People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-09-22
MUS. DlcKsoNs BURGLARTRAP
It Caught and Held Two tho First Time
IL Was Sprung.

A widow OF the name OF Susannah
Dickson, owning farm within half a
mile OF this place, says a Grenada,
Miss, correspondent Of the Philadel-
phia Times, recently hit on a novel
manner OF capturing burglars One
night it happened that she was left
entirely alone by the rest Of the
household, and as it grew late she
heard noises in the kitchen that
made her suspicious that there was
some one feloniously inclined on the
premises. So she bethought herself
OF large wardrobe, old-fashioned in
make, and shut herself therein,
locking the door after her.
She could hear the men as they
rummaged the house, and their
voices in dispute in regard to the
value of this object or that. She
recognized two Of them by their &C
cents. At last they had collected
everything they considered worth
carrying of and loaded it 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 a depository
where something OF value might be
concealed, he started toward 1t, fol-
lowed closely by the others.
Mrs. Dickson, alarmed at the
thought OF falling into the hands Of
so unprincipled band of wretches.
involuntarily gave a spring forward
as if to escape from the confined hole
in which, to her heated imagination,
she could be murdered and her near
est neighbor hear nothing of what
was taking place. As she threw her
self against the door in the attempt
to escape her weight caused the mas
sive old piece of furniture to fall
forward on its front, crushing be-
meath 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
companions had sustained. One lay
as though he were dead. He had
been struck on the head by a piece
OF the network browning the ward
robe, while the other was pinned be-
meath it firmly, and held so by Mrs.
Dickson's weight In about half an
hour the rest Of the household re-
turned home and were surprised to
see and hear nothing OF the lady.
They found The two men, one still
unconscious, and the other pleading
for his liberty.
Hearing no sound from Mrs. Dick
son within, the latter rogue endeav-
ored to secure his release by stating
that while passing by he had seen
Mrs. Dickson leaving the house
with a 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 wardrobe and upset it on
them before they could escape. The
fellow having hitherto borne fairly
good character, the story sounded
plausible enough, and he was about
to be set at liberty when the lady in
the wardrobe revived sufficiently to
call out: Thieves Robbers Help,
Helpm
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 strug-
gle succeeded in capturing the burg
lar The rest had busted themselves
.i5erating the poor widow, who was
soon able to tell the story Of her suf-
ferings for herself, and insisting 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 a horse
and is still at large. The remaining
thief is still lying insensible from
cOncussion NJ tho hro;,