A NIGHT OF TERROR.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 247, 17 March 1888, Page 8

A NIGHT OF TERROR.

Mrs Eabnes>t Woodruff, tho wife of the foienmn of "Fresno Republican," bad aa experience lately that prostrated her, add she is yet very ill from fright. When he moved his family there Mr Woodruff was unable to find a vacant dwelling except a small cottage on the west side near the cannery. Owing to the fact that his work requires him to be absent from home from 7 o'clock in the evening until 5 o'clock in tho morning, he was loath to leave his wife alone, but sho being a courageous woman said laughingly that if anyone bothered her she would scearms, and at length having never been disturbed in aty way, bofch she and Mr Woodruff had ceased to worry about her being left alone. One nighfc Mrs Woodruff went to visit a neighbour, and expecting to be absent but a moment, left her house door unlocked. When* she returned she found the door open,, and becoming alarmed she returned to the neighbours for help before entering the house, and it was well she did,, for there was some one undoubtedly waiting inside the house for her arrival. an, when she returned with a gentleman neighbour, she found the door wide open, showing someone had gone out of it while she was away for help, while the house was turned topsy-turvy and had evidently been searched. Asking the neighbours to come to her in case they heard a cry for help during the night, she went into the house and securely fastened the windows and doors and retired, leaving a lamp lighted in one' of the rooms. It was about midnight when she. heard someone trying the windows and j doors. Around the house they went, i from one opening to another, and thon. ! she heard them inserting a pry into -the front door, and endeavouring to burst it open. In this they failed, but the marks on the door casing show how hard they tried to effect an entrance. All at once the man, for through the window she at ! last saw him, the light shining full in his j face, becran working the window sash upand down, and finally succeeded in rais- | ing it a little. Satisfied that he would soon effect an entrance, Mrs Woodruff raft to the window and screamed for help, ab the same time trying to close the sash. The man struggled with her to keep her ! from closing the window and finally she ' fainted away, and did not return to con;sciouBness until one of her neighbours arrived, who, hearing her cries, gob up and , went over to the houso. He saw no orie && ihe approached the house, but the'foot- , prints under the window, the stick used «& , a lev©* to pry it open, all show how detwi mined the man was to effect, an entrance, j That his purpose was nob robbery Htaa I evident, as he had already been in the bouse , and searched, it, It was evjden^ tog, £»oi» his boldness and persistency, fth&fe-bfr fcn»w 'Mrs Woodruff was entirely alone ;awil that in all probability her cries would ;iot boheard. Pevoral tramps have,; beefy judging nightly in a barn near by, andsi* is -supposed that the man wa» one of tjhjt, ganfif. The officers are on the, lookpui^for bh& fellow. Mrs Woodruff being able to ptrfcially describe him and would, easily yecogniso .him. A necond . visit to, Mr < o **^* house will not prove quite so tufa ! to tU% viaitgr as that of the last: oao. , ,