The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-01-23
LAMBERTvILLE, N j., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY %. 1889

side shutter, made of boards and battened,
Which 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
Enclosed and lowered the top sash few
inches to admit fresh air. 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 a formidable bowie knife.
About midnight / awoke The room was
dark, although the moon was shining
brightly. A slight noise attracted my atten-
ton to the window, and there l saw a stall
wart fellow endeavoring to pry open the
lower sash with chisel and knew that in
very few minutes he would effect an en-
trance With gun or pistol could have
killed him without rising, but as | had no
weapon except the bowie knife, had to de-
eide instantly upon some method of thwart-
ing his purpose, for l 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 / carefully rested
ON one knee and prepared for an attack.
had mo sooner done so than the lower sash
yielded and was carefully raised and wedged
with the chisel Then l heard the fellow
clambering in. As he gained the sill, bare
footed, 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 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 turned to light a lamp and gain bet
ter idea of the position, felt the warm
blood of the burglar LAYING my feet. There
he lay, as dead as Julius Caesar, a big, burly
negro, holding in his stiffened grasp bowie
knife much larger than mine, and was very,
very thankful that he had found no oppor-
tunity to use it upon me.
dressed myself hurriedly, with a nervous
tremor that had not noticed until then, and
fastened to open the front door of the store
The street was bathed in moonlight and mid
ulgnt slleuCe was over all. AGAIN anu again
shouted the name of the patrolman on that
beat, with whom | had an intimate acquaint-
ance, and In few minutes no 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 identified him as an
old offender, a desperate villain well known
to the police.
More officers were speedily called in, and
the body, with the Negroes bowie knife and
chisel, was removed.
l spent an unquiet hour, trembling with
nervous excitement in washing the floor and
closing the shutter and window Then l
walked the floor another hour to soothe my
rebellious nerves, and then went to bed and
slept the sleep of the just until daylight.
This was my last encounter with burglar.
The sport Is too exciting for frequent indul-
gence or for enjoyment.
Imay say, in conclusion, that this adventure
paved the way for my entrance into the firm
as a partner. My ''pluck," and possibly a
serviceable supply of assurance, besides my
constant fidelity to the interests of tho bust
ness, served me in lieu of capital Mat Haw-
thorn in Chicago Journal.