St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-02-14
ONE OF THE SEVEN.


4 00cpee who Had Learned the Dasln -
o. the Pellce Force.
Half dozen young reporters hap
pened TO meet at the police station a
IL p. m. 1t was dull evening. Moth
ing was going on. Thcy hadn't line
Of police news in thoir notebooks The
dcsk-scrReant sat in his chair. which
was tiltcd back against the wall. lie
was fast asleep. and little scheme fol
fun suggested itself to those young men.
They proceeded 70 carry it into execu.
tion.
Removing their shoes In ordcr that
they might not wake the sleeper while
they were walking about they drst
brought in . ten-foot section Of iron
grating from lumber room adjoining.
and stood It up near their unconscious
victim.
An old tin-pan. found In the same
place. was suspended from . Rss-fixture
by means OF string and made to hang
just above his head.
Alargo three-cornered section Of plate
glass. covered with dust. was dragged
out from its hiding place under pile Of
old lumber and placed against the wall.
The chairs in tho room were piled on
the table. one on top Of another. until
they reached almost to the ceiling. an
old door WAS thrust between two of the
uprights In the railing that fenced OF
the corner OF the room - On inncr Of
fee. and . rough board about tea feet
long laid across the upper edge in read
iness to be manipulated 1t the proper
time.
A paper sack WAS found lying on tho
desk. Il had contained the sergeants
lunch. It was utilized by Initiating it
with air and tying string tightly about
tho top. An old newspaper was crumpled
up. placed beneath the chair Of the
sleeper, and all was in readiness
The conspirators. who had been all this
time nearly convulssd with suppressed
put on their shoes, each ono
went on tip-toe to his appointed place,
and tho fun began.
The newspaper under the unfortunate
sergeants chair was set on fire. the pa
per sack was brought down ON the desk
with great force and exploded with q
terrific bang. tho big piece Of plate-
glass was broken into thousand pieces
BY ono blow Of . heavy iron poker. the
was raspod back and forth
across tho ten-foot section OF iron graf.
Ing with din that would have made IN
Egyptian mummy turn pale. tho tin-pan
over the victims head was hammered
Justify with . club. the chairs were
pushed on the table and fell to the floor
with an awful crash. while high above
the din rose tho unearthly screech made
BY saving tho board across the edge Of
the door. this improvised horse fiddle
drowning even the wild yells and war
Of the six brass-lunged report.
erA
Tho paper under the desk-sergeaht's
chair famed up burnt fercely . short
Time and went out the noise continued
} few moments and then stopped with .
suddenness that was moro alarming
than the noise.
The sleeping sergeant had not moved
! muscle. A terrible fear that the sud
lenness Of tho shock had killed him
blanched the checks Of these young
men, and they stood wild-eycd and mo-
listening to the beating of their
,wn hearts while tho hair rosc gradu.
lily on end on each OF the six heads.
Then soft snore from the peacefully.
Official whose sweet dreams
hey had not disturbed in the slightest
legree reached their cara and six young
mem quietly removed all the evidences
II the struggle. sneaked out of the OF.
Ice. and skunk back to their respective |
newspaper Offices, tho worst crest-fallen |
,urvcyors OF news that ever worked |
,ard for scoop and got left-Chicago
Tribune.