Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-18

the wrist and the hand WAS black, OWING 10
the stoppage o! the circulation II the blood.
The policeman then returned to the alley
and made his way 10 tn. froT-. pic sins up
another officer On the street 10 aaist him
Presently | heard them shouting to me that
the burglar was dead: that L. Sse1. .lnions.
finding il impossible to release hsr ~ fear
full that he would expos them 10 tne author
tits, bad cut his throat from eaI to or.
Iwas young and unuses. u d.4as... i acts
Ike this, and the unexpected dCnoue.Hent not
only astonished ME, but 50 SHOCKED r-,v nerves
that | nearly tainted Tho retarn Of the
policeman u aid me IN loosenlss l-.I =. N and
open the frunt door partially restored the;
but after the dead burglar had beon removed
and the doors were securely refeStenei, |
could do nothing hut walk the ioor In great
nervous distress, until it was tii0e TO open the
store for business il the nlCri.L.c-
Then when the clerks arrived. ant | had
related my adventure TO them, was fam TO
60 home and avoid the excitement that |
knew would distract me /. remained to an
swer the thousand questions l4.i would tie
asked OF me-
1 had only one satisfaction. but it was one
that Lac u niy age could tAcg~ ash iy enJoy
| was hero The police, the pres and the
public freely expressed their admiration for
the GOODNESS and bravery | bad manifested in
capturing the burglar, and the sympathy and
hearty congratulations Of personal friends
soon restored me TO comparative quietude
But, best of all was the kind consideration
which received from my employers They
were very profuse in the expressions of their
esteem They had sent for the policeman
who assisted NE, and he had told the story OF
the burglary IN such a manner as to give me
A.. 3
a magnificent gift and a fortniSht's leave OF
absence to recruit my shaken nerves
Two years later WAS sent to Savannah,
Ga, by my employers to open and manage
branch store in that city
was yet unmarried. The store had bed
room 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 adjoining entry
At night all the doors were locked and barred.
The bedroom window had a tight, heavy out
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-
tabished in business for several months, the
weather being very warm, left the shutter
unclose> and lowered the top sash h 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 led 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 | saw a stall
wart fellow endeavoring to pry open the
lower sash with a chisel, and knew that in a
very few minutes he would effect
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 | felt that if he once
gained admittance he would kill NE if he
could
Getting out of bed into a 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 no sooner done so than the lower sash
yielded and was carefully raised and wedged
with he chise Then | heard the fellow
clarnbering 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 u
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 lamp and gain bet
ter idea of the position, | felt the warm
blood of the burglar LAYING my feet Thera
he lay. as dead as Julius Caesar II big, burly
negro, holding in his stitfened 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 n.rvous
trernor that ! had not noticed until then, and
hastened to open the front door of the store
The street was bathed in moonlight and mid
night silence was over all Again and again
shouted the name of the patrolman on that
beat, with whom had an intimate acqualnt-
ance, and in a few minutes 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 identified him as an
old offender, desperate villain well known
to the police
More officers were speedily called in. and
the body, with the Negroes bowie knife and
chsel, removed.
| spent an unquet hour trembling with
nervous excitement in washing the floor and
closing the shutter and window Then
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 the bust
ness, served me in lieu of capital. Mat Haw
thorn in Chicago Journal