Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-05
From the Montpelier Journal, Dec. 2S.l
STARTLING CRIMINAL RE-
CORD.
Some Thirty Distinct Burglaries
and RObberieS.
YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS, BUT VETERANS
IN CRIME.
THE GANG ALL SECURED.

open of Mr.. d. K Benefits gunsmith
shop in May, 1867, series OF burglaries
and robberies have succeeded not only In
Montpelier, but also in other towns in
Vermont, and along the border towns OF
New Hampshire, which, although OF a
bold and daring character, and apparently
belonging to the same gang of desper-
ADDE'S, nevertheless baffied all efforts at
calculation until August last. Fresh bur-
glaries at that time in Claremont, n. h.,
and vicinity, led to the employment of A.
P. Squires, Esq, an experienced detective,
residing at Claremont, who seems to have
taken the right steps in the right direct
ion |; and the sagacity, determination and
untiring vigilance with which he has fol-
lowed up the matter, until the whole me-
farious gang were discovered, arrested,
committed, and bound over for trial, mark
him al once as a most skillful and accom-
plished detective officer.
CLUE, DISCOVERY AND CAPTURE.
The first suspicion in the case of the
Claremont robberies, as was also true OF
those in Montpelier, was that the offend
ers were residents of the place, and fam
liar with the premises; but slight ex-
animation convinced Mr.. Squires that the
job was ''put up" far too well for new be-
ginners. Finding that the rogues obtain
ed large quantity of pennies among
| their booty at Claremont, he took his clue
| therefrom, and looked in the direction of
the railroads as the most promising field
for discovery. He soon learned that two
passengers on the Rutland railroad had
paid their fare in pennies just after the
robbery in question, and had gone in the
direction of Whitehall. Obtaining de-
scription of the parties, he soon discovered
the house where they resided in White
hall, and where the stolen property was
deposited. Spotting the house and OBJ
tanning an assistant, Mr.. Squires proposed
to make descent upon the premises at
night, hoping not only to bag the burg
lars, but recover their booty. Through a
blunder of his assistant, the principal Gull
prit (Handlon) escaped to parts unknown !;
but Devoe, with such plumber as had not
already been disposed of, was secured.
THE FIELD ENLARGED.
An examination of the recovered pro-
perty revealed much more than was ac-
counted for by the robberies at Claremont
and vicinity. On enquiry, Devoe said be
had learned from Handlon that this other
property was obtained by previous rob.
beries-naming the times and places, and
also his (Handlon's) accomplices. Find
ing that these accompnces had not been
engaged in the New Hampshire robberies
- 10 interest of which he was thus far
operating, squires applied to the towns
where these former crimes had been .com-
mitted for aid in working up the case !;
but in no instance, with the one honor
able exception of his own town of Clare
mont, did he obtain a single word, much
less act, of encouragement until, as he
emphaticallyi alleges, he came to the
Ice town of Montpelier" whose authori-
ties promptly co-operated with him in
ferreting out the campaigning $500
reward for Handlon, and $25 each for the
sccomplices, besides So per day and ex-
penses in pursuing the latter. The au-
thorities were also cheerfully backed up
by respectable private citizens of Mont
pelier. Tins armed and encouraged, he
started on the trail of the newly discover
ed accomplishment ere long succeeded
in finding and arresting every one of them
81. John in Goffstown, n. H. Slattery in
Whitehall, n. Y, Pratt in Winooski, Vt,
and Jones who is simply charged with
aiding in the disposal of the stolen pro-
perty) in Plattsburgh n. Y. These were
all brought to Montpelier for examination
in October last.
CAPTURE OF HANDLoN.
Next detective Squires called upon the
interested towns in New Hampshire to
join with Montpelier in obtaining Hand
lon, the head-center of the gang-to
which call they promptly responded.
Again upon the trail, the ingenuity of
the officer was taxed to the utmost, for
Handlon had five weeks the start of his
pursuer, with full knowledge, probably,
that detective was on his track. For
seven long weeks Mr.. Squires secured the
country, travelling nearly five thousand
miles, before any direct trace of his man
could be found. Nor was it until fresh
burglaries, perpetrated in Bradford and
Lebanon, n. H, which upon examination
seemed to bear the impress of this master
workman, that he was discovered. He
was finally found and captured at Croy-
don, n. H., with the fruits of his last OPP
erations in his possession.
THE ESCAPE.
Handlon was committed to the county
Jail at Newport, N. H, with his accom-
plice Devoe, for safe keeping until it
could be arranged with the several towns
concerned, where he should be first taken
for trial-Mr. Squires claiming that he
should be first taken to Montpelier, that
being the scene of his greatest operations.
While thus detained, through the neglect
of the iailer to confEe them in their re-
spective cells during the night, Hsndlon,
Devoe and one Talbot, horse thief, broke
Jail and escaped.
The manner of jail-breaking was inge.
NOUS in the highest degree. A hole
through granite block, for private pur-
poses, and small at the bottom was parti-
ally filled with coal which had been saved
from their daily supply. A bottom to
the hole, suitably perforated for the draft
had been formed out of the dust-pan, and
fitted with pair of shears borrowed for
the alleged purpose of cutting hair. Set
ting this coal on fire, and waiting the de
gree of intensest heat, cold water was
dashed on to the crumbling granite, where
by the aperture was at once so enlarged
as to admit of easy passage for the pris-
oners. While all this was going ont
being In broad day-the prisoners smoth-
cred the noise of their operations with a
roundelay of song and jollity.
THE RE-CAPTURE.
Determined not to lose the fruits of all
his labors, and stimulated by fresh re-
wards offered by the Commissioners of
Sullivan county, of which Newport is the
shire, Mr.. Squires again started in hot
pursuit of bis old friends-some twenty
other officers joining in the chase, with an
eye to the reward last offered. Talbot
was soon tracked to Brookline, VT, by oae
of the other officers, and there recaptured;
but Squires bagged both Handlon and
Devoe-the former at North Bennington,
VT, after vigorous chase of nearly three
hours in the woods, being assisted by ].
W. Croker, Esq, plucky lawyer of New
fame who had accompanied Squires in the
pursuit for two days and nights without
intermission while Deyoe was found and