Alexandria Gazette

Serious Encounter.

A striking instance of the forbearance of a "Friend" to take the life of another to save his own, occurred in West Jersey on the 8th inst. Soon after 11 o'clock--it being bright moonlight--the family of Mr. Eli Adams, residing about a mile from Salem, (his wife and two children being sick,) were roused by the clamors in the yard of an unknown, athletic negro, for admission, and something to eat and drink. Supposing him to be drunk Mr. A. remained silent until his violent assaults upon the door seemed to promise an entrance, when he raised a window and expostulated with him, saying the family were ill and that the pump was outside. The fellow, however, renewed the attack upon the door and windows with brick bats, threatening vengeance. Mr. A. sent a nurse and child out the back door for a neighbor, and after repeated overtures induced the assailant to desist by putting half a dollar into his hand thrust through the broken door. In a few minutes, however, he again renewed the assault more furiously than ever, declaring that he would tear down the house and kill the woman who had exhorted him to go away.

Mr. Adams now had every reason to apprehend his speedy entrance, and could easily have disabled or killed him, as he assaulted the door, with any one of several deadly weapons at hand--axes, knives, hatchets, &c.--but desisted, though constantly obliged to dodge the stones thrown in at him, and to push him back as he attempted to get through the breach. In the midst of the struggle the neighbor sent for James Robinson, entered the yard with a gun, (which, however, missed fire,) and after a desperate and bloody encounter, the fellow was thrown and tied by Messrs. R. and A. about 3 o'clock in the morning, and taken to the jail in the town. He proved to be Geo. Johnson, a partially crazy negro, who had recently escaped from the county Alms-House.--Newark Daily Advocate.