The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-10
Selected storm.
why II was Sent to Prison.

night Waterman of the Merchants and
Mechanics Bank at Clio to throw open
the front doors and raise the curtains
at half-past seven o'clock each morn
ing BY that time all the stores were
open and the streets full of people
From half-past seven to eight O'Clock
he swept and busted, and the bells had
scarcely struck the latter hour when
the bank officials began to arrive.
Then the Waterman went home, the
doors were closed and at ten O'Clock
the bank was ready for business.
One September morning the cashier,
teller and two of the clerks arrived to
find the heavy doors still closed. Peter,
the Waterman, had been in service
nine years, and this was the first time he
oversight his hour. The grocer on one
side and the shoeman on the other had
pounded on the bank doors ut a quarter
10 eight, and not receiving any re-
Spouse, were certain that something out
of the way had occurred. There were
nine of us who entered the bank as the
cashier unlocked the doors.
The curtains had not yet been raised
when we knew that robbery and murder
had taken place. When we got the
lull llSuJ VIC saw ClCI lying VII lilo
back on the floor outside of the railing.
He was fully dressed and had been
struck on the back of the head and
the blow had crushed in the skull. The
body was cold, showing that death had
occurred some hours before.
Further investigation proved that
the door of the vault had been drilled
and blown open and that the bank had
been robbed of every dollar of its cash
on hand. Taking the loss of bonds,
stock and cash, the aggregate was
about $4,000, about half of which fell
upon the bank. Burglar tools, fuse,
flask of powder and other articles were
lying about, and on desk we found
the loaded club which had dealt Peter
his death-blow. When we came to in
vestigate as to how the robbers had
effected an entrance everybody was at
sea. They could only have come and
gone by the front door,
Peter had no key to the lock of the
front door. He could open it from the
inside, but not from the other. The
cashier and book-keeper, both old and
trusted men and stockholders, alone
had keys. He must, we concluded,
have admitted the robbers to the bank,
but the fact of his having been MUIR
dered was proof of his integrity. Had
he put up job with them they would
not have finished him off. He was
sharp, shrewd fellow, and what excuse
they could have urged to gain admis-
sion was beyond our figuring. De-
tectives were put to work on the case,
but not the slightest clue could they get
for weeks. 1t seemed as if the robbers
had taken wings as they left the bank.
Three months later two men, who were
suspected of being "good fellows"
were arrested at point two hundred
miles away, and in another state, for
stealing horse and buggy In fol-
lowing up this case to conviction it
was proved that they had arranged to
do bank in country town, and that
the rig had been stolen as part of the
programme. One of the men was
recognized as a person seen in our
town about the time of the robbery
and the bank people became satisfied
that both of them had hand in it.
They had no proofs, and the matter
would have been dropped but for me.
The loss of cash was only about Sill
900. About $50 900 in securities be-
lOhSCu w uCpOollOlo anu blC
was the loss of the bank. None of the
securities had been negotiated thus far,
and it was my theory that the robbers
had them securely hidden away some
where. While could not be positive
that either of the men arrested for
stealing the horse and buggy was the
party wanted for our job, two of our
citizens were so positive in identifying
one of them that was ready to chance
it. The bank had offered big reward
for the arrest of the robbers and MUIR
derers, and, after due deliberation with
myself and several consultations with
friends, determined on plan. The
men bad been sent to prison for three
years apiece. When arrested they
made fight, and burglars tools were
found in their possession.
/ visited the prison and learned that
one had been assigned to the boot and
shoe department, while the other had
gone to the chair works. l walked
through this department and saw him
engaged in chair-painting. The two
men were so widely separated that
there was no possibility of meet
ing except in the chapel on Sunday.
The one in the chair department was
the younger by several years,
One day, when ! had my plans all
laid, entered a jewelry-store in the
city from which the men had been sen.
fenced and asked to look at some
watches. A tray of them were set out
and grabbed one valued at $40 anC
ran out. l could have got clear off az
well as not, but my object was to bt
arrested, On my examination pleaded
guilty and was bound over. When tn,
case came to higher court a lawyer
was assigned me, and had 1 worked
with him the jury would have cleared
me. l refused to answer any ques
tons, admitted my guilt and was re
garded by some as light in the head
The jeweler did not desire my convic
ton, and but for my impotence
should have failed in my purpose.
verdict of guilty was finally reached
and his honor gave me year in prison
though l believe he was ready to sus
nanH in I hrola Ia