The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-06-05
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Narrow Escape
Never Sleep Two In a
Room al a Hotel
By ANDREW c. EWING

cago | was obliged to go there on busi-
tention was the settlement of debt
owed about which there had been a
quarrel. In order to be prepared to
| pay as soon as we should arrive at
stated amount provided myself with
al 900 in bank bills. arrived in Chi
cago at 8 o'clock and went to several
hotels without being able to secure a
room. Finally | was told at second
class house that l might have one Of
| two beds in a room, the other bed
being occupied by man.
was tired and sleepy. and accept
ed the offer. | had to decide whether
| would deposit my money with the
landlord or take it to my room with
nee. Had the house been first class |
would certainly have adopted the for
mer course AS it was, | concluded to
keep my money with me. 1t was 10
o'clock when | went to bed. My room
mate was not there. so | had a choice
of beds. The apartment was long and
narrow. One bed was beside the door.
person occupying the bed by reaching
out-an arm. The other bed was at the
other end of the room. near a window.
| selected the bed by the door. which
besides the lock was provided with a
bolt. | left the door unlocked and un-
bolted so that my roommate could get
In when he came. My pocketbook.
containing my bills, put directly un-
der my pillow. | turned the gas low
and lay down, hoping the occupant of
the other bed would soon come in. for
| was tired and wished to go to sleep.
But despite my efforts to keep awake
/ failed.
| was awakened by his coming, or,
rather, the turning up of the gas jet
which shone in my eyes. i could see
the man very plainly. and the moment
did so ! wished was anywhere than
where l was. did not like the mans
appearance. He undressed himself
without paying any attention to me.
so far as could see, and. turning out
the gas. got into bed. had expected
that he would lock the door, but he
didn't
tried to satisfy myself that had
imagined the man to look worse than
he really was. 1t also seemed to me
that had he any designs upon me he
would have noticed me while he was
undressing. While thinking about him
] fell asleep.
was awakened by a sound at the
other end of the room. could not
tell what caused it, but thought that
something had fallen. I listened. but
all was still. Then I put my hand
under my pillow to make sure that my
purse was still there. 1t was not.
Should reach out and lock the door,
thus conining myself with a robber.
or leave him free egress from the
room?
My first impulse was to let him go
My life was worth more to me than
the $1,000, but | did not feel like sub
mitting to robbery. 1t was not the
money was about to lose. but tamely
suffering wrong. AS thougl about
the latter my courage began to rise
and | reached out and locked and
bolted the door.
| presumed the man to be armed
but he had no means of ascertaining II
had a weapon until should attempt
to use it upon him. My locking the
door might act in several different
ways. First. 1t might seem to him
that having been awakened by the
sound. I had heard, even without feel
ing for my pocketbook. had reached
out to learn If the door had been lock-
ed. and not finding II so. | had locked
and bolted 1t: secondly. it might mean
to him that ! had missed my money
and had resolved to lock him in and
fight for 1t. In the latter case he
would be likely to infer that was
armed.
After throwing the bolts I lay per-
fectly still. 1t occurred to me that
whether the man were in bed or some
where else in the room, he would
make nc movement until he had rea-
son to suppose | was at least not med
itating any overt act. In order to sat
isfy him of this 7 began to breathe
hard. like one asleep Nevertheless
did not change the direction of my
vision for moment from the other end
of the room
There was a faint light coming
through the window. and presently
saw a figure darken the latter. Wheth-
er 1t faced me or the window I could
not tell. but knew my enemy was out
of bed That he was near the window
was evident from his apparent size
Was he examining an escape from that
end of the room?
The silhouette disappeared from be-
fore the window, coming. it seemed.
toward me. But except when 1t stood
out between me and the window l
tould not tell where 1t was. could
hear no sound of the man getting into
bed. Indeed. Tor some time l could
hear nothing
Inaction took away my nerve be-
gan to regret having locked the door
Had not done this the robber might
have gone peaceably out without muir
dering me- which he could easily do IL