Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-02
8Eg.lzsEiGR45
Mas. DloKsoNs bUaoLAH THAp.


~ Caught sad Held Two the flfa rims ~
was spfasG
A widow n the name Of Susannah
Dickson. owning y farm within half
mile ~ Grenada, Miss. recently hit on
novel manner Of capturing burglars.
Oie night " happened that she was left
entirely alone by the rest Of the house
hold, and as II grew late she heard
noises IN the kitchen that made her sus-
piciOus that there was some one feloni-
ously inclined on the premises. SO she
bethought herself Of q large wardrobe,
old fashioned in make. and shut herself
therein. locking the door after her.
She could hear the men as they rum
mayed the house. and their voices in dis
pute in regard 70 the value Of this object
or that. She recognized two Of them by
their accents. At last they had collected
everything they considered worth carry
ing off and loaded 1t into empty pillow
slips. when, casting his eyes about him,
one of the rogues espied the wardrobe,
and calling out TO the others that here
was depository where something Of
value might be concealed he started to-
ward it, followed closely by the others.
Mrs. Dickson, alarmed at the thought
of falling into the hands of so unprinci-
pied band Of wretches, involuntarily
gave spring forward as if to escape
| from the confined hole in which, to her
heated imagination, she could be MUIR
dered and her nearest neighbor hear
nothing of what was taking place. AS
she threw herself against the door in the
attempt to escape her weight caused the
massive old piece Of furniture to fall for
ward on it's front, crushing beneath it
two of the three advancing men. The
one in the rear sprang back in time to
save himself with the exception of the
great toe ON the left foot. The bone of
that was broken, however, and injured
in such a manner as to make the wound
very painful and serious.
| But this was nothing to what his COM
panions had sustained. One lay as
though he were dead. He had been
struck on the head by q piece of the fret
work crowning the wardrobe, while the
other was pinned beneath it firmly and
held so by Mrs. Dicksons weight. In
about half an hour the rest of the house
hold returned home and were surprised
to see and hear nothing of the lady.
They found the two men, one still un-
conscious and the other pleading for his
liberty.
Hearing no sound from Mrs. Dickson
within, the latter rogue endeavored to
secure his release by stating that while
passing by he had seen Mrs. Dickson
leaving the house with neighbor who
had come for her in great haste to nurse
a sick child and that, not liking to leave
her house alone, she had requested him
and his friend to remain there until the
rest should return, when, entering, the
cat had leaped from the top of the ward.
robe and upset it ON them before they
could escape. The fellow having hith-
erto borne fairly good character, this
story sounded plausible enough. and he
was about to be set at liberty when the
| lady in the wardrobe revived sufficient
ly to call out: "Thievesl Robbers! Help,
helpr'
At this the man threw himself out of
the nearest window and would have
made his escape had not Bob Dickson,
the widows nephew, leaped out after
him, and after short struggle succeeded
in capturing the burglar. The rest had
busted themselves iberating the poor
widow, who was soon able to tell the
story Of her sufferings for herself and
insisted ON an officer being sent for, to
whom she described the burglar who
had escaped. Search was made for him,
but he had had time to secure horse
and is still at large The remaining thief
is still lying insensible from conclusion
of the brain.-Cor. Philadelphia Times.