The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-06-07

uunOer VI EoDDeTt, out tuy ours nuu
There we're three OF them. and they
were no doubt desperate and deter
mined men. They spoke of briu e.
ing me down 10 open the safe as il
no resistance was anticipated or TAX
en into account. Indeed, they might
we'll reasen that they had me at thei,
mercy. Tho rain was now falling
the night was very dark, and pis-
tol shot in the store could not have
been heard in either OF the DWELL
ings. If they had reflected that ]
might bo armed they would have Off
set it with tho fact that / was boy
ls, with q girls face and probably O
girls nerve. don't deny that /
was bit rattlod, .andsthat my lip
would culver in spite Of me, but /
was at the came time fully dotermin-
cd to protect the store if it cost me
ny life. How to got at the fellows
was what bothered mo, but that
trouble was soon solved.
:There,' whispered the man OF the
combination, rs he let 90 Of it, 4
won't fool here another minute.
That kid knows the combination, and
We can make him work it. Come
on
They we're coming up stairs The
best place for me would be at the
bead of. the stairway. The stairs
had q half turn in them, and l would
fire upon the first man who came
within range. l heard tho men
coming back to tho stairway, and
my nerve gave way. II wasn't from
cowardice, but the knowledge that /
was to kill human being upset me.
l decided TO retreat to my room,
and, if they persisted in coming that
far, ! would shoot. Tne trio had
rubters on their feet, but they came
mp stairs without trying very hard to
prevent making noise. The one
who came first bad the candle, and
as he got to tho head of tho stairs, l
saw knife in bis other hand. They
made no delay in approaching M
laaima Z great effort ] brat
ed myself for what l saw must hap
pen. They could not sec me unit
within threo or four feet Of the dool
and their first intimatiou that l wa
out OF bed was when they heard m
call ont
Stop, or Ill shoot your
! had them covered with the wca
pon, and for fifteen minutes ther
was dead silence. They had cot
plan. The man with the candl
dashed it on tee floor, and / sup
pose they meant to rush in on m
IN the dark, but checkmated il b
opening fire. They then meant t.
retreat down stairs toward the rea
OF the floor, for 1 saw the three NOV
ing of, and fred at their dim figures
Three seconds later there was
great shout OF horror, followed b
the tremendous report OF the doubl
barrelled spring gun, and thel
was absolute silence. l think
stood in the door, shaking like
leaf, for fully three minutes befor
the silence was broken by q groan
Then it camo to mo that the rob
bers bad fallen through the oper
door upon the cord leading to th,
gun. l struck a match, lighted N,
own candle, and, going to the open.
Ing' saw three bodies lying below.
Running back to my bedroom &c
recharge my revolver, l then went
down stairs to investigate. 1t was as
l expected. The three had pitched d
down together. The top OF of one,
head had been blown Off by the shot
a second had hole in his chest ms
big as your fist, while the third, who
was responsible for the groans, was
severely wounded In both legs. II
was three months before he could be
put on trial, and then he got four
years In prison. The whole thing was
put up job. The drover was a Chi
cago burglar called 'Clawhammer
Dick," and he had hidden himself in
the store that night, and then let his
pals In by the back door. They had
horse and a wagon In the rear of
the building, and the plan was to rob
the store of goods as well as to get
at the money In the safe. A bit of
carelessness on my part not only saw
ed the store and probably my life,
but wiped out a desperate gang.
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