St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-09-29
"TOO THin.''

va ''sA' DCHt' -, >piIiiOiISi Noil
molly was requested by the Joint Com
mittce for the examination of the city
and county accounts TO produce before
them on the following Tuesday the
vouchers for the claims against the coun-
ty presented for 1870, and paid by him.
During Sunday night these vouchers dis
appeared under the following cir:um-
stances The private Waterman in the
County Bureau Office, in the new Court
House, where these important papers
were kept, says that ut about six o'clock
on Sunday evening he left his post TO
get his supper, leaving the Office to watch
itself. When he returned two hours at-
tcrwarls-he must have been very lei
surely in taking supper-he discovered
that a hole large enough TO admit Il
mans arm had been made in the lower
corner of tie west window in the door
opening from the hall into the County
Bureau office. Although his suspicion
that ''>omcthing was wrong was ;rous-
cd 10y this discovery, the watchnln
made no examination and rai>cl no
alarm, although Il police station Is just
within call of his post, but waited until
The ianitor OF tl!c building made his APP
pearnncc, about eight o'clock mex; morn
ING, To whom he naivcly remarked that
he didn't "hkc the looks of it," The
janitor Immediately went into the Coun-
~ bureau office, where he discovered
that the doors of Tie middle case, under
the long desk on the west side of that
office, had been broken open, and that
several packages OF documents had been
taken thereirom.
Still nothing was done until the arri-
val of the Controller and his dcputy,
about one o'clock i'll the afternoon. In
formed 10y the jLnitor u what had oc-
Cured, they examined the forced case,
and found that all but seven packages Of
the vouchers for the paid claims AGAINST
the city for 1870 Were gone. These
vouchers Were in largc packages, and
were mixed up with packages of vouch.
crs for paid claims against the county for
1869, none Of which were missing.
Appearances Indicate that access WAS
gained to the Office ~ follows: The
gl:ss WAS partially cut with 4 diamond,
and then i"rccd out by Il sharp, quick
blow Through the hole lhlS made the
inside catch of the lccll was reached. AND
the decor easily opened. The bolt Of The
lock 10 the cas-. containing the vouchers
was forced back. and the lock wrcmchcd
almost oil Several experts examined
the class AMI the case, and oppressed
the opinion that the 'u'iIn@ and loren"
were NOT I'll" w"rh al an experienced
burglar.
the city Crowds gathered III the streets
and about thr bulletins ii the new>pa-
rcIs, cNrItcdly discussing the Latest ru-
mor>. and :~kIn", "whn stole the Nouch-
els - Public suspicion pointed strongly
in one direction, and Mayor Hall, I'M
aide To Ir-l~t tin pressure OF public sen
trmcnt, lost 10 time IN wriln" I" the
Controller that the ''cNlTency required
llN retirement from the head of the Fl
nance Department, IN order that ano thcr
gentleman mi sht b. appointed who would
ba enabled 10 investigate the affair and
restore public confidence. Mr.. Crnnnl-
ly, i'll a letter which i admirable for lis
co"l impudrmcr, declined +" r,Si"n,
plainly told the Mayor that both were
in the same boat, and that II one went
overheard the other must follow suit.
No fresh discoveries have been made
in rr.ard 10 tine disappearance ct the
vouchers, but the impression /, strength
cncd that but one set OF persons in the
city could have committed this singular
robbery. When the detectives who cN-
amincd the premises were asked whether
it WAS not very strange that the thief OF
thieves had Opened only those two lock
ers containing the vouchers that were
wanted and there was not Il 'nnrk OF Il
jimmy on any other article oil furniture
IN the r"om' they Smiled ana replied
that 1t was evident the raScaIs were well
informed rs to the lockers they intended
to open. The faces OF the crowds that
entered the office 10 examine the cut
window and damaged lockers We're Il
study. Having @ri''illed their 'uilosity'
ih'y iiI'flapiy turn away WIN Il >hter'
ing smile or i'n@il oil dcrlsi"h, wlll'
many aud'pIy 'Nc'a''i'o'' o" I'M"
30 i'nril 'or INC S'",eh H0"''e'S
mere - however another feature o.
,Nr- 'oinolly case ~ sun was recent
~ commenced before Judge barnard o.
The supreme court, to cnJ"in the Con