Nevada County picayune., 1891-01-08

clOSet-1O nluC Tn, ana nau nO weapon but my jack knife. Then 1 thought of the bureau, and pulling the drawers open found they were empty.
 quickly took the two lower draw CTS out (therc was no time to lose for the light was nearly gone and in the dark l would be an easy victim) and with my knife managed to to cut~out the thin bottoms. Then rcplac- tug the deawars, first squeezing myself and the cut boards inside the big bureau, 1 crouchcd there and waited in the now pitch dark room.
 It seemed an age before l heard the awful sound that was listening for, of the trap being raised. From my position 1 could look under the bed through crack in my hiding place and see a dull glare of light shoot upward from the shaft. Then it dimmed a bit as slowly and silent ly the shadowy outline of head ap- peared out of the hole Then it darkened completely and l could hear the devil working his way like a snake out from under the bedstead straight toward me. And then the form stood by the bedstead and lis- tened. The suspense of that mo- ment was horrible, and l feared the ticking of my watch in the dreadful stiffness would discover me. Then 1 knew the bed was being examined and that was missed, for the noise- less figure moved over to the win dow which l luckily had left open. 1 heard a low whistle from the trap and the dog growled and then the shadow struck a match and seemed to De looking over the room. Then with an oath he whistlcd twice and another form with bulls-eye lantern in his teeth crawled from the hole under the bed and with his compan- ion began searching the room. Had 1 left a spinter on the floor by the bureau: A cold sweat poured from me at the thought. heard them whispering that 1 must have escape through the window and curse the dog for letting me. Then they said something about the bureau and, coming to it, opened the top drawer. But the noise they made prevented my breathing being heard. Then they started to open the next drawer when femrlc's voice came from the hall which stopped them. In answer to something they said 1 heard the bolt withdrawn and all three went out leaving me, thus far, untouched and the door open.
 Not daring to move, of course, l waited for what was coming next, and soon by the sound from the street and glimmcr of daylight shining through my peck hole 1 knew to my great joy that the dawn had at last arrived.
 For long, long hour l kept in my hiding spot hoping that l could rush down stairs and escape from the out CT door-if it chanced to be unlocked. After awhile some one went out of it, and my time to escape or be kill ed in doing so was come. Slowly by degrees l pushed open the bottom drawer and crept on the floor to the hall, Every thing was still. Then l sneaked softly down, tried the knob, and, hurrah, l was outside, down the street and around the cor ner, and didn't stop flying till a po- liceman had me by the collar and in the station-house. Then l told my story.
 The next night the murderers' den was surrounded, and all hands, including my cabby, was captured, while under the cellar ground was graveyard of no less than eight persons. also had the pleasure of seeing the hole which was prepared for me.