Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-03-23
MRS. BAKER WAS CUTE.
Her Thrilling AdveI 'ure with u Prowling
Rutfian-She Was Not Blind.


Rutfian-She Was Not Blind.
Mrs. Sarah Baker, a wife of a farmer
in Vantage. is small woman, but
strong. and possesses plenty of pluck.
She was alone one day last week, says
De ckertown On. j. letter, her husband
being away on business. Her eyes had
troubled her for several weeks, and she
was wearing q pair of green glasses.
She was sitting in the dining-room ear
" in the afternoon and had fallen into
q doze
Suddenly the door opened and a
tramp entered. He wasn't very large,
but he had en- ugly look and carried a
club. He did not see Mrs. Baker at
first, and she kept very quiet. Finally
she said:
"Who is there?"
Tie tramp looked around, and at
once made up his mind the woman was
blind. That is just what she wanted
him to believe, for she had already
formed a plan Of action.
Il want something to eat, and / want
it quick. See ?" said the tramp.
''No, [ don't see," said Mrs. Baker,
'sbut hear very we'll, and [ guess you
are thief come to rob the house,
Never mind what you guess. You
hustle and get some grub. [ 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 vagabond ate everything up, and
then he shouted:
"Now | want what money you have in
the house."
Haven't any money" replied Mrs.
Baker.
YOU'RE a liar replied the visitor.
land if you don't tell me where it is, l
will cut your heart OUT
The little woman was badly fright
ened, but she did not show any signs of
agitation and stuck to her story that she
had nc money until the tramp grabbed
her by the hair and said he would cut
her throat. Then she apparently weak
ened and said all the money they had
was hidden where she couldn't get at it.
where is 1t " 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 in the
old oven. There was no fire in it and it
seemed empty. Then he came back,
and, taking her by the throat, said 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 a wad behind
loose brick at the rear of the oven.
She looked so innocent and truthful
that the man believed her and went
back into the kitchen. Mrs. Baker
waited until she heard him crawling in
to the big oven. She looked and saw
that he was nearly in. Then she ran
into the kitchen and grabbing the tea
Kettle from the stove poured the boil
ing water on his legs. He yelled with
pain and involuntarily drew his legs in
side the oven. The woman at once shut
the oven door and fastened it by putting
a knife through the latch.
Then she slipped on her bonnet and
darted down the road for mile until
she reached the blacksmith shop.
There were three men there After
resting a minute she managed to tell
them what had occurred. They grabbed
some hickory spokes and all hurried
back. 1t was half al hour from the
time Mrs. Baker left until she returned.
The men were rather timid when they
entered the kitchen, but they regained
their courage when they saw the oven
door fastened as Mrs. Baker had de-
scribed. They decided that Mrs. Baker
should open the door, and as she did so
they would grab the tramp, beat him
with the spokes and then bind him, and
while one of them watched him the
rest would get wagon and horse and
take him to the justice at Vantage.
But when the woman suddenly
opened the oven door she gave 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, which was 100 years old, the
bricks Of which were laid in mud NOR
tar, and ESCAPED.