St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-01-14
HEAVY BANK ROBBERY.
Mysterious Disappearance of the Pre-
dent.

Mysterious Disappearance of the Presi-
dent.
The robbery of the Lancaster Ma
tional bank at Clinton, Mass, by its
president, w. III. Mcneil, who was aid
ed by one Veo, DR.. Nelson and pos
sibly others, is one of the most myste-
rious affairs that ever happened in
New England.
The head of the remarkable conspi-
racy was Mcneil, who is supposed to
be in Canada. His carefully made
plans concerning the disposal of the
plumber miscarried through the weak
ening of one of his associates. When
President Mcneil abscOnded on the
night of December % he took with him
all the valuable contents of the bank
vault, and he was accompanied by a
young man named Charles H. Veo.
This young man was finally traced by
the police to Rutland, Vt, and he was
there arrested. He at first denied all
guilty knowledge of McNeil's move
ments but finally he confessed that he
helped Mcneil steal the funds and fur
nished information by which detec-
tives recovered $l65, 900 of the missing
funds in two valises buried under q
pile of rocks in Tinmouth, 10 miles
from Rutland. Veo is treasurer of the
West Rutland marble company. He
said that he and Mcneil went to Gin
ton at about O'Clock on the morning
of the robbery. They went directly to
the bank, entering by means of Nc
Neil's key. The vault was opened and
Mcneil cleaned it out, sceoping the
money into the bags with both hands,
and filling the satchels he had brought.
They then left the bank and went to
the depot, where VeO bought ticket
to st. Adams and Mcneil one to Rut-
land, after which they exchanged tick
cts.
They arrived in Rutland together.
Mcneil took $4,000 in gold and part of
the securities and went on to Canada.
VeO, thinking no suspicion would rest
on him, went back to work at his desk.
Veo gave his bOOk-keeper, Il. l.. Bar
mum, two valises Thursday, December
81. and told him to hide them. Bar
mum refused but DIR. Nelson, presi-
dent of the West Rutland marble com
pany, insisted and he felt obliged to do
it or lose his position. That night
Barnum took team for Tinmouth and
called on his cousin on lonely road
half mile from the village. After the
visit he concealed the two valises con-
tanning the money in a wood lot, bury
ing them under two feet of stones and
rubbish.
The next step in the drama was the
arrest of DR.. Nelson, who promises to
be an important link in the chain.
Less than year ago Nelson married
the Youngest daughter of Eben Tour
gee. Flushed with successful specula-
ton he undertook the marble business
at Rutland which resulted in a com
plete failure. The managers, however,
have thrown cloak over the losing
investment by driving fast horses and
living extravagantly, and it was the
wonder among Rutland marble men
how they got the money. They say
that nearly $I0O,OOO must have been
sunk in the quarry by the extravagant
management. OF course the company
goes to smash.
Each day has brought out new SEN
satiOn. Saturday last, while one of
the fOremen in the marble cOmpany's
Office was rummaging about he came
acress package tucked away in the
Office desk, which contained six $50
gold pieces. A little later there was
found in the safe crisp $1,000 bank
note.
Monday brought its sensation in the
report that beside the $4,000 in Sc
curities of the Lancaster National bank,
the $l6,O00 in cash found secreted in
Tinmouth, the $1,000 bank bill aud
$3.50 in gold, last week, as reported
previously, securities representing
$lI2, 800 have turned up, which We're
put away in the safe with the $1,000
bill, and found when the sheriff took
possession of the marble company's
property in the interest of the creditors
Saturday.