The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-07-25

can be taught in the Graded schools for
$500 year, it does not seem possible
that there are people in our suburbs so
short sighted as not to accept the oppor-
tunity being less than the amount for
which they can maintain the school at
home dtring the coming year. If they
accept the Graded School District terms
1t will be boom for them and an in
ducement to others TO make their home
there, as they will be furnished the best
school in this end of the State at the
low rate of tax prevailing in district,
No. 7.
ESCAPE OF BILLY PEASE.
Friday evening between 8 and $50
O'Clock il became known that BILLY"
Pease had escaped from our Jail in this
known as Willing Pease, alias. William
Price, alias William Steward. and was
formerly resident Of Cohoes, N. Y.
Pease, who is carpenter by trade,
but Q burglar and crook by. profession,
has been living at the county's expense,
in enforced retirement, since the first Of
last January. when he was captured ard
brought here on a charge Of blowing
open the safe Of William P. Mattison &
CO. at South SALISBURY, and stealing its
contents on Dec. &c. 1888. His case was
brought before the Municipal Court and
continued several times, until on May
"a, he waived examination and wac bound
tup to the County Court. He then turn
ed states evidence and on his comics
sion, indictments were found against
his pals, William Trimble and Elmer
Clough of Cohoes, N. Y, who were then
confined in the Albany penitentiary un
der a sentence Of one year for assault.
States Attorney Barber secured their
pardon by Gov. Hill. that they might
be brought here for trial on more seri-
GUS charge and at the last term Of the
County Court at Manchester, their trial
was set for the December term aud
Trimble and Ciough remained vt the
Manchester jail. Through their counsel
they petitioned f"I reno, al to Windsor,
and on June 25. the day before they
were to be removed to Windsor, they
escaped, as noted by US at the time.
| Apropos to this escape OF Pease's con
federates, is the following letter, receiv-
ed by the jaIlor at Manchester, on Tues
day Of last week, post marked East Ar
lingloD
Mr.. Topsley We write to let you
know we did not have any bard feelings
towards you. In the manner that we
left we did not have time to bid you
good by. That day we Left 10 ahurry.
hoping that you will not have any hard
feelings L wards US. You gave us all
we wanted to eat. We did not like the
place we were IN. II was too small
We did not get fresh Dir enough, We
supposed we were going to board at F.
Il. Orvis' hotel, but we found it differ.
ent when we got there. We did moi
like Mr.. Barber very we'll. Mr., Pike ID
a nice fellow and Us, d US well, You. tell
Mr.. Barber when you see him not to
send any one after us, for we are many
miles from there now. We think We
shall 90 to the White mountains to spend
the summer, for our health. II you see
any of the grand jurors you tell them
| for US not to recommend to the cOurl
that the cops at Manchester are safe
and all right, for they can zee what men
can do when they set to work. The
next night after we left we stopped al
John Bacon's [Sunderlandl and goI
some refreshments. John 10 good Eel
low. You charge those two meals "a
the state that you brought US last. and
fix up the Jail as well as You can. Good
bye. CLoUGH & TRlMBLE.
Pease was brought to Bennington and
remained until he, too started out for a
summer outing. presumably for his
health. but not probably among tn.
green hills OF Vermont, for Vermont
air doesn't seem to haye agreed with
him. He has been in very poor heal b,
and failed visibly during his entire real
dence in the county hotel, and for long
time has been constantly under medical
attendance; but his present trip was
not advised by doctor. Gu Tuesday
last, he complained a great deal and
took to his bed, remaining there to all
appearances until Friday night; but il
looks now rs II this was part Of q well
laid p'an to change his boarding place.
Some think this III health all along
was a cunning device for Pesse had evi
IDENTIFY studied the situation well. Last
winter he took strOlls around the village
accompanied by ex jiilor Rob, on and
this no doubt helped him to famIlIaTizs
himself with the approaches to town,
While this daily outing was In progress
indignant ciI'z-ns took occasion to see
by what authority this apparent loose.
ness of custUdy was allowed, and fluid
ing it sanctioned by the proper author
ity subsidized and matters took their
course. The sick" dodge was as well
worked as the avenue OF escape. This
did credit to Pease's profession.
Between the cells and the corridor Ia
an iron grating just inside OF which are
the stairs, which are firmly bolted TO the
grating and at the other side by iron
bolCe. Beneath the stairs is an open
space, from which a small swinging
trap door opens into the oorri'or. Pease
sawed of the bolts that held the top
step OF the stairs with common steel
table knife that he had manage to sec
rete and had in some way roughly fash
toned into aBaw. Removing this step,
be dropped quietly into the open space
beneath the stairs, swung the trap door
open. slid out into the corridor, and
thence into an unoccuPied room, from q
window of which he easily jumped 10
the ground and FASTENED to leave the
dust OF Bennington behind him.
Pease 10 about IS years OF age, slight
Of stature and weighs about ll5 pounds.
lie has been in prision many years dur
ing his life, which has been devoted en-
lireIy to lawbresking and crime; and he
lie one OF the best known, and most clev.
er craftsmen and general crooks in the
country. His present escapade Ia said
not TO have been the first Of the kind.
There are now in j III John Carlisle OF
Readsboro, charged with arson Mt the
recent fife there and who was held In
$4,000 for the County Court, and was
committed 10 default OF bail, and Byron
U, Roberts. held for the WoOdfOrd muir
der and committed in default Of $4,000
bail Both Of these men say that they
heard no noise and nothing, 10 arouse
their suspicious until they heard the
sound OF the door leading into the vacant
room from which Peace escaped through
the window. Carlisle claimed TO have
been asleep and Roberts at the water
closet at the time; but az soon as they
discovered that their companion in dis
trees had taken French leave OF them,
they made an outcTy and endeavOTPd by
as much noise Ne they could make u
give the alarm. Their efforts were sue
cessiui; and a man passing by on the
street heard the Tumpus, and, as soon az
ne discovered the facts, gave a general
lHrm
san Pike, 81 harii L ( ihe e.
rup III red reward fUI tee vturc
If The fugitive, and will leave no means
united to capture both Pease and the
70; her two concerned with him,