Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-04-21

knows, has he withheld anything tina
. would aid in their conviction. lie deserves
and doubtless will receive, his liberty, as
reward for his services. Curley docsn 7
= make any pretensions to be any better than h,
Is. but he has several good traits. He never
drank drop of liquor in his life, never
swears, is devoted to his wife and little
girl. and declares that he was never engas-
ed In burglary before the one at Barre.
, In his life, and never will be again. lie
/ was charged with being concerned with the
, bank robbery at Waterford, New York. {
few years ago, but was acquitted in the
second trial, the jury having stood eleven
for aequittal to one for conviction in the
hrst. Curley solemnlY avows his innocence
OF the crime. Mrs. Curley is in very poor
health, at the present time; she suffered
from pneumonia during her visit to her
husband, this winter, and Pete is very anx-
lous to get out and go to her. lie has made
his cell quite attractive by pasting on the
walls cuts from Harper's Weekly. lie is
great reader, and passes a great deal of his
time lying on his bed, with book in his
hand and cigar in his mouth.
SOMETHING ABoUT NILES.
If Miles is so well off, natural inquiry
IS" Why didn't he furnish fifteen thousand
dollars for bail, and then allow it to be for
feited :" One reason is that there were
several other indictments against him, and
also several writs ready TO be served, and
his furnishing bail on one indictment would
not necessarily liberate him. One of the
indictments found against him by the Grand
Jury last fall was based upon what j.
known as the St. Adams Raid Act, which
makes conviction. in the discretion Of the
court, punishable by death in ninety days
after sentence. No bail could be obtained
| if Miles was arrested upon that indictment.
and Mr.. Dillingham; kept that and Others
ready for service. if he should offer bail
Those that knew Miles well in New York
say that he Is very tight and penuriouS
man, who hangs on to every cent be gets.
and never spends it on the boys as Curley
does. lie is willing to spend a certain
amount to get his liberty but he has also
great cor rtideRce in his - luck, which has
delivered him from every Jail but two-0ur
own, and the one at WatertOwn. New York
he was ever in, and from the Sing Sing
State Prison, and prefers TO endure short
imprisonment. rather than to spend his
money, and go into the world a poor man.
lie Is not the first man who has reasoned
the same way.
Miles never intended to stay in the State
Prison and await trial. There is no d0abt
that rescue was intended at the timc Of
the hearings at " WoOdstOck, in February
but the vigilance OF the Washington county
officers prevented it. A well known and
high official in a neighbOrlng state, who
has had some experience with Miles. wrote
to Mr.. Dillingham; that Miles atbI claim
was an old dodge with him. lie said that
before one robbery Miles committed, he
took his wife TO place in Canada. and |
Slo HI u 10
for several days. Then it was given cut |
that he was sick, and while he was supposed |
to be confined to the house, he slipped out. |
participated in the burglary, and appeared |
on the streets, IN few days, cOnyalescent. |
lie thinks as much Of an alibi as old Tony |
Weller did. lie made two desperate at |
tempts to escape from Jail at WatertOwn-
once by saving through the IRON doors of his |
cell, and once by blowing open one Of the |
main doors OF the Jail with gunpOwder. but
both were unsuccessful. Mr.. Dillingham;.
in fact, has received letters from various
sections of the country in regard to Miles,
cOngratulating him on his arrest. and trust
ing that he would at last receive his deserts.
One from the veteran detective, Moses Sar-
gent, in which was an account Of Miles |
connection with the Walpole Bank robbery.
at which time Miles was keeping a hotel in
Stoneham. Mass As is well known, Miles
was arrested for this along with the nOtO-
rious Max Shinborne, and escaped from jail
before conviction. Sergeant says that
Miles is - plausible and slippery fellow.
and well calculated TO deceive man Of
wonderful sagaeity. and will escape if not
watched both outside and in kingsland,
who almost escaped from Sing sing, few
months ago. l. now at the Dannemora State
Prison. and - closely watched that he can
not get out. German. who reiOices in the
aliases of Worcester sam and sam Perri-.
and who was concerned in our Waterbury
Bank robbery, and the Grafton (Nlass.)
Bank robbery, Is in parts unknown, and
probably never viii be caught.