An Encounter With A Burglar

Wednesday night about midnight Comstock F. HUI, an old and wealthy resident of Lodi Plains, was aroused from his slumbers by the ringing of an electrkal burglar alarm connecting his barn aud residence. He and his son Ernest arose, hastily dressed themselves and started for the barn, Mr. Hill being armed with a double-barrelled shot'gun and Ernest Hill with a revolver. They separated, one going one way around the barn and the other the other. In a moment the burglar appeared in the door of the shed of the barn. Mr. Hill raised his gun and fired full at the burglar, but failed, so far as known, to hit him. The burglar returned the fire with a revolver, sending two bullets after Mr. Hill, and then started to run around the barn. As he went through the gate, Mr. Hill fired the other barrel at him but without bringing him down. As he ran around the barn he encountered young Hill who fired at the burglar when about 60 feet distant. The burglar ran toward Hill and when 10 or 15 feet away fired. The ball embedded itself in young Hill's watch, but did no further harm. The burglar then. closed in on Hill and struck him over the head with a revolver, knocking him down. In the meantime Mr. Hill had returned to the house, reloaded his gun, and returned to the affray. Young Hill having recovered from the blow dealt him, started for the house, and meeting his father informed him that he (Ernest) was shot. His father returned with him to the house, and the burglar made his escape. It was afterwards found that the burglar had been in the house, entering through a front window. He had been to the secretary and removed therefrom $110 or $115 in cash, and had then gone to the barn to steal a horse. In entering the shed to the barn he sprung the electric burglar alarm, which aroused Mr. Hill and his son. Their appearance on the scène prevented the stealing of the horse. In the past three or four years Mr. Hill has had several valuable horses stolen, and it was this fact which led to the putting in of the burglar alarm. Ernest, who formerly worked at Haller's jewelry store, in this city, conceived the idea of the electric burglar alarm, which undoubtedly in this case prevented the loss of another horse. Owing to the darkness and the excitement of thé moment, neither Mr. Hill or his son are able to give any good description of the burglar, or teil whether he was white or black. Sheriff Brenner was notified as early as possible and repared to the scène of the burglar.y, but up to the present time, the ofHcers have been unable to catch the thief.