The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-24


that pair of legs were visible on the
ladder.
I As Joseph Samuel was inclined for
activity all night, and was prompt then
in his resolutions. which was not the
case by day, he stole downstairs on tip
toe, and opened the back door softly.
| He was in his robe de mutt That did
not matter. The air was cool but not
frosty, and no rain was falling. He
| was at the back of the house-the op-
posite side to that at which the ladder
was set up. and where he had observed
/ the legs. He knew where his father
kept a ladder. He went barefooted to
the spot, removed the ladder planted at
| the back of the house. climbed up it
without causing the smallest noise, and
succeeded in making his way eau
tiously up the tiles till he reached the
| ridge of his fathers roof. Holding to
the ridge tiles, he heaved himself up
by both hands breast high above the
ridge-piece.
Then he saw what was being done on
| the further side.
| Two men were there One was on q
| ladder and held another by the ankles
who had scram bled onto the roof. The
| latter was lifting tile after tile and
feeling under each, obviously expect
ing TO find and carry off the farrier's
store of savings.
Joseph Samuel Wardley did not hest
tate for moment what to do. With
perfect presence of mind and great
energy as well as courage, he said:
Boz
The robbers were staggered. They
! looked up, saw semi-whlte figure ris-
/ ing above the roof, glowering at them.
| Their nerve gave way. He who was
on the ladder let go the ankles of the
man on the roof; the latter slid down,
/ and fell on the man with his feet on
the ladder rungs, and both were pre-
cipitated to the bottom
| Joseph Samuel now aroused the
! house. and the burglars were arrested.
/ One had dislocated his hip, and the
other had conclusion of the brain, his
his head having fallen on brick Had
/ the brick been a little harder, it is be-
! lieved it would have broken his head;
as it was, the burglars head broke the
/ brick-split it into three pieces
The two men were delivered over to
the police, and were brought before
the magistrates at the petty sessions,
/ who consigned them to be tried at the
quarter sessions for attempted bur-
glary.
| When the trial came on, the plea put
I in for the two men was that they had
! been bird-nesting, and evidence was
produced that they had been seen
| going up trees
Nothing had been taken The house
had not been broken into. so that some
difficulty was entertained as to the ma
ture of their offense, and the amount
OF punishment to be awarded if found
guilty. Finally, they were found guilty
of an attempt at bird-nesting with
felonious intent, and were ordered nine
months imprisonment with hard labor.
This incident determined the mind of
the blacksmith as to the proper avoca-
ton for his son. Joseph Samuel must
become policeman. A bobby has
to be about at night and that was pre-
cisely what Joseph was calculated for,
as he could not sleep at night
He was so able-bodied, was such a
fine figure of man, that be was at
once accepted and put in the force. He
assumed the not unpicturesque uniform
of a county policeman, and believed
that he had found his true occupation.
He was 6aally planted at place on
the opposite sida of the little county.
OF course, the fame of his exploit had
preceded him. tie was looked up to
rs a man of the greatest ability, en-
ergy and resolution, and it was con-
cluded that with him in the parish
everything was safe.
1t was conjectured, rather than
known, that the fear of Joseph Samuel
| had fallen on all the miscreants in the
county of Rutland 1t was high time
that men of superior order of intelli-
gence should be engaged in the force,
for a number of robberies had been
committed of late on the graziers of
Rutlandshire The low land, readily
overfowed, serves for the rearing of
young cattle till they are fit to kill,
when they are sent in great numbers
TO the London market. There had
been theft Of calves and young bull
locks. Sometimes the live beasts ha d
been carried off, rapidly dispatched
and dismissed to London before the
day broke. Some graziers had lost Sc
verely. 1t was not possible to say
where the next robbery would take
place; consequently all were equally
anxious and uneasy.
a small farm er was one evening on
his way to the nearest town. He had
the carcass of a young bullock 10 dis
pose Of His ground was overhowed.
and as he could no longer feed his
bullock he killed it, and was taking the
carcass to London when, passing
through Bashentine-the village at
which Joseph Samuel was quartered-
be disposed of it to the village butcher,
who at once removed the dead meat
and paid the man for it.
The farmer had something 10 do in
the town besides selling the carcass, so
he proceeded on his way, but drew up
at little tavern, where he was fond Of
having his glass He embarrassed his
horse, ran the light cart under cover
and entered the public house. The
man was addicted to drink; he had
money in his pocket; he met there with
some chums; and the end was that he
resolved TO make a night Of IL
a spirit of perversity rules the des-
+i-,,ao c,< r,a, A. lO1- ac Io-apb Cav.