Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-01-14
Festive Burglar Burgles-to His Sorrow.

+ Festive Burglar BurSies-tO His SORROW.
/ Our village was treated Monday to the
sensation of real, dark-lantern, dime
novel burglary, with the culprit caught
red handed and hustled off 10 Jail with
stern, swift Justice. The ranks of cheap
literature will welcome the addition of the
following narrative, entitled bad Ben,
the Bold Burglar"
Early last summer, r. f. Tilson, who
purchased the Red Lion Inn Market OF w.
Z. Williams, began to miss sums of money
from his safe. The losses continued, des-
pite all effort to detect the thief. AS only
two persons had access TO the safe, neither
OF whom he could believe guilty, he was
thoroughly puzzled. Week after week the
populations went on, until Mr.. Tilson, in
despair, was on the point Of closing his
business. The thief was absorbing all his
profits. The amounts taken were not large
at any one time, usually from one to three
dollars, but the continual leakage drew
heavily on the capital of the proprietor,
amounting in the aggregate to over 500.
At last it was determined to place
watch on the premises over night. Officers
were stationed in and near the market, but
several nights elapsed before any game en-
tered the trap.
The porter of the Red Lion opens the
front door at the foot of the stairs leading
to the street at about O'Clock i'm the morn
OOOH dlief ne nHn uOHt lnls MONDAY
morning, Policeman s. c. Clark, who was
on guard and stationed at the head OF the
hotel stairs, noticed a man enter stealthily
and disappear down the cellar stairs to
which door leads from the hall. Officer
Clark felt that his prey was at hand and
softly stole down the stairs to the hall from
which door enters to the market also.
Soon he heard the click of the lock on the
safe inside and in a minute the spring lock
on the door was drawn and the burglar
stepped into the hall, holding regulation
dark lantern in his hand.
"You're my man" said Clark, Selling
him, whereupon the culprit wilted and adj
mitted his guilt, which was rather unnec-
essary, in fact, as he had in his possession
sl.S5 in money taken from the safe, and
which had been marked, and in his pocket
carried eIeven eggs that he had purloined
from a basket.
The thief was Ben b. Walker of this place, /
who has lived here some five years, and |
while his record was said to be shady, he /
had not been known to t-ansgress the law 4
before. He was suspected of this crime, 4
before being detected. He is about 30 years |
81 age and lived with his mother. Mrs. Ash /
He was hustled To the lookup and kept 1
until his hearing, which was held during |
the forenoon, before Justice James Hutch ]
lnson. He claimed that he had only enter /
I'd the market three times and begged hard 1
Tor mercy, but his story was not at all cred
IDLE. He waived examination and was
bound over in 1000 bail to await trial. on
of Grand Juror Clark. Being
unable to furnish bail, he was taken to
Chelsea jail Monday afternoon by Deputy
Sheriffs Lamson and Boswell.
walker plan OF operations was very in
.eresting and so well laid out as to almost
iefy detection. He mad been for two years
porter at the Red Lion Inn, finishing work
asst summer. He therefore knew the land
thoroughly. From the big cellar beneath
he Inn, to which the stairs lead from the
nall, there is partitioned off a small room
which serves as the market cellar. Once
inside this partition there is nothing to
lbstruct entrance to the market above. A
IGOR leads from the market cellar to the
main cellar, which was barred with heavy
cd. At some time Walker had bored an
luger hole through this door and, reaching
through the hole with an iron poker used
or the furnace near by, he raised the iron
oar that fastened the door and entered the
market cellar. He then replaced the bar
nd went upstairs. The safe is small one
nd has had varied experience. At one
lme II was stored for several months " here
Walker had access to il and during this
line he studied out its combination. He
vas thus able TO unlock it easily, after
hich he could fitch a portion of the
hange, lock it up again, step to the door
eading into the ball. draw the Yale lock.
walk out, spring the door behind him and
hen depart, leaving no trace of his pres
nee, save on the contents of the safe.
officer Clark's commendable prompts ness
n detecting and arresting the criminal is
ratliying to the community as well as to
ir. Tilson, who feels relieved not only be-
anse the chances for increasing his profits
re increased, but because his employees are
reed from all suspicion. in which feeling
he latter also join.