Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1876 — A Lady’s Experlence with Burglars. [ARTICLE]

A Lady’s Experlence with Burglars.

Miss Mattie C. White, of this city, who was visiting in the family of Mr. John Whittlesy, the Cashier of the Northampton (Mass.) Bank, writes to her brother, E. L. White, an account of her experience with the burglars in the house that night. She says: About twelve o’clock, dr a little after, five burglars entered our peaceful home with all the violence that we have often had pictured to us through the papers, and such as is hard to believe, ana can only be realized through experience such as w« have now had. The first intimation Laura had of what was going on was that a man was entering their room, over the sitting-room, and he had a dark lantern in his hand, and immediately sprang to their bed, while both screamed. They were then held by their throats, two men then being there, and at once handcuffed and held down. I had not been asleep o*“ten minutes, .for I heard the town clock strike twelve, and at half-past twelve we ivere all under their entire subjection, there being a man or two men in my chamber at once. The first I knew a man entered my room, and the dark lantern awakened me, I sup-

pose. I screamed, thinking it was John, and that the house was on fire, and sprang out of bed. He put me back and choked me, and then told me he would treat me kindly if I would keep perfectly quiet. He said 1 was caught—“ You are all caught and you may as well give up.” He then told me I must get up. I begged him to let me lie there, but he said “ No,” and pulled me up and led me into the hall and then hand-cuffed me. He then took me into Laura’s room—no, not quite yet. After getting me into the hall he said I would take cold without more clothing, and I told him I would take my death of cold that way, and he led me back into my room, when I obtained more clothes, and he took me with them. Very shortly after Maria, Aunt Hattie 'ancLlter husband walked into the same room, and the girl was brought in with us. After they had got us all in that room they made us all gel zj separately and dress. Of course we were rigged iu each other’s clothing and some were half-dressed. They kept hurrying us up, and we were all wonderfully possessed. I was very calm, and acted They opened L’s bureau-drawer, and took out her handsome violet cloak and banded it to her shying: “ I guess this is wnat you want./She put that on with her balmoral skirt/and tlieu I was fixed up, and they fell short of handcuffs.

Then Laura and I were joined by one handcuff, and they took us off' into the front room and put us in the bed, and then tied our hands and feet with leather straps, buckled as tight as possible. Then they took heavy ropes and slipped through these, and brought the rope under the bed, and fastened it with extra ropes besides. . They served us all this way. They treated John cruelly; also Aunt Hattie. The last operation was to gag us with rubber gags. John was blindfolded and tied in another position. They then dragged him in the lower bedroom, and he was almost dead when 4'otmdi Laura and I extricated ourselves first by the greatest effort, and we dragged ourselves, bed and all, to the window, about seven o’clock in the morning, and with one 'free hand opened the window andalarmed the neighborhood. We had to have our handcuffs filed apart, and it was about nine o’clock when Laura and I were separated. We are alive and well, only that we are scratched and bruised, and John’s chest is black and blue. They held a pistol at his head after they got "him in the bedroom, when they demanded the keys and combination. They did not touch the silver, but took John’s watch and chain. L. grabbed hers and Hung it under the bureau, and they missed it.— Williamsport (Pay) Gazette.