The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-01
Is IT A NEST OF CRIMINALS?
HOLLTSTERTILLEs TIRST FtWILTEs
UNDER DARK SUSPICION


I1OlLlhIEk, wayne county, Ia, NOV. Is
On the 18th Of May. 1864 tho messenger Of
Hopes Express delivered 10 Thomas Hath
nway. proprietor Of the mail and cxprcss limo
between Moscow. on the Delaware and Lacla-
wanna Railroad. and Honesdale. Pa. package
containing nearly $1,000. The sum WINS maie
up Of remittances from soldiers in the nrmy TO
parties I'm Honcsdale. Tho money was not de-
livercd I'm tho latior place. Hathaway was sub
scqucntly arrested on charge ~ stealing IT, IIe
admitted knowledge OF the robbery and told
whoro $500 Of tho money could be found
lIathaway's case was settled md he went West.
On the 9th Of September 1sGi Judge Butler
Hamlin left his home in Hamlinton two and
quarter miles from Holli-ieryllr To- attend
court at Honcsdale. Judge ltamin was en-
gagged In business in Hnmlinton. lie left his
store in charge Of Flory Hamlin, his SON.
There was $1,000 in the safe. On the might of
tho day judge Ilamlin went away burglars
entered tho bedroom Of the son. took the key 90
the safe from his pocket. broke into the stor"
and secured tho 100000 Tho burglars were
not discovered
On the 18th " October. 1865. tho Hon. \. II.
Walker Of HAMILTON. brother of Gov. Walker
Of Virginia. went with his family to Iloncslulo
leaving two eirl- In charge Of the house. Tho
girls slout together About midnight they were
awakened 10y two masked men. who ch,oru-
formed them. then rausnckcd the house se-
cured some 90 900. and made good their escape.
Three yours before. Mr.. Walkers store hat
been broken open IA his absence and $500 takon.
About the same time tho house OF \. J. An
drews. Treasurer Of tho School Board OF The
township had boen entered. his safe broken
open aud 81 900 taken.
Every circumstance pointed toward HOLSTER
Vile "a the heRdqunrt,'rs oil tho gang who W To-
Committing these crimes. At iutcrNuls during
ton yenrs there Ind been honvy mail md ry.
I Pa IlfH "a gl D.
tvctlves iiom New York spent weeks In tn
place. but could get no cvid sncr wurraniing tho
well IN business aud society. and welded m in
] fuence IN the place thnt amounted 20 terrorism.
4 Although II WAS SUSPECTED thnt SPUR" l.. u.
| Holli~tcr, aud others OF the name nnt ihmily
! wore In some way concerned in tho long list Ct
/ crimes that had given Hollisicrvile ITS un"n,
| Ninhie reputation. yet no one m tue place cHts 81
! totHke the rcsuousihlity Of saying 50 in public.
| oTinaking any definite charge. ~,
/ The feeling OF insecurity In tho community
| WIS iut"ns fled 10y the occurrence IN the village
! OF Hollistory,lle itself Of tho moslinring and
atrOcious crime ever known there. Among IN"
| prominent merchants OF the place In leb5 was
| James Waite. His house was next door Ia his
store. His bedroom was in the second story
| About 3 o'clock on the morning Of oct. 81 1903.
| Mr.. Waite was awakened hy a noise which he
/ thought was caused 10y mouse gnawing ON the
! top ot n bureau near his bed He got quietly
| out ~ bed and placed his hand on the cdg" oi
/ the bureau tot. and Slipped It nQiselessly along
/ II had passed about hall way tue lcngth 81 ~"
| hurcuu when IL came in contact with mnn'-
/ hand Mr.. Waite had tin money l'oN ~ one
/
| BIS habl g. take II from his store ana p9'c lt
! there. The instant he touched the mans hand
lie grasprd io. his throat ana threw one arm
around his waist HIS hind came N eoniat
Win = gnrof long iHse whiskrrs. whith came
bers mouth The robbcr instantly closed his
tetn tishtly. upon u and sc,z"i MI Nnitr
| Both mon fell 10 tho floor md in the struggle
rolled out IT the hedronm door To- the ton ~ tho
stairs down which they plunged 10 room i".
! low. The noise aroused the other inmates 90!
/ tho house Mrs. Waite from o. -1ffk NFl
| and hurried To her husbands mid. II was quite
| dark. but Mrs, Waite sei1ei hold oi The burglar
ly the feet. The men fought cut Of the ru"m
into narrow entry. At this time young son
| Of Mr.. Waiies entered with light The burg
| lar instantly drew pistol and shot the son. The
! latter frll to the floor and his parents dii not
know but tint he WAS mortally WOUNDED. just
h gn ia 6 SSf by o Mr t Waite rdicrr6S yum
melied fired his pistol again. hit. NJ the other
toll. too and hrod twice ut the burglar. wound e
| iug him IN the shoulder and IN the forrhrAd.
IR'ie WIN. on his HSci Hei Town ~ Mr. Waitc.
/ Neither ~ these latter shots WIS "f"' tive For
fear that he might shoot bis father young WIT"
| c,a- Il hrug, lat irll on ", iur- nr' NM ,nr
two dragged b. IN outdoors. The son " nj &, mo
/ wood p.lc and got heavy mani" clun. VAN
THIS ne beat the burglar on the head. stunning
The younger Waite was found 10 be danger
ousy wounded IN tho groin. His brother WIS
shot in tho nrshy part Of the shoulder, Mr.
Waite WAS badly cut and bruised. but not srr
| ously Injured. dark lantern Of beautiful
constitution. skeleton keys. . revolver. false
whi-kers and moustaches match box. &c,
were found scattered around. and $500 had
been taken from pockrthook In the pocket -
Mr. Waite's trousers. A dishrng had been put
In the wallet IN place Of the money. Th-, 5000
a 800 gold piece aud a skeleton key were found
under some bushes In the morning. A ulnn oi
the house was found in tho burglars pocket.
Apparently tho burglar had taken the 5000 u
an accomplish Whiting outside. who had then
acnt him back 10 get the tin money box IN the
complete. hearing the noise 81 the struggle in
side. had placed the money and other articles
who're they were found, and then fed.
The wounded burglar WINS removed TO tho
house Of Thomas Hathaway wh-rr he lay
unconscious from Monday morning until
ideniined as n man who had been seen
stranger. When ahlo TO talk. no said his name
was William McKlnsley Of Halifax, Nova
Scotia. He acknowledged that he was house.
named Weeks Of Dunmore' and Mike Halle Of
llawey. TO help rob Mr.. Waite The plan OF
the house, he said. had been given 20 him by a
the name He and one other were the only
parsons engaged In the robbery. Thsiniorma-
Works in HOllesterville.
A guard was placed over the burglar. ne he
wac too badly hurt 10 be moved TO HOnesdhle
jail II was believed that McKinsley had hot
told all he knew. He was kent in room with
the windows and doors constantly locked. One
night, about o'clock he asked the constable II
get him drink. The officer went out 10 gei
some fresh water, locking the. door behind him
He WA away between ten aud fifteen minutes
When he returned 10 the room his prisoner WIS
gone Tho bed on which he hay had been taken
up and carried away. A revolver belonging a.
the constable had been taken out OF Il stand
drawer. The door aud windows were found
| locked.
No trace OF the missing man was ever dis
covered. Ii was certain that no stranger 10 tht
| place could have spirited him away SO sue
cessfully. The Waite boys recoveredirom theli
! Injuries. go
Tho affair VIVA still fresh in tho minds ~ the
people in Hollisteryie and vicinity. when eN,
citeinent WIS again raised by the bold ruhhcry OF
Luther G. Head.ey Of 5000, on the 10TH OF Novem
her, 1865. and robbery Of the Moscow stage nj
Holisterville on the 10th OF December follow
ing. On that day the stage stopped at the Pos
once in Hollisteryie 10 await the changing O
the mail. In the express box were q package
Of five gold watches, u number OF diam0n'
rings and other valuable packages. Tn,
watches and lewrry were consigned 10y New
York firm to Charles Petersen. Hunesdal,
lrwcller. They had been delivered 10 the stage
driver by the messenger Of Hopes EXprrss at
Moscow The changing 81 the mail at llollister
willie took about ten minutes. When tho driver
mounted his stage he discovered That the boz
had been broken open and tho packages stolen
The robbery had been committed IA broad dav
light aud It Noted tho robbers Z 600. No trn"s
OF either robbers or property WAs eyer obtained
On the morning Of Jane 10. 1867 Alexander
M'Mullen Of the firm Of stanton Il MeMulen
merchants In WnymHrt fifteen miles north %
HOlliAtprVile found their sale broken open ant