The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-12-07
An Astonishing Criminal.

! An Astonishing Criminal.
Four years ago James o. Mattice, tin
pcddlcr for Dinghamton firm, was
married In Greene, Chensngo county,
n. Y, to a young lady in that village.
Some time afterwards, having in his
possession nearly 81, 900 of the firms
money, he disappeared with their team
andswagon, and in Ulster countyEall
traces of him were lost. Some weeks
afterward the horses were found in q
thick piece of woods in the upper part
of Ulster country. Tied to tree they
had starved to death, after eating all the
foliage III their reach, and gnawing the
bark off the trees around them. Mattice
had evidently disposed of the horses in
that way.
In 1874 William Clark, an apparently
well-to-do young man, appeared in the
farming districts of the Pennsylvania
counties bordering OH those of the
southern tier of New York. He was in
search of good farm, displayed consid-
cradle money, and obtained the conf
dencc of rich farmer named Lennox
to such an extent that he became the
latter's son-in-law after an acquaintance
of but three weeks. Shortly thereafter
the farmers of western Susquehanna
and Bradbury counties lost several
| horses. No trace of the thieves or their
booty could be found, and it was appar-
ent that there was Il systematic plan OF
operations. Certain actions of farmer
LennOX's sOn-in-law aroused suspicious.
An old hand bill describing horse and
carriage that had been stolen from O
livery stable in central New York some
six months before, and also giving the
description of the thief, was seen by one
of the farmers hanging in bar-room at
Towanda. The stolen property was the
horse and carriage VIM. Clark had when
he came into the neighborhood, and had
sold to Mr.. Lennox, and the description
of the thief fitted CLARK exactly. The
farmer fastened home, and Clark alias
Matticc was arrested. On the way to q
Justices, while passing through a piece
of woods, the prisoner, having thrown
the officer of his guard, knocked him
senscless with some heavy weapon, and
although wagon load of farmers were
close behind him. escaped into the
woods.
In 1875 horse thieves began to operate
among the farmers of this, Luzerne and
Susquchanna counties. A man named
Love. who had taken up his residence
in lower Broome county, n. v, and
who had married the servant of far
mcr i'll that vicinity, was at last suspect
ed. In the summer of 1875 farmer in
the northern part of this county had a
horse stolen. and trace of the thief was
found and followed. He was arrested
with the property as he was preparing
to cross the Susquehanna river into New
York, at Susquchanna depot. He
proved to be not only Love, who had a
wife in Droomc county, but Clark, alias
Matticc, who had married a girl in
Chcnango county, and robbed his en-
ploycrs of 81 600 and team. lie was
brought to Iioncsdale and lodged in
Jail. He was furnished tools by mem
bcrs of his gang, who were spread all
over this section; made a kew and un-
locked the door of his coll and the outer
door of the Jail, and escaped. lie went
directly back to Susquehanna county,
and three days after getting away from
Honcsdalc Jail broke into a store at
Great Bend, stole several hundred dol.
lars, and the same night stole horse
and wagon. He was arrested before he
got away with his booty, and was lock-
ed up in Jail at AIontrOse. Before court
met lie dug his way out of Jail and again
escaped, although he was followed bv
the sheriff and shot at five times, one
shot at least taking effect, as trail of
blood showed. Nothing having been
seen or heard of Mattice after his escape
it was believed that the shot had been
fatal to him, and that the community
was rid of person who was becoming
its terror. A reward of 800 was offer
ed for him. Recent events prove that
the theory of Mattice's killing was er-
roneous.
What the career of this criminal NAV
have been after his escape from Mon
trose up to the 10Th of September last is
not known. On that day he had the
audacity to make his appearance in
Greene, Chenango county, where he
married his first wife. He had declared
he had reformed, but he was missing
the next day, as were about $500 worth
of goods from the store of merchant
named Smith, and valuable horse and
wagon also belonging to him. Mattice
covered up his tracks so skillfully that
he actually could not be traced out OF
sight of the village. Notices of the rob.
berry, with descriptions of the property
and thief, were sent in all directions,
but without effect. The owner of the
property gave up all hope of finding it,
when week before last Sheriff Dillon, OF
Hancock, Delaware county, received q
letter from the chief of police of Port
land, Me-. stating that man giving his
name as William Clark had been arrest.
ted in that city having in his possession
n horse and wagon which he had offered
TO dispose of at such ridiculously low
price that il was suspected he had stolen
il. The prisoner said he had relatives
in Hancock, y. Y, and that he came
from Shokan, Ulster county. A de.
scription of the property and the prison
er was given. Smiths descriptions
tailed with the one from Maine. The
sheriff at once notified Smith, and the
Portland authorities were telesraphed
to hold the prisoner. Smith first went
to Shokan, and learned that Mattice had
| disposed of the stolen merchandise near
there. When he reached Portland he
learned that Mattice had cut his way
out of the Jail and had escaped, no
trace of him being found. The proper
ty was recovered, but the costs of recov-
ering had eaten un its r"i"e. nIaitice
has several other assumed mcs.-IThe
New York Times.