Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-02-29
AN ODD EXPERIENCE


II there are those inclined to doubt
the probability of the following story,
told to me as the truth BY an eminent
and trustworthy gentleman OF San Fran
cisco. they have yet to learn and com
prehend some Of the most vital things of
life. He said to me:
- few summers ago my family left
town TO spend some weeks in the cunn-
try gave the servants a vacation and
arranged to stay alone at my house. For
q change / had bed placed in the draw
ing room, which was in the front of the
house on the lower floor. On one side of
this room was the vestibule, into which
the outer door opened, and ON the other
an exterior passage, which opened upon
the street through gate, and which ran
back alongside the house in the rear Of
the premises. II was paved with boards,
some of which had worn slightly loose.
The gate was closed with an ordinary
lift latch.
1--WE had lived in the house q number
Of years, but had never slept in that
room before. The front Of the room was
taken up by bay window, which was
furnished ON the inside with ordinary
slat blinds. My bed was placed at the
opposite end of the room against the
sliding doors.
81 had arranged to take my meals
down town. On the first evening Of my
solitary occupancy returned to the
house shortly after dinner and read in
my improvised bedroom until 10 o'clock.
Then ] pulled dcwn one Of the upper
sashes Of the window, closed the blinds
and went to bed
Ordinarily would fall quickly
asleep on retiring, bat the novelty Of my
position and perhaps some business anx-
ieties kept me awake for an hour or
two. This worried me and made me
nervous. The stiffness of the night came
on, but still remained awake It was
while was lying in this state that
heard the latch Of the gate opening into
the side passage cautiously raised. then
some one step cautiously within. leaving
the gate open, and then footballs pro-
ceeding stealthily toward the rear of the
house, causing loose board here and
there to squeak.
~ listened with the most eager and
strained alertness, for my immediate
conclusion was that u burglar, perhaps
having observed the departure of the
family and assumed that the house had
been temporarily deserted, had come to
plumber the place. heard him try aud
then abandon the securely barred door
opening from the rear porch upon the
passage.
"A lattice extended from the lower
rear porch 10 the upper. Without NOV
| ing, heard the intruder slowly. but
nimbly scale the lattice and step upon
the floor Of the upper perch. Ahall door
and a bedcbamber window both opened
upon this porch, and ] was curious to
note which the burglar would attack and
began to wonder If they had been locked.
He chose the window. / heard the
sash lock snap under the pressure OF his
cold chisel. After pause he stepped in
to the room and proceeded to sansack it.
Il was my wife's room. and although
knew that she had provided elsewhere
for the safe care Of her furs and other
more valuable clothes. reflected that
there must have been left number Of
things which burglar might think
worthy Of attention. heard him strip a
blanket from the bed, spread 1t upon the
floor and proceed to pile upon 1t the
plumber which he found in trunks. chit
foniers, closets and the like. Then he
stepped to the open door into the pas
sage and stood listening for moment.
These occurrences had surprising
effect upon my nerves. The door be
tween my temporary bedroom and the
vestibule was open for ventilation. and
realized that was almost In physical
touch with the man who would not
hesitate to kill me should that prove nee
essary to his safety. ] knew that sooner
or later he would descend the stairs, at
the foot Of which was the open door Of
my room. II would not have been diff
cult for mo to waylay him and make an
effort to cripple or kill him In the dark
ness with one of dozen Of the conveu-
lent articles which remembered were in
the room, including heavy poker, some
bronze statuettes, chairs, stools and the
like. Ordinarily, as you are aware, am
not timid man. but tell you now
that an unaecountable fear asaailed me
and held me prisoner. It requires good
deal of candor to make that admission,
bat 1t il necessary to a complete under
staHdiag Of this remarkable experience.
After standing III a listening atsi-
cautiously descended the stairs, and, az
expected, left my room alone and pro-
ceeded to the dining room. knew that
the solid silverware had been sent away
for safe keeping, and SO was not sur
gFised Wbsn the burglar, after handling
| the plated ware which he found and
making it tinkle softly and gently, left
1t, made an unprofitable search Of otber
roona and returned TO the foot Of the
stairs This brought him again TO my
door. He paused on the threshold, lis
tened Ia silence moment aud then
started mp stairs. Ia that moment sui
fered such reasonless agony Of terror
as cannot be explained on ordinery
grounds. held my breath until I was
nearly su6ocaEed. and when the man
turned 10 leave / was cold to ths marrow.
He reasceDded the stairs, tied up bis
bundle. passed through The window and
closed ii. dropped the parcel over ths
rail, elambered dowu the lattice and
sgest away as be had come. shutting the
gate ba5ind lEsxn-
81 felt intensely relieved when be
hzd ossrla End 4 rNaekfnu set In that