Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-05-06
..rhen they come here, part of t,

/
of it was SEEM 'em in the restaurant.
'spicioned they weren't here for no
good and it most took my breath away.
They knowed me quick enough, too,
and nothin' wouldn't do but l must
| Join 'em. I was the very man they
wanted. 1 could help 'em and l was
bound to 'em- Twas the biggest thing
they'd undertaken yet; the bank.
They'd come on to examine the situa-
ton, knowing that Mr.. Durkee, the new
mill owner, would make a big payment
soon and the money for it would be
In the bank here. If there warn't amy
thing else, that would be big haul,
haul worth havin, and me bein' here
decided 'em.
81 do think the devil brought all his
friends and relations with him that
tight to tempt me. l forgot how to
Sleep and just couldn't stay in bed.
! wonder warn't in tatters by mornin'
with the devil tuggin' at me as he did
and tryin' to keep me out of the room
where my sleepin' children lay.
at makes me creep and perspire all
over now to think of it.
Eyer see, them bank people come
over to my place for lunch best part of
the time, and they all knowed my little
people, and the mill people knowed
'em, too. My oldest boy worked in
the mill, and they'd been as kind as
could be when he's sick. Christmas
time they's good to him, too, and there
warn't a bank officer but had remem-
bered my little people, even to the
Waterman. Seemed like robbing my
own people, somehow. Is bound not
TO inform on the gang, and they's bound
to rob Their bank; but l cursed 'em in
my heart for comm just when was
gettin' rid of the old life for good and
all. Twas awful
well, judge, you know how them
rooms over the bank was rented to start
a new daily paper. / made 'em swear
solemn as my nGme warn't to appear
nowhere. I'd plan it all out and give
'em points and be on hand at the last,
but had to be cautious.
"They found out when the money was
to he paid, and greed on the night be-
fore for the robbery. / had it all
mapped out for 'em where and how
they was TO loosen up the boards of the
floor in their room above, so we could
break through and lower ourselves into
the vault when the time come. Then
yer see we'd only have the safe to get
into and the great iron door between
MS ard the Waterman.
Everything was ready, and we was
pretty sure the money was paid.
do you hear that storm now, judge?
Twas like that ten years ago tonight,
lark as Egypt, with the rain and wind
a perfect hurricane; a terrible night;
the kind of night for any sort of crime.
The men chucliled to themselves.
Twas a fortune sure this time, and
they'd all be on the way to comfort
and safety before day. | amt never
seen 'em so excited. Nothin' hadn't
gone wrong and nothin' couldn't now.
1--WE had sentinels stationed round to
give the alarm, but there warn't much
ianger on a night like that.
I'VE had planned SO as TO have the
door of the safe ready to blow open
when the Waterman went downstairs to
see to his fires. / knowed the time of
night he did so, SEEM him often from,
my house across the way through the
window of the bank; but to make sure
we stationed man where he could give
the signal at the proper time. With the
Waterman downstairs and we shut in
that vault, with solid masonry below
us, 'twarn't in the range of possibilities
for human to hear us.
Twas planned that when we broke
through the ceiling, me and one of the
others was to go down first with the Ian
terms and tools and get the door ready
for Jim Groggan, the leader of the gang,
TO come down and use the dynamite,
and TO be on hand to take out the money.
ut was Just the night for such a piece
of work, and after l had examined to
see if all was safe, KNOWN the dangers
better than the others, we broke
through the floor and lowered the lad
der, and there we was-right in the
vault. Twas we'll for me I'd hit it right,
for my life warn't worth much if any %
my plannin' failed to work.
OH lfOOAdh III a nun "NhA otff'A
first. and when l was half way down
he started back, sayin in hoarse kind
OF whisper;
"'Who called me"
"'No one. you fool said Jim.
"'Then.' he said, and he ran past me
on the ladder, some one is down there.
T,vict I heard some one say: go bach,
90 back
"'We'll gag him. said Jim, and me
and him went down and turned our lam
terms round, lookin' everywhere, but
there waru't no one there.
"'What's the matter with the fool?'
rrowled Jim, and went back and tried
to send him down again, but he just
wouldn't 20, so Jim cursed him, and he
and me begun to get the safe ready to
blow up.
That's a thing as takes time and
sare, Judge, but we went at it with a
will, and never a word. 1t was so still
YOU could almost hear your heart beat,