The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-07-18
WHY WAS SENT TO PRISON.


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 watchman, had been in service nine
years, and this was the first time he had
oversight his hour. The grocer on one
side and the shoeman on the other had
pounded on the bank doors at quarter
10 eight, and not receiving any response,
were certain that something out of the
way had occurred. There were nine of
us who entered the bank as the cashier
unlocked the door.
The curtains had not yet been raised
when we knew that robbery and murder
had taken place. When we got the full
light we saw Peter lying on his 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 $50,
900, 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 load
ed club which had dealt Peter his death
blow. When we came to investigate as
to how the robbers had effected an en-
trance 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 ad-
mitted the robbers to the bank, but the
fact of his having been murdered was
proof of his integrity. Had he put up a
Job with them they would not have tin-
ished him off. He was sharp, shrewd
fellow, and what excuse they could have
urged to gain admission was beyond our
figuring. Detectives were put to work
on the case, but not the slightest clue
could they get for weeks. 1t seemed as
il the robbers had taken wings as they
left the bank. Three months later two
men, who were suspected of being good
fellows" we're arrested at point two
hundred miles away. and in another
State, for stealing a horse and buggy.
In following 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 rec
ognized as 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 $ll,-
900, About 1876, 900 in securities belonged
to depositors, and the balance was the
loss of the bank. None of the securities
had been negotiated thus far, and it was
my theory that the robbers h d them
securely hidden away somewhere. While
l 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 l was ready
to chance it. The bank had offered big
reward for the arrest of the robbers and
murderers, and after due elaboration
with myself and several consultations
with friends, determined on plan.
The men had 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. walked
through this department and saw HIM
engaged in chair painting. The two men
were so widely separated tn Vt there was
no possibility of meeting except in the
chapel on a Sunday. The one in the
chair department was the younger by
several years.
One day, when had my plans all laid,
l entered a jewelry store in the city
from which the men had been sentenced
and asked to look at some watches. A
tray OF them were SET out, and grabbed
one valued at $40 and ran, could have
got clear off as well as not, but my OBJ
ject was to be arrested. On my exam
NATION pleaded guilty and was bound
over. When the case came to higher
court lawyer was assigned me, and
had | worked with him the jury would
have cleared me. refused to answer
any questions, admitted my guilt and
was regarded by some as light in the
head. The jeweler did not desire my
conviction, and but for my impudence
verdict of guilty was finally reached
and his honor gave me year in prison,
though believe he wac ready to sus-
pend sentence in case l broke down and
promised reform.
When arrived at the prison | gave
my occupation as chair finisher, and,
10 my satisfaction, was assigned TO
that work, and soon found myself along
side the man l was after. lie was re-
corded on the prison books as Jordan
Hatch, No. 21S0. Twas down as Charles
Merritt, No. 2lS5. We were at least
thirty feet apart for the first three weeks
and had been there full month be
fore we passed a word. Then. as we
were carrying some work TO the stock
room, got chance to growl at him
81 thought the horse thieves we're put
into the slop department"
He gave me fierce look and gritted
his teeth. and next time we passed he
whispered
"And thought the cheap watch grab
bers were used as kitchen mops ?"
He knew then, as l suspected, what /
had been sent for. No convict is IN pris-
on a week before his Otfense is pretty
generally known. AS we passed again
l whispered {:
"It's a 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 hnishers. and
the fact that another was pardoned, /
got nearer to Hatch, but while seemed
to be utterly Indifferent to him. several
times caught him looking me over as if
interested. He was very handy and
very tasty with brush and stencils, and
was equally 80, it finally came about,
after had been in prison about three
months, that we worked side by side at
the same platform. There was an over
seer for fifteen of us, and we had to ex
ercise prudence and discretion to be able
to communicate in whispers. l carried
the idea that grabbed the watch on
purpose to be laid by until the hue and
cry over a big job had died out, and by
abstaining from asking bin any ques-
tions about his past career gave him
no reason to distrust me.
had been in prison for several months
when was called to the office one day
TO see friend, one Of the few who were
10 the plot. He had called to ask what
progress l 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,