Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-07-17

shutters We're open. Annette" said
Bertha, "get up, child; they are getting
into the ROOM" and she bounded to
the door into the hall and opened 1t. AS
for me, l was paralyzed with fright,
expecting each moment to see white
mask enter the room; whether the noise
alarmed them, l know not; however,
they did not do SO; and Bertha, whose
courage and self-possession never left
her, turned up the gas to its full ex-
tent, and refastened the shutters. "An-
ette,' she said, dress as quickly rs you
can" herself setting me the example.
More dead than alive, did us she de-
sired. All was silent for n little time,
perhaps for ten minutes, although to us
1t seemed hours, when we heard the
servants window open, and whfs-
pered conversation carried on in mems
voices. Another danger menaced us;
they We're in the house. As sat watch
Ing the door from the lobby into the
hall, which Bertha had unlocked, the
idea flashed across my mind that they
would enter from there. 1.-THE tloorp,
said. Bertha understood me- and flew
to 1t and fastened it. Not one moment
too soon! for, as she did so, the handle
was turned, aud muttered curse greet
ed her ear However, they were not to
be bafiled SO easily, and thinking, no
doubt, they were all safe, began picking
the lock.
OF course, our only chance lay In
alarming the house. Scream, Nettie,
as loud as you can" said Bertha, and
she seized the bellrope, pulling it fran
tically. Fright lent me power, and GER
tainly the horrible yells in which In
obliged We're enough to awaken the
dead The servants ran up after n
time, but we would not open the door
to them. AT last the landlndy and the
other boarders were aroused, and
knocked at our door, and we let them
in. When Bertha opened the shutters
there was the window up, the pane
just above the fastening cut away. We
told what had happened, and our be-
lief that there We're robbers at hat mo-
ment in Sle servants room. Margaret
and the cook turned as pale as death
at the remark; and when the two gen
tlemen went to search the house, they
stood with their back to their chamber
doors, daring them to enter. and they
did not.
All the servants We're discharged the
next day, and two weeks after the
whole of New York rang with the story
of one of the most horrible murders
that Ind ever been committed. One
of the victims was not quite dead when
the crime was discovered, although
she expired n few hours after the fear
full injuries she had received. But she
lived long enough to be the means of
bringing the dread band to justice. A
widow lady, with her two grown-up
daughters, three younger children and
their governess, resided In one of the
new streets uptown; they We're com.
fortably off, and the lady. whose name
was Maynard, was in the habit of keep
ing rather II large sum of money in her
desk.
Her house was broken into by men
with white masks, and the whole of
the family slaughtered with the ex-
ception of the governess, who lived
long enough to tell the story. She had
been left for dead by the monsters
who decamped after their deed of
blood with all the valuable they could
find. And it appeared that two new
servants Mrs. Maynard had engaged
n fa1y dave bafnra warn IN, Inn U,,a wifi,