also been awakened, and he reached around the side of the bed and grasped his heavy cane which he carried on account of his rheumatism and lameness. Plucky MT. Newton repeated his answer to the mans de- mands and the next instant he raised the cane and struck the man carrying the pistol a blow over the head, which caused him to stagger back few feet. Before the burglars had recovered from this surprise and the at tack which they had not counted on MT. Newton had sprung from his bed and was belaboring his assailants, using the cane to good effect. The man with the axe caught Mir Newton by the throat and attempted to hit him first with the heavy end of the axe and then with the sharp blade. but the farmer was able to ward off the blows with his cane, and so, besides his hands being cut badly and many knocks and bruises, he es- capped serious injury. In the meanwhile Mrs. Newton had got out of bed and made her way down stairs, fearing that her sisters had been murdered. She called to them and asked if they were injured, and upon finding that they were not she went out into the street and made her way to the house of the Rev. MT. Mar win (pastor of the Cong church) about fifty rods distant, and awoke MT. Marvin, and after telling him what the matter was proceeded to the house of MT. Earl Peck, then to MT. Currie's house and afterwards to the house of her nephew, Mir. Samuel New ton She then hastened back to the house to find when she arrived that the burglars had flown, and MT. Peck, Rev. MT. Marvin and MT. Curries hired man were at the house. After Mrs. Newton had left the house MT. men and finally got outside the door and shut it behind him. His hand was caught in the door and the burglars shut the door on it. but he finally released it. He then hastened down stairs to look for some suitable weapon to stay the men until help arrived, but could find none, and before he got back to the door to secure it the men had made their escape and were running up the road towards Bethany. After the strug- gle Mr. Newton was so badly used up that he was obliged to return to his couch and a doctor was summon ed. An examination of the premises showed that the burglars gained entrance by break ing two lights of glass in the kitchen window and raising the sash. To assist in their es- cape they unfastened the front door and left it wide open.
 Mr. Newton thinks he knows who one of the parties was, but is not sure enough to warrant any names being published, but whoever they were, they met with much warmer reception than they expected at the hands of the aged but plucky farmer.
 MT. J. A. Church, the builder, of this city, son-in-law of NIT. Newton, purchased a seven shooting thirty-two calibre revolver and sent it out yesterday to his fathsr-in-law with directions to use it. He has also offered a reward of $100 for the arrest and conviction of one or both of the burglars.
 MT. S. H. Street, the Crown street msr- chant of this city, is also 8 son-in-law of MT. Newton. The old farmer had considerable sum of money in his bedroom at the time of the attack. The man with the pistol, whom he first struck with the cane, used up by the blow that he not of much ac- count in ths fight for few minutes.
 At Arion Hall.
 About one hundred and fifty couples took part in the private annual masquerade ball held by the Arion Singing society given at their hall in Woods building last evening, which proved to be very successful affair.
 For Theft of a Registered Letter.
 Hiram E. Smith of Willimantic, who was arrested for theft of registered letter Sat urday, was given hearing before Commis- sioner Marvin in Hartford, and was bound over to the United States court under bonds of $1 900.