The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-02-05
Robert Fitton Again.

This is the heading given by the city
press dispatches announcing the arrest
here of this notorious character. Last
week we copied from our Troy eX-
changes what was known of his latest
exploits up to the time of going to press.
The Troy Press of Thursday had these
particulars:
'ln police court this morning John
Rice, alias G. ID. Hull, who was arrested
at the Everett House last evening by
Detective Spotten and Officer Nash of
Bennington, Vt, offered to go to Yer
mont without u requisitiOn, but Officer
Nash concluded that the requisition he
brought from the Governor of Vermont
had better be endorsed by Gov. Hill, so
the prisoner was sent to Jail while the
officer went to Albany. Rice is suspected
of having stolen S2S and a silver watch
from William Riley in Bennington
hotel some time ago. Last Friday lie
came to Troy and registered at the
Everett House as c. d. Hull of Boston.
He acted strangely and the people at the
hotel began to get suspicious of him.
Among letters found in his possession
was one of several pages OF closely writ
ten legal cap. 1t was addressed to his
daughter. and indicates that the writer
has had domestic troubles and threatens
to get divorce from his wife. Trouble
over property is also indicated. The let
ter is strangely worded, and leaves the
| impression that the writer is not of
sound mind 1t is dated at Utica, Jan.
18th, but on that date Rice was here.
| Among other things on his person were
blank letter heads of Warren, Patterson
& Gambell, but how he got them or what
he proposes to do with them does not
appear. The prisoner is 44years old and
book agent"
Fitton alias Rice alias Hull was
brought to Bennington, he coming vol
unfairly, and was arraigned in the Mu-
nicipal court His bail for appearance
later was fixed at 500, and in default of
it he was remanded to Jail. Monday
morning a relative having come on from
Connecticut, deposited $500 with Sheriff
Robinson who then signed his bonds.
Fitton took dinner at the Putnam House.
If he had then gone out of town probably
what follows might not have come to
pass. In registering he started to write
John - wrote Joh- rubbed the ink out
with his fingers and wrote Robert Fit
ton, Richville, VT" Then he went and
"filled up" Coming into court again
for intexication he was somewhat com
the Robert Fitton of Ludlow, who ten or
fifteen years ago run the wooden mills at
Cayendish IN that locality. Its recalled
! that these mills were burned under pecu-
liar circumstances, but we have never
heard that Fitton was anything more
than suspected. But this is recollection
only. He said on Monday that he got
SS5. 200 from the insurance companies, 50
he must be well remembered in i'll
surance circles.
The next thing we recall concerning
FittOn is the purloining of some docu-
ments-indictments some one says-fron
the clerks office of Windsor county. He
= owned up Monday that he was the fellow
and SAID he was fined $500 for contempt
of court-said he had beenin some pretty
tight places, etc. 1t is known that hC
soiourned-that is, the real Robert Fit
ton did-in Canada four years until one
of his affairs blew over. While detained
for intoxication here word came that thu
: sheriff of Windsor county wanted thu
! prisoner, and on this he was kept anC
I. finally handed over to the custody of tina
= official Yesterday. Larceny is said TO b.
J the charge-another story is perjury,
but we have no further particulars.
There are numberless stories told o
9 Robert Fitton's escapades and crimes
:, He is said to have compelled the trans
!. fer by his wife of $4,000 in Unite'
|, States registered bonds, at the point of
= pistol on one occasion. The bonds be
!. ionged to his wife as the auails of an es
; tate. In the prisoners satchcl Monda
were found numerous United State
: Court writs of attachment for property
= signed regularly by Chief Justice Fulle
% and attested by the clerk Of that court
/ Where those papers were obtained, o
v for what purpose they were used, is no
y known.
r The prisoner impressed people wit
= the idea that he is of unsnund mind, bu
{ there appears TO be so much method i
- his madness that first class sc0uRdrel
= probably the better term TO use.