The record-union., 1893-09-19
A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
Peter CampbeIPs Desperate Battle
With Burglar.
After Having His Thumb Nearly Bitten
Off, He Was Forced to Quit at
the Pistols Muzzle.

Peter Campbell, clerk in McEwen's
grocery store at Third and y streets, had
an experience with burglar yesterday
morning that he will not soon forget.
Campbell lives in little cottage at 2l7
M street, the only occupants of which are
himself, his young wife and their two
weeks old infant. Shortly before o'clock
yesterday morning Mrs. Campbell was
awakened by her infant, but soon fell
into doze again, and while in this half
asleep condition she thought several
times that she heard slight noise in the
room.
A lamp burned low on the bureau, and
she looked across the room TO see if the
family cat was not perched on trunk by
the window. Seeing nothing she aroused
her husband and asked him if he had put
the cat out of the house before retiring.
MIR. Campbell was very confident that
he had elected the feline.
"Then," whispered his wife, ''there is
surely someone in the house. for l have
heard a noise for some time.o
Mr.. Campbell promptly leaped from
the bed only to find himself confronted
by strange man standing near the foot
of the bed and by the door opening into
the front room. At once the burglar
made dash to get past Campbell and
reach the kitchen, the door leading to
which he had left open to facilitate his
flight.
Although just awakened from a sound
sleep, Campbell had his wits about him,
and caught the fellow just as he was go
ing through the door opening into the
dining-room. But it was another case of
catching a Tartar" In his effort to
grasp the fellow by the throat his left
thumb was thrust in dangerous proX-
unity to the enemy's mouth, and the
enemy made the most of the situation.
Selling Campbell's thumb between his
teeth the fellow closed his jaws upon il
like wise, and in his efforts to pull loose
Campbell had his thumb badly lacerateG.
By this time Mrs. Campbell weak as
she was, ran to her husbands rescue and
tried TO catch the burglar by the thro;lt-
but he shook her OF. In the meantin %
he was making good use of his hands,
and succeeded in getting out large
pocket nile with a blade over three
fellows wrist with his right hand anu
shook the knife loose.
Then Campbell caught sight of pistol
in the burglars hand just as the latter
pulled it from his pocket, and fearing
that both himself and wife might be mur-
dered-as he was still held a prisoner by
the thumb-he told the burglar that if he
would leave the house without further
violence he might do so unmoleSted.
The burglar accepted the terms, and
covering Campbell with the pistol made
him stand back. Campbell asked the
intruder what he had secured.
''What Pve got, Pm going to keep ~
was the reply, and STOPPING down he
gathered up Campbells trousers and
~ v01 ~EN L.
kitchen, keeping his pistol pointed at
Campbell all the time.
Reaching the yard he made his way
through a narrow and tortuous passage
way to the alley, by which he had
entered. There are two or three doors in
the passage-way, but the fellow had left
them all open when he went in.
The burglar got away with much less
than he had on entering. When Camp
bell went TO gather up the trophies of the
battle he found an almost new black
derby hat, pair of large pincers for cut
ting wire, a combined can-opener ana
glass-cutter, screw-driver, an awl, the
knife referred TO above. and the butt of a
loaded whip-handle, about two feet long.
The nippers, ETC., were found on a
| table, where the burglar had laid them
for convenient use. The knife and hat
were left onahe scene of the struggle.
1t was found that two windows on the
back porch had been tampered with, one
having been pried open and ingress to
the kitchen effected.
Mr.. Campbell believes the burglar had
an idea that he might have had some of
his employers money in his possession,
otherwise he cannot understand why
his house should have been selected for
the raid. Once he did have some money
lett by q friend for safe-keeping, and
someone who was evidently aware of the
fact got away with it-possibly the same
fellow. This time, however, he got
nothing.
1t is supposed the burglar at first made
a mistake in the house. for just before he
entered Campbell's he had been through
the house of William Hale, next door,
and although he made pretty thorough
tour of the rooms all he took was the
biad-awl found after his flight.
EVIDENTLY a PAIR OF THEM.
| Shortly before the houses of Hale and
Campbell were entered burglars also
went through the residence of Henry
Miller, at 3l9 n street, and that of a
| neighbor named AZevedo.
| Nothing was missed from either place,
except that the one who visited Miller S
house left behind him a well-worn black
derby hat of the old-style pattern, in ex-
change for Miller's soft felt hat. The
| burglars hat is several sizes larger than
the one left behind by the burglar with
whom Campbell had the struggle, indi-
eating that there must have been twoaor
more of them engaged in the work.
| Mrs. Hale, whose place was visited,
says she heard men talking in the alley
in the rear OF their house Just before
CampbelPs place was entered.
1t is said that boy who was up quite
early saw two men in the alley in that
block and heard one call to the other to