The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-09

OF iumols that are allOat the genera! char
actcr Of the dark transactions may be
drawn.
0NE STORY
is this That Mr.. John A. FLOYD, employed
by the citizens of Abingdon Centre to
guard their property at night. willie pass
ing over what is known there as ''thc mill
dam near Gurney's tack factory, about 9
o'clock yesterday morning was suddenly
set upon by four men who sprang upon
him from passage way. between two
buildings. and proceeded to bind and gag
him that being muscular parsonage, he
objected TO the proceeding so forcibly that,
to quiet him, his assalants employed pis-
toll, aiming II directly at his forehead that
he naturally turned his face to avoid
the discharge and thereby received
only cross-cut wound from the bullet
ON the forehead that by this blow
and other rough usage to which he
was subjected, including second pistol
shot in the hand near the wrist, he became
temporarily inscnsible and was left on the
ground by his ASSISTANTS for dead that he
presently recovered his sensibilties, and
believing that a robbery of the bank, stuat.
ed hai mile distant from this point was
mcditaicd, he hastily proceeded to that To-
cality, and finding the men about the out
side door, began to pop at them with his
revolver; that one of them said something
about being hit on the arm. and that all
hastily ran short distance to a spot where
team was standing, into which they got
and drove off, post haste
ANOTHER STATEMENT
is that there was no evidence of any intcn-
ton Of robbery, and that Floyd was as
sailed by parties who had entertained
grudge against him on account of his rigid
discharge of his duty as watchman in the
past, and sought to chastise him; and that
the assaulting party were two in number
only. 1t certainly seems absurd that par
ties contemplating the robbery Of bank
should have assailcd any one at a point
half Il mile distant from the place they in
A'il'NN " 'i'th. slilNl ull lllt llNk ~ dlOuS-
ing the community by firing pistol one or
more times. There have been several
ATTEMPTS MADE TO HOB THIS BANK,
hence the employment of Il Waterman. 1t
is rumored that early this morning a switch
on the track Of the Old Colony rairoa6, at
South BTintrcc, few miles this side of
Abingdon, was forcbly misplaced Had if
not been discovered in season, it is pos
siblc that the steamboat train might have
been wrecked at that point II tins be
true. it implies indirectly the presence of
DESPERATE BAND OF THIEVES
in that neighborhood and gives rise to the
suspicion that the friends may have been
the same party who had been disappointed
III thelr Expectations ut Abingdon, owing to
the plucky conduct of watchman Floyd.
coNFIGNArioN OF THE FIRST STORY.
From information given by gentleman
doing business in Boston and residing in
Abingdon, near the scene Of the assault, we
may state that the statement of the affair
as first given above is substantially correct
Mr.. Floyd was passing along the street
about an eighth of Il mile distant from the
Abingdon National Bank, and his assail-
ants, four in number, sprang upon him
from between two buildings, separated only
by narrow passagc-way Their faces
were either
MASKED or PAINTED,
and their disguise was 50 complete as to
render their recognition impossible The
pistol ball struck Mr. Floyd on the right
side Of the forehead, and passing round
outside the skull, came out on the opposite
side, producing painful. though not
serious wound. Upon recovering his
senses Mr.. Floyd went at once to the bank,
in front Of which he discovered his assail-
ants, who had made no attempt to enter
the building, and who were frightened
away by him. Mr. Floyd is regularly
appointed constable Of the town. but is
paid for his services as night watchman
by the citizens. lie is not known to have
any enemies so that the story of his having
been attacked with view to personal
chastisement is undoubtedly incorrect. The
pistol shots we're heard by several parties
living in the vicinity,
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Later information is to the effect that the
second shot was fired at Floyd's head, but
lie received it in his hand and so saved his
life The thongs used to bind him were of
rough, tarred hemp, and the gag was a
rough stick.
THE ROGUEs
answer the description given of four young
desperadOes who have recently been dis
charged from the State Reform School at
Westboro and who were seen in Weymouth
a few days ago. Their movements excited
the suspicious of State Constable Hammond |
who would have locked them up had there |
been lookup in the place. 1t seems hard
ly credible, however that such a dating at
tempt to rob bank could have been plan |
ned by criminals so young in years
1t is reported that four fellows got on |
the Old Colony morning express Mt Bridge
water, and left together on reaching South |
Boston, running away from the railway !
station. No arrests have been made.
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