Year: 1876

A NOCTURNAL VISIT OF THIEVES TO THE COT


TAGE OF A LONELY GERMAN IN GLENNs HoI.-


Low-THEY BIND HIM, ATTEMPT TO SET FIRE


TO HIM AND ROB HIM OF TWO THOUSAND


DOLLARS.


! RosEvILLT, Pa. Feb % 1876.
| Eberhard Beiman old German, wbo for fifteen
years past has lived by himself in lonely place known
| as Glenn's Hollow, about mile from this village, was,
| not long since, visited by three masked robbers,
who forced him. by the cruel torture to tell them
the whereabouts of certain OF money he had in
his house, 1t being generally known that Beman has
for years been the recipient of monthly allowance
from relatives In Germany, of which allowance he
very little and secretes the rest about his premises
Every morning, without exception, from the time
Beilnan came this section until Tuesday last he
| walked 10 this village purchase quart of beer
| for his during the day. Tuesday morning he did
| not make his appearance which excited such general
remark when 1t became known that two or three vii
layers his house the hollow to what
| the matter Their knock at his front door was
answered by moan, as If of some one in pain. The
| window curtain Drawn, and nothing could be seen
from the outside The visitors went round to the back
DOOR which they found open Entering the house they
| found the old German bound down in heavy arm
| cnair with a BEDFORD cotheslne, and cloth
tied over his mouth The smelt strongly OF
| smoke and kerosene and burned remnants OF paper,
rags and straw were slrewed about the floor Under
| the old mans chair the floor was burned nearly
through and the legs and bottom OF the chair
badly charred showing that fire bad
been built beneath it. What clothing the German
had on saturated with kerosene. Tho +


large chest bookcase, which formed part of the
furniture OF the room, were strcwn about; the old
mans bed stripped OF clothes, and the straw
"A nI1odo
also torn open the whole house presented scene
OF the utmost confusion. Beilman was clothed only
IN his pants and shirt, the iormer having evidently
been hastily drawn He was at once released
when he broke forth IN strain OF the most heart
broken amcntaton as he looked about his disordered
room. II was some time before he could be calmed
sufficiently explain the situation in which he
found Ills manner OF speaking the English language
is not good but the following iacts were elected IRON
HIM


| A CALL OF CHARITY


AS was his habit he went TO bed at half-past eight
o'clock Monday evening, after locking his and
barricading them usual by rolling his chest against
one and putting bar across the other. About one
O'Clock, he could judge, having clock he
aroused by some one knocking at his front door
He lay still until the knocking repeated several
times each timo louder when he got up and inquired
who there.


| "A poor man, almost frozen who wants to get
warm the reply in FAINT voice, II the speaker
were shiverng The night was not cold, and the old
man felt confident that he WAS bcsegcd by some
who meant harm He replied, however, that he had
fire that OF night and informed the appii-
cant that the village tavern was but mile distant
The replied tnat he could walk no further, and
must get in. Belman, to what the speaker looked
like, cautiously raised his window curtain and looked
out What was his alarm TO discover two men stand
ing door, each having short club in his
hand The quite light, and Beiiman could
see that the men had ves or some other covering on
| their faces.


Although greatly alarmed the old German hastily de-
cded u plan TO escape from the house and hasten
the hill To the village and give the alarm He
cordingy removed the chest away from the back door
as quietly possible, unlocked It and stepped
tously out on the ground, only to be seized by
ehaRa Nhrr rloa
the OLD man mouth before he could make outcry,
and held him firmly despite his desperate struggles.
At signal from this man, who was also velled, the
other two running 10 the back door. On seeing
Beman prisoner, one oil the them exclaimed


"By God, Jack, that's cleverl"


He also burst out IN quite loud laugh when one OF
his companions adnonshed him, "For Gods sake
keep quiet" They took Beilman back into hls house.
closed the door, and before striking light took two
quilts from the bed and put one to each window, first
tying CLOTH which one OF tncm produced about the
mouth OF the Old German. When everything WAS IN
readiness they lit match. found the lamp and LIT that
keeping 1t turned low They then tied Beiiman in his
chair with rope which one OF the men cut from the
bed.


rHR HIDDEN TREASURE DIscoyKRED.


whom he was secured the gag removed from
Beiiman's mouth and OF the masked put
pistol to his head aud badc him tell them
where he had his money hid or he would kill him,
and that he would kill hlm anyway II he made
any Oucry. The German, although almost dead
/ with tear replied that he was u poor and had
hId away all false. Meantime tho two other
robbers ransackng the room, rumniagIng in the
chest and bookcase ana ripping open the Oedllng In
the straw tick Bciman had goo IN greenbacks sewed
up In an old vest This the robbers secured bcsucs
nearly as much IN gold which was hid IN the chest
Alter searching in all available places and nndng
the with the pistol demanded the where
abouts OF any further sums Bclman might have and
gave him 1--WE minutes to tell at the end which time he
would be killed II he had revealed the hiding place OF
his treasure. The German declared that he had
more but, refusing TO swear Bible they found in
his stand that they had found all his money, ht was
informed that lac must tell or die. He replica that he
might us well die as TO be left penniless Finding
their threats OF murder tailed produce the desired
effect they resoried to other means They set ire TO
wisps OF straw paper &c aud held them close To the
bottoms OF the old Germans leet and passed them
near his face us To singe his whskers and hair Not
withslanding the pain and mental agony occasoncd by
this Beilmans lovo for hts hidden wealth too
strong TO be broken Ia that way The robbers then
declared that they would burn him up II hc did not
tell They found the kerosene can ana sprinkled his
clothing with OIL. They piled some straw paper
and other nilammable stun under his chair,
aud set IRE 10 a. Although Bcilman declares as
hts belief that he had possessed the with
stand this tcst the robbers would have the
naines before they had done him any injury yet when


Tue smeke began TO roll up around his face and cnveop
ana choke nm, and he heard the swapping OF tho fire
beneath him, and an occasional tongue Of flame
shoot out, and began fee the heat of the hre as n
crept up the legs OF hts chair his courage him
and he called out 10 his despoers put out the nre
\ and he would tell them whore they could and more
money. They made him on the Bible that he
would sye W every hiding place however before they
burning material, scattered u about the room and
beat out the hre In one place, the old
man says he told them where they might
| find $780, and they found H. In different places IN
chinks and under boards they searched under his
direction until they got about 81 COO They accepted
Beinan's declaration that he had more alter prose
cutting further search their account but they
len behind them over S. Oo0 which hidden under
Hat stone In an Outbuhdng.


AMER turninge things topsey-turvey they again
gagged and bound the old man. and secured him In the
chair On taking their leave they mocked their victin
BY proessns great reeret al parting with him 50 soon