The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-10
BOOTY
May Be in
Lake Quinsig.
.ANEAR BEND EZVOUS
Grafton Burglars May Have
Rusticated at Davis Place.

quay Will undoubtedly pElUS TO lBnt
some very interesting facts regarding
the men who occupy cells in the Sum
mer street Jail and are designated as
the Grafton post office burglars, and
before another sun sets behind the
western clouds they will be confronted
with the proof of so many crimes that
| they may cease to be silent and will
| tell all about their life during the sum-
mer in the vicinity Of Worcester in or
der to save themselves from spending
the best portion of their lives behind
the steel bars of the state prison.
Today, it is thought, will disclose the
identity of the man from whom the
burglars state nearly all clothes, shoes,
hats, etc, that they wore when cap
tured and the authorities OF cities with
in radius of 100 miles Of the ''heart
of the commonwealth win rejoice and
residents of many cities and towns will
heave heavy sighs of relief.
The Davis" cottage on the Boulevard
above the lake is thought to be the
place where the Grafton burglars, six
or seven of them, have lived in luxury,
hearts of many persons quake with fear
for nearly six months. And in this cot
postoffice burglary was planned and
that the burglars left from that cottage
in a team late Sunday night for the
scene of what proved to be q tragedy
some hours afterwards.
The Grafton authorities are satisfied
that the Davis cottage, or that inn
mediate vicinity, which is only three
and one-half miles from Grafton, has
been the home of these burglars and
| that they came from there last Sunday
night.
| For months the Davis" cottage has
been supposedly uninhabited, or at
least the outbuildings on the property
were, and II win be revelation to
| manyS people in the vicinity to learn
tage it is supposed that the Grafton
that gang of several of the most dar-
| ing crooks that ever made a rendezvous
in Massachusetts have lived there went
1 out doing jobs" when the fancy struck
them and returned and probably for a
time, at least, hid their booty in the
neighborhood
William GetchelI, the Grafton con-
stable who shot the unidentified burg
lar, Monday morning, has been a very
busy man during the week, and he is
satisfied that when he fired that fatal
shot that he unearthea a nest of des-
peradoes that (have (terrorized every
county in the state and are wanted for
more crimes than any crowd of crooks
in New England.
| The constable worked diligently
about the neighborhood and has found
many people who have for months seen
men near Davis cottage that answer
the description, even to shirts and neck
ties, of the three live and the one dead
burglar, that have been Of interest to
the whole community for four days,
and he found that there is no end of
evidence to prove that one reason why
the Grafton post Office was such a
mark for burglars was that they lived
80 near, and when tired and did not
feel like going great distance visited
Grafton, hoping to get enough out Of
| Uncle Sans possessions to keep them
for few days.
| GetchelI is not willing to state pos
| itively that the burglars lived in the
! Davis" cottage, but he will say that
they have resided in very close prex-
| unity.
| Record after record of burglaries in.
| Massachusetts,, which have been COM
mitted within six months an look like
the work of the same gang" as the
methods adopted in each case have
been very similar.
Thetheory Of the Grafton officers is
borne out IN more ways than one and
Getohell and his companions have
probably put the finishing touches to a
very good job by being able to show
| that this gang has operated systemat-
ically everywhere and lived right I'M
der the noses of the people who were.
so anxious to catch them,
Today Mr.. Paynes, who keeps
general store In Haydensviile, will come
to Worcester to identify clothing and
other merchandise that was stolen
from his store last Thursday night by
gang of six men who were seen by sew
eral residents Paynes has been tele-
phoned to several times by Constable
Getchell, and the underelothtng as de-
scribed by him tallies with the clothes
worn by the four burglars, one of whom
lies dead il. Grafton.
Leland Bros store in Otter River
was also broken into last week, and
the sob" was done in the same man
ner that so many 'Jobs" have been eoI-
ecuted all over the state during the
summer.
Getcheu was in Worcester yesterday
comforting with the Worcester police.
The Grafton authorities theory is
that the burglars had the use of a,
team, which may have belonged 70
them or was possibly rented near Wor-
eester, and used this to do Jobs" that
were not too many miles away.
Davis property have been awakened
many nights by hearing team pass
their houses, going at a rapid rate, and
many people have seen, on moonlight
nights. the forms and faces of this oc-
cupants and every description tallfes
with the dead burglar, McSrath, Day
and Norris
of no end of value will be unearthed on
the shores of the lake, and steps Will
be taken Immediately to locate 1t. IL
the thunder of all burglaries that have
heen committed in Worcester county
alone was found, it would show what
wholesale business this gang has been
engaged in.
were published in The Spy, many peo-
pie thought the faces were quite famll-
This leads the officers to believe that
tba reason the faces were so familiar
was that the men had circulated ABOUT
the CITY nearly every. day for over SIX
months and had purchased all their
food in this city.
that the Davis cottage itself was their
home. but they are satisfied that the
home of the crooks was within
stones throw. They may have hveo
in the open air during the warm wealth
er. They were certainly IeStueileS VI
that immediate vicinity.
The body of the dead burglar has
not been buried. 1t is In a shed in the
Grafton cemetery. 1t has not been en-
balmed and is very well preserved.
1t is being held for the arrival of
Jaynes of Haydensville and others, who
are expected to come to Worcester to-
day The constabulary of Grafton are
turning themselves over, so to speak. |
to throw a bright light on the captured
men.
The Davis cnttara SURROUNDINGS haVa |