Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-30
THE WINTHROP BANK ROBBERS.
Their Route to Winthrop from Dexter
Unsuccessfu trial ut De1ter.-Arrest of
the Robbers in characterization by
the governor tor their return to afnc.

the travels of the Winthrop bank robbers for two
days previous to the robbery, and acquired much
important information concerning them. They
received from large number of persons who saw
and had dealing with the robbers, accurate des-
criptions of them and if they indeed captured
their indentifcation will be easy and positive.
The officers found the first tracks of the robbers
at Dexter, where they entered the Dexter Savings
Bank building between Tuesday evening, July
Goth, and Wednesday morning, Dist. The build
ing was entered in the same manner as the one at
Winthrop, by prying open the door, appar-
antly the prying was done by the same instrument.
The in preston on the door Al Dexter corresponds
with instrument left by the robbers at lnthrop.
The officers Of the Dexter bank have recently
put in new and strong safe, discardng the for
mer one, which is old. fashioned and insecure. 1t
isprobable thatthe burglar fraternity had not learn
cd ofthc change of safes and that this gang purpos
ed to make Dexter the scene of their enterprise
instead of Winthrop. 1t appears that after they
entered the banking room, and found difficult
safe to break-one different from that laid down
on their chart they abandoned the job and de-
parted, not even touching the money i'll the money
drawer of the store in which the safes stood.
The next forenoon -Wednesday --three men
with hand satchels were seen by two peddlers walk
in the highway toward St. Adams. The same
three strangers subsequently hired farmers boy
named Bukcr to drive them to Hart land, which
place they reached about noon. They acted sus
piciousy and eyed closely all persons who APP
preached them, evidently fearing, as now appears,
some trouble from the entry Of the bank building
the night previous. Upon arriving at Hartland,
to the young drivers surprise, his passengers de-
cined to stop, but insisted upon being carried to
Athens some miles beyond, offering him SO addi-
tional pay. They even declined to wait in Hart
land long enough to have the ayles of the wagon
creased, and they CREASED while on the road
beyond the yilage The boys timidty was still
more excited, when, a rabbit crossed the road
before them, all three of the men drew rcyolyers
and fired at it.
Young Bukcrieft his passenger al Athens, and
returned home. The strangers remained awhile,
and then hired a man named Emery to drive them
TO Scion. When within mile Of the latter village, ;.
where they arrived at half past O'Clock in the
evening, two of the men got GU. of the carriage,
and babe their driver good night The other man
rode into the village, and then alghted and walked
directly through it toward Bingham. At half-past
the hotel together, and asked lodgings for the
night Upon going to bed, the landlord, when
about 10 show them to their rooms, took two of
their satchels in his hands to carry them up stars
for his guests. whereupon two of the latter snatch
ed them from him, and carried them to their
rooms themselves. The landlord says the satches
were surprisingly solid and heavy; they Of coarse
contained the tools and niro-glyc crime which the
strangers were Intending to u.s. when they found
the right bank.
The strangers inquired how they could get to
Arson TO take the first train. As no stage ran 10
suit them they engaged an early passage to An
son the next morning-1fursday- an express
wagon, driven by boy. They would allow no
one to put their satchels In the wagon when they
started and the suspicious of the boy were consid-
erably excited before reaching his destination.
Upon nearing the village of Arson. two of the
men got out Of the wagon, taking their satches
with them, and the other rode 10 the hotel.
The three men were afterwards seen to meet in
the village; they rode by stage to the depot, TO
take the train. In the stage they were nouceably
retcent, not speaking together, and appeared like
strangers to one another. They took the train to
West Waterville. After arriving at the latter
place, and while waiting for the down train from
Bangor, the strangers purchased tickets, one at
time, as if having no connection with one another,
to Leeds junction. They left the train at the lat
ter place, where they lotcred until the up train
from Portland. For the up train they purchased
one ticket to Winthrop, and two to Readfield,
and two Of them were seen to alght from the rear
car at Winthrop the same afternoon, about
twelve hours before the robbery was completed.
The above facts etiectually explode the story
first set aoat that the robbers had horses with
which they escaped They did not have any horse
TO aid them unless they stole one in Turner They
must have secretcd themselves in the woods near
the village of Winthrop, during Friday, and in the
darkness Of the following night, fled with their
booty TO parts unknown. All direct trace of them
was lost after they left Winthrop and the arrest
of Lewis Levi and Clarke at Bethel, served sue
ccssfully TO divert attention from them. 1t now
turns out that no person can be found in Win
throp who saw or knew ofany horses in the posses
,ions of the robbers. The story grew from false
rumor. The robbers ran across plank bridge in
their hasiy flight from the village, and the excited
imaginaions Of some Of the villagers, magnited
the sound of heir footsteps into the tlampljngs of
gallopug i bearing away with the speed of
the wind half a dozen Dick Turpns loaded with
spos.
1t will be seen that the circuit of the three
strangers carried them to no less than four savings
banks after leaving Dexter-namely,-at IIaItland
Scion, Arson and West Waterville They did not 20
to Skowhegan; but it is not unlikely that the two
strangers seen at the Elm House on Wednesday,
were members Of the same gang. The actions and
movements of the men all the way from Dexter to
West Waterville were unusual, and provoked re-
mark
1t is probable that after being foiled at Dexter
by being confronted by safe that was not on
their chart, they ''prospected" until they found
another adapted to their purpose. The bank at
Winthrop was more favorable than the others,
and so they concluded to undertake TO 20 through
it. By marvellous good luck, they succeeded bet
ter even than they could have hoped.
Tuesday evening, 9th, three men, named j. r.
shedelle alias big George George Ford and
John Anderson, the former of whom is a noori-
ous burglar were arrested in Boston, on the ar.