Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-02-01
RObbiug the Mails.


The occasional failure Of letters mailed at the
Montpelier post-ofice to reach their destination
had been the source OF much annoyance to indi-
viduals and Of solicitude to the postal officials
The attention Of George II. Blgeow, special agent
OF the department. was called to the matter and
an investigation developed the fact that mail
bag had been lost December 9th and another
January 18th. No clue to the mystery OF the
disappearance was obtained until It was learned
that Henry Bowers of this village was offering
one cent stamps for sale and seemed TO have
large supply Of them. This. In connection with
the fact that Postmaster Peck OF the Montpelier
office had sent In the mail Of January 18th
twenty-five hundred one cent stamps to the Bur
lington office directed suspicion to Bowers. Be
sides the stamps, there vas package OF seven
teen dollars from the East Montpelier postmaster,
quite number OF checks, notes, etc, from pri-
vate parties, and several small sums OF money
are said to have been In the mail at the same
time. No trace has been found Of the bags or
their contents. Finding himself suspected, Bow
ers fled Thursday last pursued by Officer Dudley.
He was followed down the river and up Jones
brook Near the farm OF Joseph Bower in More
town the officer, who had discovered Bowers in
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returned to Montpelier. Friday, Sheriff futile,
In company with Dudley, renewed the search in
the vicinity where he had been last seem No
clue to his whereabouts could be obtained. On
Sunday, about noon, Bowers came to Bowers
house and gave himself up. 1t appears that in
the pursuit by Dudley, Thursday, Bowers had
taken advantage Of sharp turn in the road
where 1t passes through a piece of woods, and
had turned into an unused road and made his
way back through the woods TO Bowers barn and
had secreted himself there From his hiding
place he seems to have overheard the CONVERSE
tion between Sheriffs Tuttle and Dudley and Mr..
Bower. The young man borrowed in the hay and
maintained the siege against hunger and cold till
Sunday noon when he surrendered. His feet
were swollen from the effects Of the cold. His
appetite was not voracious on the contrary he
complained of sickness, felt chilled and seemed
dsinclined to eat freely. Having kept his guest
over night, Mr.. Bower brought him to this viii
lage Monday morning. On coming to his father
house on State street, Bowers asked to go in and
see his mother. Mr.. Bower says he was violently
abused and ordered out OF the house by the
young mans father for his action In bringing
his son back to be given up. When he was ready
Sheriffs Dudley and Tuttle and reported to them
the whereabouts Of the party for whom they had
been searching, and young Bowers was arrested
and lodged in jail On Tuesday the case was
called in Jail before c. j. Gleason, United States
commissioner, and set for hearing at ten o'clock
Friday at the office of W. A. Lord, Esq. Hon.
Kittredge Hsskins OF Brattleboro, United States
district attorney, will appear for the government
and w. A. Lord for respondent
Henry Bowers is about twenty-one years Of age,
the son Of worthy and industrious parents resid-
ing in this village. lie is young man of DISCO
lutte habits, and has served two or three terms In
the house Of correction for drunkenness. We un.
dertand that he claims to have found the stamps
which he had offered to sell l.. d. Hyde, c. +.
| Boswell, Mark French and others, that the first
intimation that he was wanted for robbiug the
mail was communicated to him by Mt Bower, on
| Sunday, that he knows nothing about the rob
berry, and that he fled because he supposed the
officers who had called for him at the house
| Thursday morning before he had returned from a
| night of debauch wanted him again for drunken
ness. The mails for the early morning express
| on which the robbery was committed, are car
ried to the station in this village about ten o. CLOCK
| in the evening. The branch train takes the mai
locked in the baggage compartment of combina
| ton car to the main line about three o'clock IL
| the morning. On this trip access must have beer
gained to the mails and the robbery committed.