Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1879 — A Bad House for Burglars. [ARTICLE]

A Bad House for Burglars.

“Mr. Beecher,” said the reporter, “you have read the account of the killing of a burglar by Capt. Richards, of the Seventh regiment. What do you think of it?” “ Entirely justifiable! ” answered Mr. Beecher, with emphasis. “Suppose you found a burglar in your house at night, what would you do?” “Shoot him quick as lightning!” exclaimed the clergyman, almost fiercely. “Any man who, from motives of personal safety, allows a burglar to walk through his house with impunity not only acts in a cowardly manner, but violates one of the most sacred duties he «wes to the community. Every man’s house is his castle, not only to live in, but to defend. I regard him who fails to defend it in the same light as I would a soldier who, being intrusted with the defense of a fort, allows the enemy unresisted to enter and take possession of it. To permit a burglar to ransack my house is an injustice to the community, because it holds out a temptation to shiftless young men to commit burglaries. Experienced cracksmen, of course, will run risks where there is a big prize to be won, but ordinary robberies are committed by less fearless men, who would not attempt them if they knew they would incur the danger of being killed in the Ret. Now what could a burglar get by coming into my hoese? The things he could gather up and carry off are such as he could not sell for more than S2O, and do you think he would risk his life for that? No, indeed! But, he argues: ‘Beecher is a clergyman; he would rather lose twenty watches than take a man’s life.’ Not a bit of it. I wouldn’t let him take even the pointer of a watch. And not from a mere property consideration either, but because it is my duty to defend the sanctity of my household. My house, where my wife and children live, shall not be entered violently by any man except at his peril. And so I have taught my wife and all my children to shoot, and any burglar who enters my house may expect to be killed.” The reporter then called Mr. Beecher’s attention to the fact that a religious paper published in this city recently offered as prizes for increasing its subscription lists three sizes of revolvers, with a prospectus remark that a revolver in the house at midnight is sometimes more useful than a book. “I think it a very good idea and quite right,” said Mr. Beecher.—A T ew York World.