Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-06-14

about half of which fell upon the bank.
Burglar tools, fuse, flask of powder and
other articles were lying about, and on q
desk we found the loaded club which had
dealt Peter his death blow. When We
came to investigate rs to how the robbers
had effected an entrance everybody was
at 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. -
Peter had no key to the lock of the
front door. He could open it from the
inside, but not from the other. Tho
cashier and bookkccpcr, both old and
trusted men and stockholders, alone had
keys. He must, we concluded, have nd.
mittcd the robbers to the bank, but the
fact of his having been murdered was
proof of his integrity. Had he put up Il
job with them, they would not have fin
ishcd him off. He was Il sharp, shrcwd
fellow, and what excuse they could have
urged to gain admission was beyond ouI
figuring. Detectives were put to work
on the case, but not the slightest clue
could they get for weeks. 1t seemed as
if the robbers had taken wings rs they
left the bank. Three months later two
men, who were suspected of being "good
fellows, were arrested mt point 200
miles away, and in another State, for
stealing horse and buggy. In following
up this case tn Il 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 recognized as II person
seen in our town about the time Of our
robbery, and the bank people became
satisfied that both of them had Il hand in
it. They had no proofs, and the matter
would have been permitted to drop but
for Inc.
The loss Of cash was only about Sill
600. About $35, 600 in securities be-
longcd to dcpostors, aud the balance
WIS the loss of the bank. None of the
securities had been negotiated thus far,
and 1t was my theory that the robbers
had them securely hidden away some
where. While could not be positive
that either of the men arrested for steal
ing the horse and buggy was the party
wanted FOR our job, two of our citizens
were so positive in identifying one Of
them that | was ready to chance it. The
bank had Offered big reward for the
arrest of the robbers and murdercrs. and
after due dclibcrntion with myself and
several consultations with friends, de-
ternined on PLAN The men had been
sent to prison for three years apiece.
When arrested they made II 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 department, while the other had
gone to the chair works. | walked
through this department and saw him en-
gagged in chair painting. The two were
so widely separated that there was no
possibility of n meeting except in the
chapel on Sunday. The one in the
chair department was the younger by sew
cral years.
One day, when had my plans all laid,
entered n Jcwclry store in the city from
which the men had been sentenced and
asked to look ut some watches. A tray
oil them was set, and | grabbed one
valued Mt $40 and ran out. l could
have got clear off us well MS not, but my
object was to be arrested On NV ex-
animation I pleaded guilty and was
bound over. When the case came to the
higher court n lawyer was assigned me.
and had l worked with him the iurv
would have cleared me. refused to
answer any questions, admitted my guilt,
and was regarded by some rs light in the
head. The jcwclcr did not desire my
conviction, and but for my impudcncc I
should have failed in my purpose. A
verdict of guilty was finally reached and
his Honor gave me n year in prison,
though believe he was ready to suspend
sentence in case I broke down and
promised reform.
When I arrived at the prison gave NV
occupation MS a chair finishcr, and, to nv
great satisfaction, was assigned to that
work, and soon found myself alongside
the man was after. He was recorded
on the prison books as Jordon Hatch.
No. ESQ. | was down rs Charles Merritt.
NO. 2lS5. We were mt least thirty feet
apart for thclirst three weeks, and had
been there full month before we passed
a word. Then, as we were CARRYING
some work to the stock room, l got n
chance to growl to him:
81 thought the horse thieves were put
into the slop department"
lie gave Inc fierce look and grittcd
his teeth, and next time we passed he
whispered:
"And I thought the cheap watch grab
bcrs were used as kitchen mops!"
"lie knew, then, as I suspected, what
l had been sent for. No convict is in
prison week before his offence 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 a horse
thief"
During the next two weeks. OWING TO