Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-14
A VILLANOUS PLOT.
He Secured the Assistance of Two Crooks
He Had Hocussed His Patient, and
They Crack His Safe-The Doctors
Greed Gives Him Away.

! Greed Gives Him Away.
! New YORK, March 12.-The story of the
| great robbing conspiracy at East Newport,
Me-, for which DR.. George W. Weed and
his accomplices, Clarence Whitney and
James Anson Foster, are now on trial. at
Bangor, has received an important add
| tion at the hands OF Inspector Byrnes
DR.. Weed a supposed reputable physician
of East Newport, conceived tue scheme G.!
robbing Peter Bennett, one of his patients
who had the reputation of being miser
and was known to keep a large sum Ct
the assistance of Whitney and Foster, VIII"
came on from New York to do their share.
of the job. The idea OF
RoBBING OLD BENNETT
half ago, and his first step was to tax.
Whitney, who is native OF Bangor. an
whom he had known intimately zinc,
boyhood, into his confidence. Whitney
was then in New York, associa ting wit a
gang of forgers and ready to turn his hand
to any job that offered. On receiving the
Doctors letter he enlisted in the enterprise
'Reck" Donovan. They went on the mis-
sion, but were unsuccessful. Toward the
end OF last November Weed wrote to
Whitney, Saying that he was
again in attendance on Bennett,
and that if he could secure
the assistance of a good man" it would
be a simple matter to
DRUG THE MIsER
and broaL o,on his +rooouro oIast Wb;+,o,,
cast about him for partner, and not find
ing man to suit, sought the advice of Phil
Hargreaves, the notorious forger, who rec
commended Kelly as likely man, and the
next day looked him up and introduced him
to Whitney with the understanding that he
was to receive a liberal commission on Jbe
plunder to pay him for his trouble. Kelly
jumped at the chance to do a good Job"
and started for Maine with Whitney on De-
cember 3. The following day they spent in
concealment at the doctors home aud that
night accompanied him to Benefits house,
where, after the doctor had hocussed the
patient, they
CRACKED THE TREASURE CHEST,
which proved to cor tain $29, 900 in bank
notes. While they were at work the miser
recovered copeoi'tusIese aud attacked t,eIu,
and at the fight thai followed he was Sc
verely beaten by the two crooks, who COW
cred the doctors escape. After leaving the
house hurried distribution of the
spoil was made, the doctor taking a
lions share of S27,SOO, giving Whitney
$1,000 and Foster only $4O0. The doctor
went quietly home and his companions
took to the woods and were
MAKING FOR CANADA
when they were captured. The counsel EN-
ployed by the prisoners were not long in
finding out that DR.. Weeds share of the
swag was worth fighting for and made a
proposition to him 20 ''railroad' the two
crooks in consideration Of a liberal share
of the booty. This reached the ears OF the
prisoners, who promptly chechn,ated tie
move by pleading guilty and nquealing"
on their confederate. While pursuing his
investira tions Inspector Byrnes intercepted
several letters written by Whitney in
prison to lls pals here, and addressed to a
liquor saloon duwntow.., i'll which all the
details of the plot we're related.