Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-03-21
A TRAPPED BURGLAR
TnE NICELY PREPARED GAIT WAS
EAGERLY TAKEN.


Time.
"Of course, said the retired burglar,
"a man in my business Is always on
the lookout for traps and most Of 'em
he can circumvent without much trou-
bic. But men 20 10 a lot Of trouble and
expense 10 lay traps. and sometimes
they get mp something that Is new and
effective suppose that any man go
ing into adwelling house would be sure
70 look over the bureaus and dressing
tables In the sleeping rooms II was
this well known professional habit no
doubt that had suggested the idea Of q
trap came across once. which man
had had built with view to catching
anybody that might stand in front OF
| the bureau in his room.
~ imagine that this man must have
been visited before and been very much
irritated by it. because he never could
have gone 10 all the trouble and ex-
pense he did just for mere protection
there was clearly some feeling In II. IL
was handsome room. promising look
| ing from its richness. and when turned
my light on the bureau, where l went.
naturally enough, 10 begin, was not
disappointed There was glitter Of
glass and silver in the bullseye and rs
I swept the light along IL struck q
pocketbook that didn't glitter much.
| bat that looked fat and comfortable,
and watch that did shine, and. take 1t
altogether. it made me think that here
was the home Of a man that didn' I
have H. work nights To rSake both ends
meet. And 80 | set my lamp down on
one end II the bnreau--it made me
laugh. actually. 10 think that there was
20 much good stuff there that had to
shove something one side to make room
for it--and put my bag down on chair
that was there and began cleaning the
things off
I'D just put the silver hairbrushes
in the bag and had turned around to
the bureau again tn pick up the pocket
book and the watch when heard, or il
seemed ~ though felt, little click,
and Just the faintcst touch OF Jarring
or yielding under my feet. and the
next instant. n long time before could
Jump or do ANYTHING whatever, a piece
Of the four under my feet about three
feet square dropped out from under me-
and down went
L \ l.A,ft .,ty. m hv LONG
shot. was an ablebodied man. and
| my hands were free-my lamp being
| then on the corner Of the bureau and
my bag on the chair-and l wasn't go
ing 10 give IL up yet. II l was going
down trap, The trapdoor was hung
on hinges ON the side far,hest from
the bureau. and laughed TO myself as
I put mp my hands and thought how
easy IL was 10 grab on 10 the edge OF
the solid floor running along just in
front Of the bureau and haul myself up
| Truly il seemed like WHSLE of money,
all the expense this man had been to to
put in the trap without guarding
against the chance Of escape from II by
4
myself climbing out rs threw up my
hands. which did before I'd dropped
much morc'n half Of my length below
the level Of the door. gripping that firm
edge very tightly. was going to make
sure OF that
| "And got il all right, but In about
a miilionth part Of second ] became
| conscious If tho fact that IL wan {
stopping me at all: I was carrying IL
down with me. 1t was the front edge
Of another trap cut in the floor under
the bureau. hinged at the back and held
up in place by spring just strong
enough TO keep it in position. held ON
as hard rs conld. bat IL | had had iron
| fingers and steel muscles couldn { have
held ON after the trap had swung down
/ straight went down like ton OF
| lend. and the next minute found my
self sliding through smooth board
tunnel not much biggcrn enough to
let me slide comfortably. and the next
minute I'd been shot into a box or room
about seven feet square through an
other trap in the top Of IL that closed
flush after I came through.
Now. there was situation for you.
Me In n square box Of hard pine. ap
parently in the cellar Of the house no
opening in il anywhere and my bag
with all my tools in it mp there on the
chair by the bureau and me down
there with nothing. not blessed thing.
TO work with. But while there's life
there's hope, and / never should have
thought Of such a thing as giving up II
could have had chance. But didn't
/ hadn't been in the box two minutes
before there was slide pushed back up
near the top ON one side. and man
looked in. IL was the boss Of the shanty.
And in FIVE minutes the police were
there, and then found they had door
in this box big enough TO get man out
of.
Il have seen other traps as elaborate,
but none more costly. He had to cut
his carpet. to begin with. around the
traps in this room. OF course that didn' {
cost anything much. but it spoiled his
carpet. and then the cost of the traps
and the time continuance, whatever it
was. that was attached to the main
trap that let me stand on it for n min
ute or two before it dropped, and then
the shoot and the box and the whole
business couldn't have cost cent less
than 500 OF $500 1t cost me four
years time. New York Sun.
Haydn and His "CreatiOn."
In 1908 a grand performance of the
"Creation" took place in Vienna.