The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-11-06

Is 9a:eiS33 :saa u gainst Gabrie'
~ SssSS1SS ~ :Butterworth oftht'
49, x Se;H same town, for the
- recovery OF thirty
thousand dollars, ofwhich he claimed
that said Butterworth had defrauded
him. The circumstances were these
Butterworth owned and kept the
principal store in Acton, and though
lie had mover been regarded as an
exemplary gentleman, his honor in
business had not been impugned.
Those who had the faculty of looking
upon the undcrcurrent OF human ac-
tions decided that he was a man not
bound by honor, but who understood
the laws Of sell interest too well to be
guilty ofsmall meannesses inbusiness.
What he was capable Of doing on a
grand scale was not mooted until the
occurrence Of which | am about to
speak.
Seth Damon had removed from
Edison to Acton in the fall, and had
purchased the iron works. Shortly
after concluding thepurchase he had
a payment of $50, 900 to make, and
late on Saturday afternoon he ar
rived from New York with the money
part OF it in bank notes and part of
it in gold. When he arrived he found
that the parties to whom the money
was to be paid had lett town, and
would not return till Monday. Mr..
Butterworth had the only reliable
safety vault in town, and to Mr..
Butterworth Damon took the $780,
600 asking permission to lodge it in
his vault over the Sabbath, which
permission was readily and cheerful
ly granted.
During Sunday night the people of
the village were aroused by the
alarm OF fire; and upon starting out
it was found that the alarm came
from Butterworth's store, but Mr..
Butterworth had been active. He
had discovered the fire in season,
and, with the assistance of his boys,
had put i; out before much damage
had been done. Upon looking over
the premises it was found that the
FIRE had not only been the evident
work OF an incendiary, but that it had
been set in several different places.
"How Fortunate" said the owner,
chat discovered il in season.
But very soon another discovery
was made. The safety vault had been
broken open and every dollar it had
contained stolen away! Here was
| alarm and CONSERVATION. Gabriel
Butterworth seemed fit to go crazy.
''For myself | care not" he cried.
"a few hundreds were all had in
there: but my friend had a great
sum-
Immediately search for the robber
or robbers Was Instituted, and word
was sent far and near to all sheriffs
snd their deputies and to the police
OF the cities.
Now, it had so Happened that on
that very Sunday evening-or, l
may say, Sunday night, for it was
near midnight-1, John Watson, had
been returning from my brothers,
in Dunstable. had left my hired
team at the stable, and on my way
to my boarding house l passed the
store OF Mr.. Butte"worth. In the
back yard Of tn" st Horse
trough, and, being thirsty, I stepped
around that way to get a draught
Of water.
AS stopped to drink at the spout
OF the fountain saw CLEAN of light
! through a crevice in the shutters of
| one of the store windows. Curiosity
impelled me to go and peer through,
for wondered who could be in there
at that hour of Sunday night.
The crevice was quite large, made by
the wearing away of the ed es OF the
shutters where they had been caught
by the hooks that held them back
when open, and through it I looked
into the store. / looked upon the
wall within which the saefty vault
was built, and / saw the vault open,
and I saw Gabriel Butterworth at
work therein. l saw him put large
packages into his breast pocket, and
saw him bring out two Or three
small canvas bags, and set them up
on the floor by the door that opened
toward his dwelling. AS l saw him
approaching this outer door a Sec
ond time l thought he might come
out, and went away. 1t was an
hour afterward that | heard the
alarm Of fire. And it was not until
the following morning that l heard
of the robbery of the safe.
! was placed in a critical position;
but had duty to perform. Invent
to Mr.. Damon, and told him what ]
had seen, and also gave him liberty
to call upon me for my testimony in
public when he should need it. Until
I should be SO called upon was to
hold my silence.
While the officers were hunting
hither and thither, Mr.. Damon kept
u strict watch upon the movements
of Mr.. Butterworth, and at length
detected him in the act of depositing
a large sum of money in n bank in
Buffalo. His action Immediately fol
lowed, and Butterworth was arrest
ed.
This was the way matters stood
when I was summoned to appear be
lore the grand jury at Wiltonburg
l went there in company with Mr.
Damon, and secured lodgings at The
Sabine house. 1t was a small inn
we'll and comfortably kept, and FIRE
quented by patrons of moderate
means. There were twopublic h ouset
of more fashionable pretentions II
the place.
1t was on the afternoon ofthe 14tl
dnv of february that I took nnar.