The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-05-25
WHY WAS SENT TO
PRISON.

PRISON.
II has the invariable custom Of the night
Waterman Of the Merchants and Mechanics
Bank at Clio, to throw open the front doors
and raise the curtains at 7:3o each morning.
By that time all the stores were open and
the streets full Of people. From 1850 to he
swept and busted. and the bells had scarcely
struck the latter hour when the bank officials
began to arrive. Then the watchman went
home. the doors were closed, and at the
bank was ready for business.
One September morning. the cashier. teller
and two OF the clerks arrived, to ind the
heavy front doors still closed. Peter, the
Waterman. had been In service nine years,
and this was the first time he had oversight
bis hour. The grocer on one side and the
shoe man on ths other had pounded on the
bank doors alta quarter to 8. and. not receiy-
Ing any response. were certain that some
thing 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 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 DC
cured 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, stocks and cash. the aggregate was
about $4,000. about half Of which fell upon
the bank. Burglar tools. fuse. q 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 investigate as to how the robbers
had effected an entrance, everybody was st
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 tempered with. s.sl; 81 &
Peter had no key to the lock Of the front
door. He could open 1t from the inside but
not from the other. The cashier and book.
keeper. both old and trusted men and stock
holders, alone had keys. He must, we con-
cludeds 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 of. He was . sharp, shrewd
fellow, and what excuse they could have
urged to gain admission was beyond our fig
uring. 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" were arrested at
point 200 miles away. and in another Stats,
for stealing horse and buggy. In following
up this case to conviction, 1t 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 person seen In
our town about the time Of our robbery, and
the bank people became satisfied that both
OF them had hand in 1t. They had no
proofs. and the matter would have been per.
mitted to drop but for me. .
The loss of cash was only about $1l, 900.
About $4,000 in securities belonged TO de-
positors, and the balance was the loss Of the
bank. None of the securities had been nego-
tiated thus far. and 1t was my theory that the
robbers had them securely hidden away
somewhere. 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 50 posi-
tive In Identifying one Of them that was
ready to chance 1t. The bank had offered .
big reward for the arrest Of the robbers and
murderers. and after due elaboration with
myself and several consultations with my
friends. l determined on 4 plan. The men
had been sent to prison for three years
apiece. When arrested, they made fight,
and burglars tools were also found In their
/ possession.
Visited the prison and learned that one
had been assigned to the boot and shoe de-
partment. while the other had gone to the
chair works. walked through this depart
ment and saw him engaged In chair painting
The two were SO widely separated that there
was no possibility Of meeting except In the
chapel on Sunday. The one in the chair
department was the younger by several
i years. U
| One day, when / had my plans all laid, I
| entered jewelry store In the city from
which the men had been sentenced and asked
to look at some watches. A tray Of them
was set out. and grabbed one valued at $40
and ran out. could have got clear OF a.
well as not, but my object was to be arrested,
On my examination pleaded guilty and
| was bound over. When the case came 20 the
higher court alawyer was assigned me, and
had worked with him the jury would have
| cleared me. ] refused to answer any cues
lions, admitted my guilt and was regarded by
some as light In the head. The jeweller did
| not desire my conviction, and but for my i'm
pudence should have failed in my purpose.
verdict OF guilty was finally reached, and
his honor gave me year In prison, though
believe he was ready to suspend sentence In
case broke down and promised reform.
When arrived at the prison gave my oc-
| cupation as chair finisher. and. to my great
satisfaction / was assigned TO that work, and
soon fond myself alongside the man / was
after. He was recorded on the prison books
Is Jordan Hatch. No. 2lso. I was down a.
Charles Merritt, No. 2ls5. We were at least
80 feet apart for the first three weeks, and I
had been there full month before wo passed
word. Then, as we were carrying some
work to the stock room, got chance to
growl to him:
II thought the horse thieves were put into
the slop department" .s..,. .,..,sa
he gave me fierce look and gritted his
teeth. and the next time We passed he whis-
pered:
"And thought the cheap watch grabbers