WHOLESALE BURGLARY.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 145, 14 May 1879, Page 3

WHOLESALE BURGLARY.

Burglary is not unfrcquently carried on in the United States on a far grander scale than that on which the British burglar conducts his operations. It partakes more of the nature of a raid on a village or small town, and results in a hand-to-hand fight between the robbers and their intended victims. One of these burglarious invasions took place recently at Oaktown, a little village in Indiana. Oaktown, it is stated, “has been a field for the operations of burglars for the past six years,” and its inhabitants, therefore, have the advantage of knowing exactly what is best to be done when they are threatened with pillage. On New Year’s Day the postmaster of Oaktown was informed by letter, written bv a friendly hand, that on the next or following evening the village would be visited by a gang of burglars. The citizens accordingly lost no time in making preparation to meet the intended onslaught. Parties of defence were organised, and several armed men were placed in each business house. At 11 o’clock on the next evening the burglars were heard attempting to force an entrance into a saloon which was garrisoned in anticipation of an attack. They were allowed to open the door, hut when they had effected this object they were greeted with a volley of shots fired by the party inside. The robbers immediately fled,one of them, however, falling pierced Iry throe shots and mortally wounded. Another ran along the railroad track, pursued by a number of citizens firing. The fugitive returned the fire as he ran, emptying all the chambers except one of his two revolvers. He was at last caught, and proved to be a member of ££ one of the best families of Southern Indiana.” He has, however, ££ been a source of sorrow to his parents for many years,” and has already served three terms of imprison mont in the penitentiary. He has three bullets in the back, the result of his escapade, and is altogether in a bad way, but shows no signs of regret for his misdeeds. The rest of the burglars escaped, although burdened in their flight with a huge supply of tools, dark lanterns, “ jemmies,” powder, and masks, which they brought with them.