Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-09-04
ADVENTURE no. 9.


Two years later l was sent to Savannah,
Ga, by my employers to open and manage a
branch store in that city.
was yet unmarried. The store had a
bedroom in the rear, adjoining the Office
and there / lodged. In it was one large
window, which opened upon an alley, as did,
also, the rear door of the store, in the ad-
joining entry. At night all the doors were
locked and barred The bed room window
had. tight, heavy outside shutter, made of
boards and battened, which l could close
and fasten inside. The window sill, with
its broad ledge, was fully four feet above
the floor.
One moonlight night, when had been es-
tablished in business for several months,
the weather being very warm, left the
shutter unclosed and lowered the top sash
few inches to admit fresh air. l had not
been disturbed by nocturnal intruders
since my arrival, and had, owing to the
heat, become quite careless. Besides, kept
within reach from my bed formidable
bowie knife.
About midnight awoke. The room was
dark, although the moon was shining
brightly A slight noise attracted nv at
tention to the window, and there saw a
stawart fellow endeavoring to pry open the
lower sash with chisel, and knew that in
very few minutes he would effect an
entrance. With a gun or pistol l could
have killed him without rising, but as had
no weapon except the bowie knife, had TO
decide instantly upon some method of
thwarting his purpose, for felt that if he
once gained admittance he would kill me if
he could.
Getting out of bed into dim corner as
quietly as possible, and armed with the
bowie-knife, crept along the wall on my
hands and knees until was fairly under
the ledge of the window sill Then 1 care
fully rested on one knee and prepared for
an attack l had no sooner done so than
the lower. sash yielded and was care
fully raised and wedged with the chisel
Then heard the fel ow clambering in. As
he gained the sill, barefooted, he paused
an instant to reconnoiter, and lightly leaped
into the room
This was the most critical moment had
ever experienced AS he sprang from the
ledge / suddenly rose and plunged the bowie
knife into his breast, and he fell dead, pros
trating me with the force of his fall In a
second 1 was up again and looking out of
the window to discover his confederate, if
he had one, but all was quiet in the alley,
and no one was visible.
AS l turned to light lamp and gain O
better idea of the position, felt the warm
blood of the burglar laving my feet
There he lay, as dead as julius Caesar, q
big, burly negro, holding in his stlffened
grasp a bowie-Snife much larger than
mine, and l was very, very thankful that
he had found no opportunity to use it
upon me.
I dressed myself hurredly, with nerv-
ous tremor that had not noticed until then,
and hastened to open the front door of the
store The street was bathed in moon
light, and midnight silence was over all
Again and again shouted the name of the
patrolman on that beat, with whom had
an intimate acquaintance, and in few min
utes he came, running, and quite excited by
the novelty of being wanted.
After brief relation Of my adventure
and a closer examination of the dead
burglar, the guardian of the night identi-
fed him as an old offender, desperate vii
lain and well known to the police.
More officers were speedily called in, and
the body, with the negros bowie-knife and
chisel, was removed.
/ spent an unquiet hour, trembling with
nervous excitement, in washing the floor
and closing the shuttered window. Then l
walked the floor another hour TO soothe my
rebellious nerves and then I went to bed
and slept the sleep Of the just until day
hight.
This was my last encounter with a
burglar. The sport is too exciting for fire.
quent indulgence or for enjoyment.
/ may say, in conclusion, that this ad-
venture paved the way for my entrance in
to the firm as partner. My ''pluck," and
possibly serviceable supply Of assurance,
besides my constant fidelity to the interests
of the business, served me in lieu of capital.
Mat Hawthorn, in Chicago Journal.
"