The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-10-17
From the Troy Times. oct. IA

| nv Nbuhts Ddlh uoeS business IN
a two-story brick building on the northeast
corner of Second and Broad streets, in the viii
lage of Waterford. The first story is mostly
used for banking purposes, and the remainder
OF the building is occupied by the cashier, d.
M. Won HOvenberg, and his family, which con-
sists of himself, his wife, two daughters about
10 years OF age, aud one son, little boy who
saw his eighth birthday yesterday. This build
ing was, between the hours of and 4 O'Clock
this morning, the scene of the most daring and
outrageous robbery ever perpetrated in Water
ford, certainly and in this vicinity probably.
FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE ROBBERS.
At O'Clock this morning Ann DriscoII the
servant who slept in the basement saws she
was awakened by two men. They were stand
ing over her, one holding dark lantern i'm his
hand and the other pointing a revolver at her
head, and threatening by all that was horrible
to kill her instantly if she dared utter the least
cutlery, or make any attempt to betray them
without any more ado they commenced to
bind Der in such manner as to render her in
capable OF moving. She briefly resisted them
but finding that she was only perilline her own
life without becoming instrumental in thwart
ing the purposes or the men, she abandoned
her opposition and allowed them to bind her
wrists and limbs. She was then questioned as
TO the location OF the sleeping apartments of
prised. She gave them truthful answers to the
questions in every respect but one. In the hone
OF frightening the men, supposng there were
but two, she aid that Mr.. Van Hovepbero's
brother was one of the inmates of the building
Before the last words of this fiction had been
uttered, one of the ruffians brought the revolt
yer close to the head of the terrified woman
and told her that she lied, for the gentleman
mentioned by her had not been in the house
since the previous Sunday. This was the trutb
and iudpinp from this nd
er Incidents the inference is plain that the rob-
bers were as Intimately acquainted with the
internal arrangements as the inmates Them
selves. The two men then hastily slipped a
pair of handouts over the woman's wrists. and
tearing her underclothing into strips made II
into gags which they used in providing for her
silence. Then she was ordered to remain ouier
and instant death was named as the penalty if
she dared to move or attempt to make noise.
minute or two afterwards the men left the
room satlshed that the woman was secure
SECURING THE FAMILY.
The men and their confederates, to the num.
Der it is believed of seven, proceeded up stairs
to the door of the sleeping apartments of Mr.
Van Hovenberg and family. The inmates were
all asleep, unconscious of the presence of the
midnight narauders. The door leading into
the apartment occupied by Mr. and Mrs Van
Hovenberg was forced open with chisel or
bar. The door was partially broken and n nor
ton of the casing fractured by the effort to Sc
cure entrance. Mrs. Van Hovenberg was the
first to awake, and when she opened her eyes |
she saw that the gas-burners in the room were
lighted, and that masked man was standing |
over her with one hand tightly clutching her |
throat, and holding in the other revolver
which he pointed at her head. She attempted
to speak and succeeded in uttering a petition |
for her life Perfect security was promised tn
her IN the event OF her following instructions
She looked about and saw another man. masked
as the other, with his hand on her husbands
throat Mr.. Van Hovenburg had until this
moment been asleep. When he awoke he COM
pretended the situation at glance and shout
ID for help. Instantly he was throttled and
silenced. Then his limbs were tied together
With tarred rope, his wrists secured with hand.
-uifs, and piece OF muslin crammed into his
mouth. blrs. Van Hovenberg mplored the
masked sssaiants not to harm her children.
She was told that they would he protected
She did not know that while tho men
we're securing her husband and herself the
Ioors OF her chlldren's sleeping-rooms had been
,roken open IN the same manner as the others.
five men, it IL believed, entered the room first
'roken into, and assisted in Handwriting and
ying Mr.. and Mrs. Van Hovenberg In the
four others broke open the doors of
heir daughters rooms. One of the young Ia
les, Sarah, had been awakened by the struggle
a her parents apartment and when she saw
he two men enter her room she hid behind the
ed She was instantly seized and dragged
rom her hiding-place. Then the momentary
Z
he boldly faced the desperadoes.
BRAVE GIRL J
DO you mean to hurt me?i shs asked of
ne of the villains. "Not il You behave vour I
If, was the reply. She struggled to relieve a
erself from their hands, but her strength was
D match for theirs, and she was soon bound in
le same manner the Others While this
as going on her sister Mary was rendered I
,lpless by the other two men. The little son a
Mr.. Van Hovenberg heard his fathers shout
r help, and rushing from an adjoining cham c
II to his fathers bedside, commenced to cry a
ne of the villains seized him and told him if a
did not cease crying his throat would be cut. Il
ne little fellow was silenced by this awful
reat and without resistance he suffered him
Is to be slowed away in a closet. When all ,,
e inmates of the building had been thus dis !,
sed OF, Mr.. Van Hovenberg was ordered to !,
I up, his limbs having first been set free. h
len in his night clothes he was ordered to q,
company the robbers down stairs into the h
nking-room. Do not kill him. he is all ! Az
We got" pleaded his wife. "He won't be
lrt only he must obey orders" was the reply
ven men accompanied the bound cashier fe
wn stairs.
SURPRISING AUDACITY. A
Two men were left to take care of the family I'll
ese men led the young ladies into their mar
is room and placed them in bed beside their fo
,ther, and then going to the closet where the "
lie boy had been placed, they brought him ~
and nut him alongside of them One of W.
nm walked up and down the halls and peered
of the front window. The other, with an 81
lsc;tv that recalls the achievements of
nde Duyal. and even outrivals the freaks of
4 distinguished genius reclined upon o.,
nge and entered into conversation with the Ell
les. On his side the conversation was car | hi