Year: 1866

From the Dubuque Qowa) Times, Augustl5.


We had room and time to refer only
briefly to the burglariouS entrance OF the
" Gaines House yesterday morning. This
house, occupied as a clearinghouse for
mcrly by Mrs. Townsend, for few weeks
past by Mrs. Kent, is situated on Bluff
street, between Fourth and Fifth. In the
rear of the building is an addition, q bed
room, containing two beds, in each OF
which slept two young ladies. This room
has two doors, one connecting with the
hall of the main building, one leading out
into the yard in the rear. About hali-paSt
two in the morning, one OF these ladies
was awakened by feeling that some one
had hold Of her feet and limbs. Though
conscious of this, she felt stupciied and
bcnumbcd, and for while could not move
or speak. In the dim light prevailing the
room she saw aperson-a tall man, heavily
built, with black hair and whiskerS. He
felt along up her side and arms TO her face,
feeling over her cheeks and chin two or
three times, very slowly and carefully, as
if to discover whether there were any
whiskcrs upon the face. The lady, by
the way, one possessed with much
common sense, sclf-posscssion, and
"nerve," was now beginning to re-
partly rose up in bed, and attempted
to make an outcry. Upon this the man
ceased his manipulations, took bottle IN
one hand and cloth in the other, shook
the bottle, poured some of the contents
upon the cloth, and attempted to apply 1t
to the nostrils; but she struck it away
from her and continued her outcrieS,
pinching and striking her sleeping compa-
Mon, but without being able to awake her
for some time, although she declares she
heard all that was going on long before
she was able to speak or move. Mean
while the burglar laid down his bottle and
brought revolver into view, pressing its
muzzle hard upon the temple of the first
lady mentioned. While in this position
the second one mentioned, who slept be-
hind the former, recovered her conscious
ness and the control of her muscles, and
sprang from her bed. The burglar started
towards the outside door, while the other
started for the door leading to the main
part of the house, and called for help.
The house was soon reused, but it was not
until lamp was lit and several of the
household were advancing along the hall
that the burglar left.


Early in the affair, after feeling along the
first young lady's feet and limbs, the bur
gar stopped, leaned over to the back of
the bed to see if the lady there was sound
asleep, went to the other bed and watched
to see ifthey were, then slipped the catch to
the outside window (having entered by the
window, which had been left open for ven
tilation), partially opened the door so the
light would shine in, then went around the
room examining closely and feeling Of the
dresses hanging upon the wall, sc. Then
he came back and finished his explorations
along the side, arms, and head OF the first
young lady, till she regained the use of her
limbs and lungs, as before mentioned.


The young ladies in the other bed, when
first coming to consciousness, saw the man
and his operations, but were unable to
speak or move for some time afterwards.
when all four had recovered, the outcry
was appalling, rousjng the lodgcrs from
the fourth story. The young lady VINO
first recovered her consciousness could not
avoid inbaling some of the chloroform ad-
ministered after she began to recover her
consciousness and ability to move and
recognized it instantly as chloroiorm,
bringing the bedqunt between her mouth
and nose and tho mans hand. The room
was intolerable from the stencil OF chloro-
form when the other lodgers came in. Out
side tho window was certainly one, and