St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-12-12
THIEVES NEATLY TRAPPED.
Peculiar Coastructioa Of Aexlcaa Doos
Fat Them In Their Plight.

LAST April l was down in Mexico.
said a travelling salesman, ION bust
ness trip, and one night my partner and
I had to remain over in q small place
about 50 miles out of Mexico city. II
wasn't such bad place either, but :he
landlord of the hotel told N that
thieves were plenty. and it they were
cornered they might stick their knives
into people. Our room in the little tav'
ern was q kind of a summer house At.
fair, out in the yard, with door on
each Of two sides, and was only . few
feet up from the ground on kind OF
q platform veranda. We had severa;
hundred dollars which we had collected
and the safest place we could put it was
in our satchels in our room.
"For wonder the doors had locks on
them, but the upper part Of the door was
made in Venetian shutter style, and .
man with long arm could, by stretch
ing, probably reach the lock. We
weren't very much afraid. and merely
locked the doors without noticing the
shutter part at all. Besides. 1t was dark
when we went to bed, as we didn't want
light to attract the insects. We slept
without disturbance until the first
gray streaks Of dawn, and then we
were awakened by . queer noise at the
doors.
''We suspected thieves at once, and
ns quiet as mice, we slipped out OF bed
and began to reconnoiter. When got
to my door it kind of gave me the crceps
to see a dirty yellow hand thrust through
the shutter and stretch itself downward
toward the lock, and was tempted te
yell and scare the marauder away
However. I kept my nerve. and in .
second or two it was strangely fascinat-
ing to watch the efforts Of the hand te
reach the lock. My partner was having
the same kind of an experience. and the
thieves were evidently intending to- take
MS 'a-comin' an a-gwine.'
I'VE stood irresolute for q minute
and then my partner made sign to M
to hand nim an old lariat hanging a
the wall. This in a second he hat
Hoped at each end, and I saw the trick
The Iext minute we had a hand apiec.
looped at each end Of the rope, ana
bad pulled it tight inside. Everything
had been perfectly still up to this time
and now 1t was stiller than ever. Dc
not know what the thieves thought had
happened to them, but they were
caught and as soon as we got the rops
knotted we let go. and they discovered
that they were tied together and there
wasn't any way for them to get away
unless one Of them pulled the other
through the knot-hole. 30 to speak.
''Then it became funny. and we sal
there nearly splitting, but never max
ing q sound. In minute or two more
we could see another hand coming
through with long. ugly knife in II
trying to cut the rope holding the first
hand, but We had drawn them far
through. and the other hand could NOT
reach. OF course we expected now tc
hear q yell. and have some kicking and
other disturbances. but the stoicism oi
the Indian was in them. and they neve,
spoke sound until the landlord him.
self spoke to them when he came L
wake MS up.
That was two hours or more later
and we lad in the meantime gone bacl
to bed to finish our morning nap, trust.
ing to luck that they wouldn't get away
The landlord. when he discovered them
made more noise In a minute than al
four of us had made since the act began
and when we got up IL was to find oul
garden house surrounded by half the
population Of the town. and the two
thieves sticking to our doors ~ II they
had been nailed there and nobody able
to get them loose."-WashinRson Star.
a Novel Psnishsasas for Theft In Afrses
We camped within q quarter of mile
Of the village; groups Of natives
brought meal, peanuts. eggs. ETC., and
traded with my men with the greatest
confidence. One Of my men was bath
ing in pool near by. and left his cloth
and knife near the trail; . party Of
natives passing seized the knife and
ran away; hearing OF thiA l quietly
took from man in the bona . very fine
spear, and refused to return It till the
knife was brought back. The natives
saw the justice Of this. and trading went
on ~ II nothing had happened. This
morning the knife was returned, and
no handed beck the spear-.tilave II
the Heart Of Africa. )" IN Century.
A1vssss 1sssinsay.