Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-01-15
A STRANGE STORY OF CRIME,

Rutland has had big sensation the
past week. In the latter part of Decem-
ber il was announced that President Nc
Neil of the Lancaster (Mass.) National
bank had disappeared and all the funds
of the institution with him. Then Chas.
IL. Neo, treasurer of the West Rutland
Marble company, in which Mcneil was
interested, was put under arrest for COM
plcity with Mcneil in the bank robbery
and taken to Massachusetts. There he
confessed that he helped Mcneil steal
the funds of the bank. They arrived in
Rutland together Wednesday morning,
Dec. 80. Mcneil took $4,000 in gold and
part of the securities and went on to
Canada. Neo, thinking no suspicion
would rest on him, went back to work at
his desk. He gave his bookkeeper, u. l..
Barnum, two valises Thursday, Dec. 81.
and told him to hide them. Barnum re-
fused: but DR.. Nelson, president of the
West Rutland marble company, insisted
and he felt obliged to do it or lose his po-
for Tinmouth and called on his cousin on
lonely road half mile from the vii
lagc. After the visit he concealed the
two valiscS containing the money in
wood lot, burying them under two feet
of stones and rubbish. As soon as Neo
confessed, Detective Dyson took the
train for Rutland, reaching there Thurs
day. the 1th inst. at =: 80 a. IN. With
Chief of Police Mead he went to Tin
mouth in the afternoon and found the Sc
curities and money as represented by
NeO. Barnum was not arrested, as he is
thought to be innocent of criminal i'll
tent. The same day DIR. Nelson, presi-
dent of the marble company and an init
mate of McNcifS, was arrested at Rut-
land, and has been taken to Massachu-
seets. \ $1,000 bill and Il lot of securi-
ties taken from the wrecked bank were
found in the marble company's safe, hay
ing been placed there by Neo. The mys-
terry of the case is deep. No one can un-
dcrstand why Mcneil dropped the most
of his funds at Rutland, and theory is
put forth that he was murdered and the
money taken from him by his accompli-
ceS. Nothing has been heard from him
since he went to Canada. The marble
company has all gone to pieces and is
in the hands Of the sheriff DR.. Nelson,
who is believed in some quarters to be at
the bottom of the whole thing, is native
of Whiting, in this county. or the adjoin-
inc town of sudbury. He is good deal
of an adventurcr, having been connected
with mining and telephone schemes. He
of dentistry at Lowell, Mass. and pre-
tended to possess much wealth. He re-
Gently married a daughter of Eben Tour
gee, the wel-known Bostonian. Mel
sons examination comes off at Clinton,
Mass. this morning.
The latest information that has come
of the Pullman car on the train which
took Mcneil and VeO north after the
robbery was committed. He says "When
Mcneil and Neo first met on the car they
talked as though they were strangers, but
afterward they sat together talking and
writing. Mcneil did not appear to be
under the influence of any narcotic on
drug, but he appeared as though he had
been drinking Il little-say about enough
to give him little Dutch courage lie
was nervous, and continually jumped uI
and walked about. He was anXiou,
about the railroad connections. lie gave
me SO, two 81 bills, to buy him ticket
to st. Albans, which did. When NeC
got off the train at Rutland he had only
one valise with him. Mcneil could have
got off at the other end of the car anG
handed Neo another gripsack. When tn,
train arrived at st. Albans the Montrea
train was waiting for us. Mcneil left
my car with good-sized gripsack. The
porter told him which was the MOntrea
train, and Mcneil started for it. tn,
porter offered to carry his bag for him
but Mcneil would not let him. Mcneil
gave the porter 80 cents, and he remem
bered him we'll