The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-11-18
Trial Of the st. Adams Raiders at
Montreal.
(coNr1NrED.

We continue report OF the test-
mony in regard to the raid ON St Al
bans, elected from several witnesses at
the judicial investigation under the
Ashburton Trenty before Mr.. Justice
Coursol at Montreal.
Cyrus Newton Bishop sworn-l am
teller in the St. Adams Bank. and was
in that position on the 18TH OF last
October. Between 3 and 4 o'clock ON
that afternoon, two persons whom l
now see in Court, namely L. Is. Col
Inns and Marcus spur entered the
bank. was behind the counter I'm
mediately after they entered they APP
preached, each Of them pointing a re-
volyer at my breast was then about
yard distant from them. sprmg
to the Directors room to get out Of
the way, and attempted to close the
door but Collins and Spur forced the
door open, and in doing SO was struck
on the forehead Collins then caught
hold of me by the collar with one
hand, and presented revolver at my
head with the other Spur, also at
/ the same moment. presented a revol-
yer mt nv head, both Of them declar-
ing that if made any resistance or
gave an alarm they would blow my
brains out. then asked them what
the programme was They answered
thew were Confederate soldiers, de
tailed from Gen. Early's army TO come
north, and to rob and plumber, ms our
soldiers were doing down in the Shen-
andoah valley They then asked me
where our gold was, and [ told them
we had none They next asked me If
we had any silver and | said we had.
/ At this moment observed that three
other persons had entered the bank,
and Joined the other two, acting in
concert with them The leader Of the
gang then proceeded to administer
some kind of in oath to me, compell-
ing me to raise up my lght hand, and
called upon me to solemnly swear that
/ would not give an alarm on fire upon
the Confederate soldiers. There was
also in the directors room another,
Martin A. Seymour a clerk of the said
bank The three persons who last en-
tered were armed The reyolyer-
were presented at him, Seymour, ID
the directors room, and he was told
that if he made any resistance he
would have his brains blown out also.
The five prisoners then administered
the same oath to both of us. We were
then detained as prisoners III the room
and two of the five persons stood us a
guard over us. | was then ordered e
show the other three the place where
the silver was kept ] opened the safe
in the directors room where the silver
was kept one Of the five pulled out
three bags Of silver, containing about
S1,400 One Of the party then re-
marked that they could not carry away
{ al OF ii, on which they tore open tn,
bags and took some four hundred dol
lars. -Four had satchels into which
they put the silver, as also in thei
pockets. Three Of the party went in
to the banking-room wherein was
safe for the keeping Of the bank-bills
the other two remaining to guard Sey
: mour and myself From the latte
, safe the three persons took between
S70,00Oand $4,000 in ST. Adams bank
! bills, silver, greenbacks, and bills is
, rsued by different banks in other states
!, [ now see before me % packages 0
bank-blls, of the description aforesaid
, and which | identify as forming par
of the money stolen from the ST. AL
bans Bank. This money | allowed t,
be taken, being in fear Of my life, sine
| believe that had or Seymour resist
ed, they would have blown our brain
out as they had then threatened to dc
While this robbery was going on,
q knock was heard at the door, ups
n which it was opened by one of the fly
: men, and Samuel Breck a merchant c
st. Adams, entered The door wa
!. then closed after him and locked. On
! of the party then took hold Of him
! and presenting n pistol demanded hi
: money. Mr. Breck then handed hin
q his money, amounting to three hun
: bred and ninety three dollars, wit
which he was then coming to take II
# Il note due that day. Brock said hi
i money was private property, and on
4 Of the men answered that he did nc
- care about that He was then force
! into the directors room, and Their,
along with Seymour and myself, keI
+ a prisoner, under threat of being she
: if he gave any alarm.
a A youth then knocked at the doc
y of the bank and was admitted by on
. Of the party, and then forcibly take
i into the directors room, and kept
prisoner along with the rest of us In
mediately after this robbery, repol
of firearms was heard outside, an
u three Of the five persons, includin
'e Collins and Spur, went out and
y less than two minutes afterwards, til
n remaining two backed out, each pr,
n senting a revolver at us. then wei
out of the bank and saw several pc
'e Sons on horseback riding in noithe
g ~ direction. Judged there was 25
II 30, and some Of them were dischars
n ing large revolyers at the citizens
-. they We're ridingby among whom wei
women and children. This party, an
D. the one who robbed the bank, were
II civilians dress, having nothing milital
o. IN their appearance except their pc
session OF reyolyers. They all SCENE