Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-08-20

Governors day proved a gala occasion
for the light fingered gentry from the
cities, who operated extensively on the
camp ground and near the railroad trains.
both in Chester and in Bellows Falls. The
great majority of people who sustained
losses will never report them, but from
what is known in general way il is esti-
mated that the pckpockets secured $1,000
to $1,000 in cold cash. 1t is thought that
the pickpockets operated in gangs of three
or four men, and that there were four or
five gangs.
The experience of John Underwood and
NJ. II. Pember of Putney was peculiar.
They attended the muster together, and
on getting into the train TO return Pember
reached into his pocket and found that he
was short SIS. He applied to MI Under
wood for assistance, and Underwood reach
ed for his own pocket book which had con-
tanned So, but that, also was gone
Westminster people suffered severely,
but it is very probable that they told OF
their losses more frankly than the resi-
dents of some other places. Henry f.
Bond, the well-known slater, was relieved
of $40 near the Bellows Falls station. j.
7. Maynard, superintendent of the Kurn
Hattin Home for boys. found that his ac-
count lacked S25 OF balancing; Ralph
Wiley Of Detroit, young man who is a
guest at Fred Lanes, was short $40, and
Q. l.. Fisher lost small amount.
Jerry Moynihan of North Walpole was
short S25, and George Morris of Rocking
ham SO. The Bellows Falls victims
were J. c. Balch, SIS; Jerry Keefe. S35;
II. B Davis, 81 John P. Nichols OF
Brattleboro had S43 stolen, and Kern
Adams claims that he was parted from a
$50 bill.
c. NJ. Clapp. the driver of the MARROW,
y. H., stage, was a large loser, his pocket
book containing over $500 in cash and
notes valued at $500 being taken. J. ..
A. Jones of the same town lost sum of
money and papers of value. His pocket
book was found on the Fitchburg railroad
bridge at Bellows Falls with the cash gone,
but it still contained two promissory notes.
A Claremont man admitted that he had
lost 81.
Geo. 2. Ellison, a well known truck
man of Holyoke, Mass, and his brother.
Henry NJ. Ellison, boarded the train in the
grand rush when people were packed into
the cars like sardines in a Tx box q. p.
Ellison suddenly felt something pulling at
his hip pocket He elbowed himself around
and put his hand to his pocket. He found
his purse half way out. His brother ex-
perienced the same sensation, but he did
not get off so luckily. His pocketbook
was gone, together with 800 in bills and
$500 in notes and checks.
Edward Stapelton, station police at Bel
lows Falls, seized man that many thought
to be one of the thieves. The man claimed
TO hail from Chicago. He had $3.50 on his
person. The officer had no proof of his
guilt and let him go. The store of Fred
A. Leland, flour dealer at Chester, was
locked up for the day, but it was entered
by thieves who secured S65 from the money
drawer. Mrs. Arena Smith of Simonsville,
formerly proprietor of the Weston hotel,
claimed that her hand bag was stolen on
the train en- route from Chester to Rutland.
The bag contained check for $50, $40
bill, four s. bills, and some silver. L. T.
Park of Chester was selling newspapers on
the muster ground, when three toughs
knocked him down, rifled his pockets and
disappeared in the crowd without being de-
tected. Chester officers arrested a man
who gave his name as Harry Perkins of
Troy, n. Y. He is now in the Woodstock
Jail and the authorities claim to have a
strong case against him, as it is said that
he was caught in the act of picking a
pocket.
The pocketbook of d. Davis of Putney
was found on the railroad track at Bellows
Falls by the chief of police. Mr.. Davis is
the man who was buncoed TO the amount
of $4,000 three years ago. He afterward
gave $500 TO bogus detective who said he
could catch the buneoers.