Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-05-29
A PRISONERS STORY.

and raiS- the curtains at 7so o'clock each
morning By that time all the stores we're
Open and the streets fun Of peopls FROM
IN to be swept and busted, ana the bells
hal sarcely struck the latter hour when the
bank officials oezan % arrive Then the
Waterman went home, tue GuOrs we're eiosed
AMI at the hank was ready for business
One September morning the cashier, teller
and two Of the clerks arrived to find the
heavy front doors still closzL Peter, the
Waterman. had been IN service nine years,
and this Was the first time be mad oversight
his lour The grocer on one side and the
shoe man on the ott er had pounded on tine
bank door al a quert to ;. and not fecelv
ing any response. were certain that some
thing out Of the way had occurred There
were zine Of Us who catered the bank the
cashier unlocked the doors The curtains
hali not yet been raised v uen we knew that
robbery aud murder had taken place y, hen
we got the full uyht We saw Peter lying on
his back on the door outside Of the railing.
He vas fully dressed, ami had be-en struck
on the back Of the head, and the blow had
crushed IN the skull The body vas cold,
showing that death had occurred some hours
teiore
Further investigation proved that the door
of the vault had been drilled and blown open,
and that the bunk hid been robbed OF every
dollar Of its cash on hand Taking the loss Of
bonds, stocks and cash, the aggregate was
about ss0,0O, about half Of which fell upon
the bank Burglar tools fuse, "A flask Of
powder ami either articles We're lying about,
and on desk found the loaded club which
had dealt Peter his death blow. When we
came to investigate a. 10 how the robbers
~ .l.alr.
sea They could only have come and gone by
the front door None OF the windows had
been raised, the back door was heavily barred,
and the door leading TO the cellar had not
been tumpered with
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 aud trusted men and stock
holders, alone had key lie must, we con
cluded, 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 fin
shed him OIL. lie was sharp, shrewd fel-
low. and what excuse they could have urged
to gam admission was beyond our figuring.
Detectives were put to work on the case, but
not the slightest Chew could they get for
weeks 1t seemed as if the robbers had taken
wing rs they left the bank. Three months
l,t.rt,vo mon ,vb,, ware s,,s,4cted of t4ing
..,-,o1 f,.lIo,vs - were arrested nj n noint 30t
miles away. and in another state, for stealing
a horse and buggy. In following up this case
to- c,rviction If was nrovrd thar they had
ARRANGED to do a hank in a country town.
and that the rig had been stolen as part Of
the programme. One of the men was recog-
nizt,I as a person seen in our town about the
ti,.e, ~ ,,,,. r,,I,r,e,v md tin, hau. ueonle h
co,ne sotisfe1 th,t hoth Of them had n hand
mn Thev lead no proofs and the matter
ao,,I5 ba,, baen ,ermittad tn dron lint for
n,,.
Tho loss If cash ,r,s only about slt o00
Ah,,nt s9i nno in e,,.nritins bnlonged Ia de-
,ns;t,r. ,,,d tho h,Iorc, yvos tho los of the
III vn,a ~ tb.. securities had h.en no
,.,i.,.,,I I'm. f, a,l !. ,,o. ms. ,l,,,r, tb,+
Tho rol,l,a,,. had ,heu, securely hidden away
s,,,ay,ere Will / roull not IN, ,ositive
dior ..,-i,er of the mon arrested for stealing
,t,, h,,,s. and hI,e,,,,, was the marty wanted
f,,.,,,r id, ,,,,nf ON, ,itiyc,,s ,ver.. 81 uo.i
ij,,,,if,;p,, ono of tbou, TINT was
IT. -, ,t,,.1,i - III h,nI nod ogorod ,
49,. ,,,,.ar,I r, tI,.. orr,.st nj the roht,er. and
,,,,,riar"r. n,,d af,"r dne dclnaration with
,nys si and ssyrral consultations with friends
ii9,.,,.'''..i ,,,,,. Tta ,,,,,, had hao,,
,o', -, ,.r ,t..,. ,.,.. ari'co Uhop
a,.,,.t,j Inv md. n f,-bt and hur,-lars'
- .,l,,. -, !, ~. ,,ssessio,,
,.i.,.al ,. ,,r.l,,, .,,d io,,.,ad tba, ona
- -, 49,, 49,, AMI sl,oo Ia
-, I'LL. ~, ,.,I,,.,. h,d ,.,r, 70 tho
NJ. ,,,,,l. yv,li-.l thourl tl,i. da,art