The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-10

i
prison week before his offense is
pretty generally known. AS we passed
again whispered:
=" It's good thing sometimes to be
laid by"
His reply to this was:
Then don't size me up for horse
thief"
During the next two weeks, owing to
the illness of one of the finishers, and
the fact that another was pardoned, |
got nearer to Hatch, but while L seemed
to be utterly Indifferent to him, l sew
eral times caught him looking me over
as if interested. He was very handy
and very tasty with brush and stencils,
and as l was equally so, it finally came
about, after l had been in prison about
three months, that we worked side by
side at the same platform. There was
an overseer for fifteen of us, and we
had to exercise prudence and discretion
to be able to communicate in whispers.
| carried the idea that | grabbed the
watch on purpose to be laid by until
the hue and cry over big job had died
out, and by abstaining from asking him
any questions about his past career |
gave him no reason to distrust me.
had been in prison for seven months
when | was called to the office one day
to see friend, one of the few who were
in the plot. He had called to ask what
progress had made. Upon my return
to the shop Hatch was curious to know
what had passed, and | informed him
that had got word that pard of mine
who had been in the big job with me,
but who had escaped arrest, had taken
our hidden swag and gone to Europe.
"Id kill himl" he replied. my
pard hadn't better try that on mep'
" But he may"
mot this pull. Isnt't he here with
me?"
1t was a month before made another
move. | then feigned sickness and got
four days in the hospital, and when |
returned to work | had some news for
Hatch. 1t was to the effect that another
horse-thief, whose name | could not
remember, but who was in the shoe
department, had been receiving the
visits of a lawyer, who was doubtless
seeking to get him pardon or new
trial.
'The - he isl" Kissed Hatch, Jump
ing to the conclusion hoped he would.
l purposely prevented any other con-
versation for several days, but it was
plain enough that my shot had told and
that my man was greatly worried. l
pretended to have no interest in the
matter, and one day, when opportunity
offered, he observed:
"I'd give thousand dollars to get a
letter out of here to certain party"
Better not try it, briefly replied,
and l let him worry again for week.
1t so happened then that l was de-
tailed to the yard for couple of days
to assist in repiling some lumber, and
when l returned l had some gossip for
Hatch. 1t was to the effect that the
governor was being worked for par
don for one of the shoemen, and it was
reported that the lawyer who had the
case in hand was to get $4,000 if he
was successful. l could not give his
name, not having heard it, but ven
tured the opinion that the man must
have rich relatives at work for him.
I" Richl" he replied. Hes selling
some one out on the quiet"
1t was week before anything further
was said. had saved my good time
and was almost ready to go. Four
days before l was granted my liberty
: Hatch handed me piece of paper on
which he had written about a dozen
figures and as many letters of the alpha
bet, and said:
:" 1t is to my mother. She will un-
derstand it. If you can get this out
with you and mail it to the address on
J the back, enclosing your own address,
you will receive at least 81 900 within
} week. The shoeman is my partner.
: If he is working the governor it is to
} beat me. I'll take the chances of trust
ing you. We were in a big diamond
robbery in London, last year, and the
swag is secreted in New York. If this
gets to the old woman she will put it in
a safe place"
But the address is Chicago" l
said, as got look at it.
THAT'S all right; she'll understand"
had sore finger, and | carried the
note out hidden in the rag wrapped
around the digit. / went straight to
Clio, put the paper in the hands of the
bank officers and detectives, and after
working over the cipher for three days
! we were no wiser than at first The ad.
dress was Mrs. Ann Walsh, Chicago
Ill.," and on the second day after oui
arrival in Chicago woman dressed in
mourning called at the ladies' window
and inquired for the name. We fol
lowed her to a saloon and restaurant on
State street, and discovered that she
kept house upstairs, while her son, {
| young man of about twenty-five, ran
9 the business below. The place was
: looked upon by the Chicago police as
3 suspicious, and with their aid a search
!, warrant was procured and a search
4 made. In tin box in an old trunk
S in the garnet we found the securities
e stolen from the bank at Clio. Jordan
u Hatch's right name was Billy Walsh
e and the woman was his mother and thu
r young man his brother. Both claimed
q entire ignorance of the securities
d proving that Billy had the run of thu
j. house when at home and that he hat
: every opportunity to bring home anc
|. conceal stuff. 1t was not until afte
: their acquittal that we found the key
L tn tho oinbar The motto than raad.