Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-04-28
MILES. the Barre bank uobDer.
A SKETCH OF HIS HISTORY AND onARAc
rrn


A SKETCH OF HIS HISTORY AND cnARAo-
TER.
The Montpelier Freeman gives the fol-
lowing biography of George Miles White,
sent 10 Windsor by tho Washington Coun-
ty Court, recently, for fourteen years, un-
der the name of George Miles:
Miles is one of the most expert burglars
in the country. Perhaps his invention Of
the method of gagging cashiers, and his re-
markable skill in overcoming the difficult
ties of combination locks, should give him
the bad eminence of standing at the head
OF bis profession.
He is a native, we believe, Of Alstead,
New Hampshire, and is thirty-eight years
of age. His mother died in Westminster,
VI, few years ago, and White came on
from New York with friends, and made
considerable display at her funeral, he hay
| log great affection for her. His father is
now living in Westminster, iufrm in body
aud mind, and has other children living
who are respectable people. The present
wife of Miles is his second wife.
Soon after coming of age, George White
was merchant in Westmoreland, n. H.,
where he did quite a business but failed
eventually. In 1864 he was keeping ho-
Tel in Paper Mill Village (Astead, n. H.
This place lie soon lelt and went to Stone
ham, Mass, where he kept hotel for some
| years.
While keeping the Stoneham hotel, he, in
company with the burglar, Mark Shinborn,
broEe into the Walrole Savings Bank, and
the safe of b. +. Aldrich, treasurer of the
bank, in whose stoie the bank was, and
made off with fifty or sixty thousand dol
lars worth Of bonds. This was in Noyem-
Der, 1864. S1inborn was convicted and
sent TO prison. White was tried at Keene,
and the jury stood eleven for conviction
and one for acquittal. He got away and af-
forwards, with one Smms, released Shin
born from prison.
III 1866, White, Simms, Bartlett and Ma
| guro committed the celebrated burglary OF
the Bowdoinham Bank in Maine, which
was The frat instance of the gagging of a
cashier, which feature was the invention of
Whites fertile brain. The other three
burglars were caught and are now in prs-
on, but the New Hampshire Yankee was too
shrewd for the law that time.
Not long afterwards he graduated from
village TO metropolitan life, and set up
business in New York city. His next well
known exploit was the Hungerrord Nation
al Bank robbery at Adams, Jefferson coun-
ty, New York, on the 18Th of March, 1871.
White, then under the name of Albert Will
liams, Joe Kingsland and Francis Wilson
broke into the Hungerford Bank, and not
| getting through their work till well along
towards morning, broke into the barn OF
Scion d. Hungerlord and stole famous
horse OF his that was worth a round thous-
and dollars. They fed, driving the horse
rapidly, and were closely pursued. Find
ing the pursuit bot, they drove out upon
by-road and stopping the team Kngsland
drew his revolver and brulally and need
lessly shot the noble horse through the
head. This performance created more feel
ing against the robbers on the trial than did
the robbery itself.
A. Wallace Wheoluck, the then sheriff Of
Jefferson county, who was here during the
trial last week, ready to testify had there
been need Of il, says these fellows gave him
more trouble in Jail than all the other pris-
oners he ever had, as they were trying 10
blow up his Jail or file the bolts all the limo
they were there. They were indicted at
Watertown, New York, March 81, 1871,
took separate trials and we've sentenced
April 3, 1871, 10 live years for the bank rob-
berry and five years additional for breaking
into Hungerford's barn.
Some two years after, Albeit Williams,
or White, was pardoned out of $ ny Sing
by Gov. Dix. He now stands indicted in
the Supreme Court of the District of Co.
lumbia under q number of his aliases, for
having with one Walter Brown alias vii.
liam Benton, on the 23d of April, 1874,
broken into house in Washington, and
there having taken quite an assortment of
SCOOPS and like stun, together with two
books OF entry of Geo. Z. Fisher, and two
books of John o. Evans. This last ex plot,
ii is needless 10 say, was the celebrated
Harrington safe burglary case, in which,
no doubt, he was the chief professional ac-
tor. 1t will now be seen whether shoe
making in Windsor prison is business
Vermont officials can persuade Mr.. George
Miles White TO busy himself about.