The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-07-26
Punished A BURGLAR

..hose home is in northern Pennsylvania
,,hen he is not serving his country. "My
Lorse ia three miles from the city on a fine
,,;occ of road, and though there is a good
loo1 of passing that way | have never been
,,oubled with marauders about my place ex
cont for the usual raids on my orchard and
,his ore occasion about which | am telling
you.
"Not that | was in the habit of wishing
for an adventure with burglar, for ! de-
sired nothing of the sort. While the life |
led was a quiet one it suited me quite well,
and did not need little gun.play exercise
with midnight marauder to appreciate the
beauty of living. ] had never imagined that
brralars were possible in that secluded spot
and so was all the more surprised when one
,eolly arrived. In fact, ! do not really un-
derstand how | made myself believe that
my visitor was a burglar before ! saw him.
'It was on a winter night about one o'clock
chat was disturbed by some one falling over
/, chair in the room next to mine This was
tbe dining-room, and my room was the only
one on that floor which was occupied at
NIGHT. thought it might be somebody who
had no business there, and, taking my re-
yolyer, proceeded to investigate, having
waited long enough for the burglar, if it was
burglar, to think that the noise he had
made had not wakened anybody.
Il slipped along the hall to the parlor in
front and came back through the parlor to
the duing-room door, which was ajar. |
could see a dim light coming through the
doorway, which | knew was out of the or
dnary condition in that room at that hour,
and. expecting to have a scrap, nerved my
self for it by standing stock still for minute
and wondering what the dickens anybody
wanted to be robbing houses for and giving
the inmates all sorts of disagreeable feel
ines. Did you ever tackle burglar in the
dead of the night? No? Well, you'll never
know what it is like until you've been
there. Knowing that if ! made any noise
the burglar would turn his eyes and perhaps
his gun to about the place where he thought
a mans head ought to be when he came
through a door, | got down on my hands
and knees and crawled up to where ! could
peep in. He did not hear me, and | could
see him, over in the corner where the side
board was, taking bite to eat preparatory
to loading what swag he had collected in
the shape of silver spoons and other bric-a-
brac into his bag. A lamp, turned down
low, was on the sideboard beyond him, and
| had good look at him. i wanted to shoot
him on the spot, but that didn't seem to be
quite fair so | rose to my feet with my
gun on him and ordered him to throw up
his hands. ] don't know which one of us
IL. l.,,t \ Il
the advantage, and he let his hands go up
and begged me not to shoot. | told him L
would use my own pleasure about that, and
went over and turned up the light.
"He was not bad-looking burglar, as bur
glars go, man of 80, perhaps, and evidently
not an old hand at the business, or he never
would have stumbled over that chair The
only weapon he carried was small four
barreled pistol, which | still have as SOU
venr Of the occasion, and after had got
him in helpless condition | began to won
der what | was going to do with him. 1t
was bitter cold night, and didn't want to
drive to town with him; neither did | want
to sit up all night with him, and we had no
telephone. He begged me to let him 60;
he was only a beginner, and would swear
Oft forever if | gave him chance.
"After thinking the matter over | con-
cluded to give him the chance, although
was going to do it my own way. told him
] had no wish to spoil his future, and that
upon his solemn promise to reform | would
let him 90. He went down on his knees,
swearing that he would never do so any
more, and | told him to get up and take
off his coat. He asked me what for, but
sad that was my business, and to do what
l told him. He obeyed me, and | followed
with orders to take off his waistcoat and
his collar He objected when | told him
to take off his trousers, but | got buggy
whip standing in the corner, and lick
or two with it convinced him that he had
better obey orders and file his objections
at some later period. 1t required few more
lcks with the whip to get his shoes and shirt
of, but after that he submitted, and present
ly he was ready for the bath. He was
elean-limbed, clear-skinned, healthy chap,
and felt quite certain in my mind he was
equal to the stunt | had arranged for him.
Il made him put on his shoes now, leav-
ing of his socks, and then | conducted him
TO the front door, which | had noticed he
ieit open in order to facilitate his departure
In case of emergency. He shivered when he
came out into the draft, but did not offer
him an overcoat
" For Gods sake, mister, he asked, as his
teeth chattered, what are you going to do
with me-"
I'm going to let you CO. | responded,
ana you've got to go like thunder or you'll
ileeze to death It's three miles to town,
out the road is smooth, and you have on
your shoes and are not carrying any extra
weight, The mercury is down to zero, and
Il you stop to loaf along the way you'll be
tostbtten, so you had better hustle pretty
H'eIy, Get out, now, and get quick and
opened the door wide, hit him cut with
'he whip, and he went out and off the porch
Wth jump. He never stopped to look
oack, but went down the gravel path to the
gate like sprinter The moon was shining
ana could see him for quarter of mile
g0wn G,n the pike, going like a scared rabbit.
lhen returned to my virtuous couch, feel
iug as II had done a great work of re-
form and wishing l could catch burglar
about three times week.
The morning paper had a notice in its last
.aluon OF the capture of clotheless man
a. i'fo a. m. by the police, who chased him
naii mile straightaway on bicycle, 1t was
not known whether he was lunatic or not,
ana he was held on suspicion. went around