Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1887 — THREE AGAINST ONE. [ARTICLE]

THREE AGAINST ONE.

In tbe fall of 1886 I was employed as a clerk in a general store at a cross mads in Southern Indiana. The store, aahnrchand a blacksmith shop, with two residences, made ap the buildings, sad the families of the merchant and blacksmith were the only residents. Tbe country about was thickly settled upon, however, and trade was always geod. Before the merchant engaged me heannounced that I would have to sleep in the store nights, and that unless 1 bad pluck enough to defend the place against marauders he did not w*ht me at any price. He showed me a shotgun, a revolver and a spring-gnn, which were used, or on hand to be used, to defend the place, and the windows were protected with stoat blinds and doors by double locks The close of the war had drifted a bad population into Indiana. The highways were fall of tramps, and there Were hundreds of men who had determined to make a living by some other means than labor. Several attempts had been made to rob the store, and it had come to that pass that no clerk wanted to Bleep there alone. The merchant Beemed satisfied with the answers I gave him, and on a eertain Monday morning I went to work. That same night a store about four miles off was broken into and lob-

bed and the clerk seriously wounded. Two nights later three horses were stolen in onr neighborhood. At the and of the week a farmer who was on 1 • bis way from our store was robbed on the highway. If I had not been a bight sleeper from habit these occurrences would have tended to prevent too lengthy dreams as I lay in my little bedroom at the front of the second story. The revolver was always placed under my pillow and the shotgun stood within reach. The spring-gun was set about midway of the floor. It was a double barreled shotgun,each barrel containing a big charge of buck-shot, and the man who kicked the string and discharged the weapon would never know what hart him. It did not seem possible that any one coaid break into the store without arousing me. There was uo door to my room, and after the people in the neighborhood had gone to bed I could hear the slightest noise in the store. I had looked the place over for a weak spot and had failed to find it, bnt my own confidence came near proving my destruction. I should have told you, in describing the Btore, that fust over the spot where set the spring gun was an opening through which we hoisted and lowered such goods as were stored for a lime on tbe second floor. When not in uss this opening was covered by a trap door.

Toward evening on the tenth day of my clerkship, I hoisted np a lot of pails and mbs, and I had just finished when trade became so brisk that I was called to wait on customers. Later on I saw that I had left the trap door open, and I said to myself that I would let it go mntil I went to bed. The store had the •nlv burglar proof safe for miles around, and it was customary for farmers who had SIOO or so to leave it with us. He received an envelope in which to enclose it, and he could take out and put in as he liked. On this evening four or ive farmers came in to deposit, and, as I afterward figured up, we had about $1,500 in the safe. There were two strange faces in the crowd that evening. One belonged to a roughly dressed, evil eyed man, who announced himself to be a drover, and the other a professional tramp. I gave the latter a piece of tobacco and some crackers and cheese, and he soon went away,and we were so hnsv np to nine o’clock that, I did not give the drover mm h attention. When we same to shut up the store he had gone from my mind altogether. We counted __ ip ihe cash, made some charges in the day book, and it was about ten oiclock when the merchant left, I was tired cut,and took a candle and made a circuit cf the store, set the spring gun, and went to the trap door as I went to my room, but«l did not shut it. It was a, rather chilly night in October, and we had no fries yet, and as I got under the blankets the warmth was so grateful that I soon fell asleep. It was the first night that I had gone to bed with ont thinking of robbers and wondering how I should act in case they came in. I did not know when I fell asleep. I suddenly found myself half-upright in bed, and there was an echo in the store as if the fall of something had aroused me. It was one o’clock, and I had been asleep almost three hoars. Leaning on my elbow, I strained my ears to catch the slightest found, and’ after a minute I heard a movement down stairs. While I could not say what it was, a eor, of instinct told me that it was made by some human being. Every thing on the street was as silent as the grave. My window curtain was np, and I could see that the sky bad thickened np and was very black. I did Jot waiter the noise to be repeated. I was just as sure that some one was in the store as though I had already seen him, and I crept softly out of bed, drew on my trousers and moved out into the big room, having the revolver in my hand. There was no door at the head of the stairs. I intended to go there and lisien - down the stairway. As I was moving across the room, which was then pretty dear of goods as far as the trapdoor, I (gidenly recollected this opening and -■ f'" • ' ■

changed my course to reach it It was terrible dark in the room, and one unfamiliar with the place would not have dared to move a foot. Half-way to the ' trap I got down on my hands and knees, i and, aa I reached the opening, I settled down on my stomach. There was a dim light down stairs. That settled the fact that some one was in the store. After a minute I heard whispers, and then the movement of feet, then a certain sound, which located the intruders to a foot They were at the safe in the front of the store. T drew myself forward and looked down the opening. I could see a lighted candle and two 'or three dark fiigures at the safe, and I coaid hear the combination being worked. My first thought was to drop my hand down and open fire in that direction, bnt I remembered that we had so many articles hanging np that no ballet had any chance of reaching the safe. I was wondering what to do when I heard one of the men whisper “It’s all nonsense. We might work here a week and not hit it.” “But I told you to bring the tools and yon would not.” “Oh, dry up,” protested another. “What we want to do is to go np and bring that counter-hopper and make him open the box.” “I’ll give the cussed thing a few more trials,” said the first man, and I heard him working away again. My eyes could not have told me the number of

robbers but my ears had. There were three of them, and they were no donbt desperate and determined men. They spoke of bringing me down and opening tbe safe as if no resistance was antieipated or taken into account. Indeed, they might well reason that they had me at their mercy. The rain was now falling, the night was very dark, and a pistol shot in the store could not be heard in either of the dwellings. If they frad reflected that I might be armed they would offset it with the fact shat I was a boy of eighteen, with a girl’s face and probably a girl’s nerve. I don’t deny that I was a bit rattled, and that my lip would quiver in spite of me, but I was at the same time fully determined. To get at the fellows was what bothered me, but that trouble was soon solved, “There,” whispered the man at the combination, as he let go of it, “I won’t fool here another minute. That kid knows the combination and we can make him work it. Come on.” They were coming up stairs. The best place (or me would be right at the head of the stairway. The stairs had a half turn in them, and I would fire upon the first man who came within range. I heard the men coming back to the stairway and my nerve gave way. It was not from cowardice, but the knowledge that I was to kill a human being upset me. I decided to retreat to my room and if they persisted in coming that tar I

would shoot. The trio had rubbers on their feet, out they came upstairs without trying very hard to prevent making a noise. The one who came first had the candle, and as he got to the bead of the stairs I saw a knife in his other hand. They made no delay in approaching my room, and with a great effort I braced myself for what I saw must happen. They Could not dee me umil within three or four feet of the door, and their first intimation that I was out of bed was wheu they heard me call out, “stop or I’ll shoot. I had them covered with the weapon, and for fifteen seconds there was dead silence. Then they got a plan. The man with the candle dashed it on the floor, and I supposed they meant to rush in on me in the dark, but I checkmated it by opening fire. They then either meant to retreat down stairs or toward the rear floor, for I saw the three together moving off and fired at their dim figures. Three seconds later there was a great shout of horror,followed by the tremendous report of the double- barreled spring gun, ‘ and then there was absolute silence. 1 think I stood in tie door shaking like a leaf for fully three minutes before the silence were broken by a groan. Then it came to me that the robbers had fallen through the open door upon the cord 1 leading to the gnn. I struck a match, lighted my own candle, and, going to the opening, saw three bodies lying below. Running back to the bedroom to recharge my revolver,! then went down stairs to investigate. It was as I suspected. The three had pitched down together. The top of one’s head had been blown off by the shot, a second had a hole in his chest as big as your fist, while the third, who was responsible for the groans,was severely wounded in both legs. It was three months before he could be put on trial, and he then got four years in prisoh. The whole thing was a put-up job. The “drover” was a Chicago burglar called “Clawhammer Dick,” and he had hidden himself in the store that night, and then let his pals in the back door. They had a horse and wagon in the rear of the building, and the plan was to rob the store of goods as well as to get at the money in the safe. A bit of carelessness on my part not only saved the store and probably my life, but wiped out a very desperate gang. Ooe of the curiosities of this curious age of ours was caught in the wateis of the Choptank river, in Maryland, a few days days ago, by Mr. Wm. E Bradley. It was a good sized terrapin, with a healthy, well developed oyster on its back, and wAaboth literally and figuratively an oyster on four legs.