Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-11-24
GREAT EXCITEMENT ~ wATEN
WILLIE.
A BOLD ATTEMPT AT BANK ROBBERY
FRUSTRATED!
An Omcsr Gagged and Bound Another
Officer Attacked, bat lie fir-s Upon the
KuBbprs-The Itb bbers - III al Large.

|
by the seizdre Of the two night watchmen, viii
the undoubted incntion of robbing Walervillt
| Bank. At quarter to eleven O'Clock We lnesday
| evening, night watchman Wood coming ~
Silver street, on his regular be al, when nearly op
| poste Willard Afnold's house, lie net four men
strangers to him. They suddenly stepped up &c
| him, and one Of them said, "You're just the mar
we are ing for and without any further pre-
| lminaros they seized him. The first performance
| was for one Of thcm to place his hand over the
watchman's mouth, to prevent any alarm being
given; the other three put him upon his back
They then blindfolded him, gagged him by putting
stick across his mouth, and securing it by strings
passing around his neck. His arms were drawn
behind his back and his hands were hand-cufled
He was then bounl abou. the legs anl arms with
| about fifteen feet Of window cord. The highway
men then took the helpless officer, and carried him
| to old shed, in rear Of the Catholic church
| where they laid him down. Two of the robbers
| remained with him as guard, while the other two
went in quest Of the other waichman, Waterville
having but two night watchmcn at the present
| time. They had prev iou>ly inquired Of Wood a
to the whereabouts Of the other watchman, and he
had given them information TO misloaI them, in
| hopes to fru strae their plans.
The name OF the other walclm IN is Geo. Ni.ue
1t is the practice of the two officers to meet at mid
| night at the Tconic Bank, and there take lunch
| Vigue came down on the night in question, and
not finding his brother tiiicer true to his appon
meat, he waited awhile, and started down Main
street. in search Of him. He had reached the cor
ner of liver street, nearly opposite the Williams
House, when he saw two men (the other two rob
bers) come out from the rear of the Watcrville
Bank building lie supposed that one was Wood
accompanied by some one. He advanced towards
| them, remsyking, "Oh, here you are at last -
One of the men stuck Nigue over the back of the
head with billy. But he lodged, and received
the blow only partially. He broke away, and,
screamed "Narder'" to the top of hi. voice. The
robber, ran and Vi;ue let three shots from his re-
volycr follow them. But they were qnite dis
lance Off, and as the revolye. held By an
excited man. the shots lid not have their desired
effect.
The cry Of murder arou,el some dozen or four
teen citizens whose first effort was to ascertain
the whereabouts Of Mr. Wood, the first impressi N
being that he had been muI Idered. Search was
continued from little past midnight until half
past two o'clock yesterday morning, when gen.
| eral fire alarm was given and the whole town
turned out, and with lanterns, went in every di-
| rection. looking for the missing watchman. The
majority searched 10 the vicinity where Wood was
| seized, his walking stick was found there. But
Mr. F. j. Hin and Geo. Woodward. went further
into the outskirts and as they came across Winter
street. they heard noises, as of some one groaning
4. Al l.. :. r
house, and thought that the robbers might be op-
Grating there. Just as they got to the door the
groans were repeated, but they came from the vi
cnty of the yard in rear of the Catholic church,
| accompanied by feeble cries of help as from some
one in mortal agony. Hill and Woodward had
| two fences to climb, and it a most dismal
place. ii i'll thought the cries came from Wood
| and inquired, "WheIe are you Wood p The re =
ponse came family. wherever you are, you are
| in distress" responded Hill. The two young me
| then went into the yard and found Wood. kneel-
| Ing down by his side, they found him bound hand
| and foot. lie had managed to get the gag par
| tally from h is mouth. Wood was very much ex
hausted, having laid on his back unable to move,
from II to about o'clock. The cord was cut, the
haudcutfs and other appliances removed. They
found burg lars lantern and the watchmans clock
| on the premises. When placed upon his feet, he
was scarcely able to stand or walk. As he was
| taken upon the street. the glad cry was raised
"here he is!' The crowd gathered round, and
| told Wood the story, substantially as we have
| given it.
Mr.. Wood is confident that he can identify two
of the robbers. One is short thick set dark COM
pleyion, heavy dark moustache. The second man
was of about the same size, sandy complexion,
with scar between his eyes. 1t is quite clear from
their operations that they are professional cracks
men. City Marshal Harrington and Others, are
| confident that the first robber we have mentioned
was implicated in the Winthrop affair, 1t is evi-
| dent that their intention was to enter Watervillc
Bank and rifle it of its contents, that being the
only bank in town unprovided with chronometer
! lock. Every effort is being made to find the rob
bers. They have been tracked to Augusta, in a
carriage; here the trail was lost. People along
the route heard the carriage and from its rapid
movements thought it was the carriage of phy-
sician. The citizens Of the town are very nlu h
excited over the affair All feel that a bold, pre-
arranged plan of bank robbery, has been defeated
by the ttoughtfulness and bravery Of viguc.