The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-10-03
THE CLERKS STORY.
Boston Commercial Bulletin.


Boston Commercial Bulletin.
In The fall of 1866 / was en-
ployed in a general store at a
crossroads i'll southern Indiana.
The store, a church and a black
smith shop, with two residences,
made up the buildings, and the
families of the merchant and the
blacksmith were the only resi-
dents. The country about WAS
thickly settled, however, and trade
was good. Before the merchant
engaged me he announced that |
would have to sleep in the store
o nghts, and that unless had
pluck enough To defend The place
against marauders he did not want
me at any price.
lie showed me a shotgup, a re.
! volver, and spring, which were
used, or on hand to be used, 10 de-
fend the place, and the windows
were protected with stout binds
and the doors by double locks.
The close Of the war had drifted a
bad population into Indiana. The
highways were full of tramps, and
there were hundreds of men who
| had determined TO make a living
by some other means than labor.
Several attempts had been made
10 rob the store, and ii had come
to that pass that no clerk wanted
to sleep there alone.
The merchant seemed satisfied
with The answer | gave him, aud
on a certain Monday morning |
went TO work. The same nil hl
store about four miles away was
6roken into and robbed and The
clerk seriously wounded. Two
nights later three horses we're
stolen in our neighbothuol. AT
The end Of The week farmer who
was on his way home from our
store was robbed on the highway.
PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE.
II / had not been light sleeper
from habit, these occurrences would
have tended TO prevent too
lengthy dreams as lay in my little
bedroom at the front of the second
story. The revolver was always
placed under my pillow and the
shotgun within reach. The spring
gun was set about midway of the
lower floor. 1t was a double bar
relied shotgun, each barrel con-
tanning a big charge of buckshOt,
and the man who kicked the string
and discharged the weapon would !
never know what hurt him.
1t did not seem possible that
any one could break into the store |
without arousing me. There was
no doOrtO my room, aud after the |
people in the neighborhood had |
gone 10 bed | could hear the |
slightest noise in The store. | |
had looked the place over for a
weak spot, and had failed 10 find il,
but my own confidence came near
proving my destruction. | should |
have told you IN describing the
Store that just over the spot where
we sci the spring gun was an open
ing through which We hoisled and
lowered such goods as were stored
for a time on the second floor.
When not in use this opening was
covered by trap door.
Toward ending on the tenth day
OF my cleIkship, hoisied up a lot
Of pals and tubs, aud had just
flushed when trade became so
brisk that l was called to wait on
customers. Later on | saw that
had left the Trap door open and |
said 10 myself that | would lei it
go until went 10 bed. The store
had the only burglar-proOl sale Tor
miles around, and it was custom
airy for the farmer who bad a hun
dred dollars or so to leave it With
Us. lie received an envelope IL
which 10 enclose il, and he could
lake out and put in as he liked.
On this evening four or Eve
farmers came in TO deposit. aud as
| aflerward figured up, we had
about 81 800 in the sale.
AWAITING THE ASSAULT.
There were two strange faces in I.
The crowd that evening. One be-
longed 10 a roughly-dressed, evil
eyed man, who announced himself
as drover. and The other as
tramp. I gave The
latter a piece Of tobacco and