The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-03-25
SHE DESERVES A MEDAL, EVEN IF
THE TBAMP DID GET AWAY


THE TBAMP DID GET AWAY.
DECKERTowN, N. j., March IS. Mrs.
Sarah Baker, wife of farmer in Vantage
Township, had an experience with
tramp the other day. Mrs. Baker is
small woman, but strong and plucky.
She was all alone at the time, her hus-
band being away on business. Her eyes
had troubled her for several weeks, and
she was wearing pair of green glasses.
She was sitting in the dining room early
in the afternoon and had fallen into a
doze.
Suddenly the door opened and tramp
entered. He wasn't very large, but he
had an ugly look and carried aclub. He
did not see Mrs. Baker at first, and she
kept very quiet. Finally she exclaimed,
"Who is there?"
The tramp looked around and at once
made up his mind that the woman was
blind. That is Just what she wanted
him to believe, for she had already
formed a plan of action. 81 want some
thing to eat, and want it quick. See?'
said the tramp.
'No, 1 don't see," said Mrs. Baker,
"but hear very we'll, and guess you
are thief come to rob the house.
Never mind what you guess. You
hustle and get me some grub. L hain't
had anything to eat since yesterday
morning"
Mrs. Baker got up and pretended to
stumble around in search of food. She
found some bread and butter and some
cold pork, and put them on the table.
Then she fumbled around until she found
the chair and sat down again. The vaga-
bond ate everything up and then
shouted:
"Now 1 want what money you have in
the house."
Haven't any money" replied Mrs.
Baker.
your liar, yelled the impolite visi-
tor, land if you don't tell me where it is
l will cut your heart out"
The little woman was badly frightened,
but stuck to her story that she had no
money until the tramp grabbed her by
the hair and threatened to cut her
throat. Then she apparently weakened
and said that the money was hidden
where she couldn't get it.
"Where is it?" asked the tramp.
"In the big oven," was the reply, and,
without turning her head Mrs. Baker
pointed toward the kitchen. The man
went in the kitchen and looked into the
old oven. There was no fire in it and it
seemed empty. Then he came back,
and, taking her by the throat, said that
she was lying and that he would kill her.
She cried and begged him to spare her
life, and, amid her sobs, informed him
that the money was in wad behind a
loose brick at the rear of the oven.
She looked sol innocent and truthful
that the man believed her and went back
into the kitchen. Mrs. Baker waited
until she heard him crawling into the
big oven. Then she ran into the kitchen,
and, grabbing the tea kettle from the
stove, poured the boiling water on his
legs. He yelled with pain, and involun-
tarily drew his legs inside the oven.
The woman at once shut the oven door
and fastend it by putting knife through
the latch.
Then she slipped on her bonnet and
ran down the road for mile until she
reached blacksmith's shop. There
were three men in the shop, and, after
resting a minute, she managed to tell
them what occurred. They grabbed some
hickory spokes and all hurried back with
her. They were rather timid when they
first entered the kitchen, but regained
their courage when they saw that the
oven door was still securely fastened.
They decided that Mrs. Baker should
open the door and that they should grab
the tramp, and take him to the Justice
of the Peace at Vantage. When Mrs.
Baker opened the oven door she gave a
cry of establishment. AS she looked in,
she saw clear across the kitchen garden
and out into the orchard. The tramp
had kicked the entire back out of the old
oven and escaped.-NelD York Recorder.