The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-10
Chester. (Vt.) Special to New York

and until recently highly respected far
mer, whose dual personality was so I'M
expectedly disclosed by a spring gun. The
shock of more than an ounce of No. s
shot which hit Adams in the leg was no
greater to him than was the discovery
of the people that a burglar had been
living in their midst.
Once they had sent him to Montpelier
as their representative in the Legisla-
ture, twice they had made him Select
man. and even now he is one of the trus-
tees of the library. In addition to these
honors he has a record of having served
the town faithfully as lister" which in
other States would be assessor, and he
1t was on whom the people relied to chose
books for the library.
Thinking the mans mind was out of
tune when he attempted to break into
Waterman's grist mill and was shot by
the spring gun, A. D.. T. Herrick. the
town treasurer, FASTENED to furnish bonds
for the appearance of Adams when the
court should call for him.
Withdrew From the Bond.
The charge that one of the leading cit
liens of the place had been living the
life of a Christian and a criminal for
more than a dozen years staggered him.
but events which have transpred within
week gave new aspect to the accuse.
tions. He announced the withdrawal of
his bond this morning, and Adams, who
is still in bed at his own farm house
two miles away, is guarded every hour
of the twenty-four by Constables Leland
and Bond. When his wound heals sufi-
GENTLY he will be removed to the Jail
at Woodstock.
For more than fifteen years Chester had
been terrorized by the frequency of mys-
FERROUS burglaries The postoffice had
been robbed, the railway station looted
stores and private houses entered and not
q clue left to even suggest suspicion
that Adams was the thief.
Several poor fellows. entirely innocent
of wrong doing, have been looked at ask
ance by people who had lost, and one
man. years ago, who was held in JAN
because somebody thought he was impli-
Gated in a burglary, died of broken
heart before the time set for his trial,
Women were afraid to make neighborly
calls at night and persons travelling after
dark usually took the middle of the road
fearing they might be set upon by the
Visited Same Place Often.
Some of the stores in town had been
broken into so many times that the pro-
prietors felt something akin to lonesome
ness If the burglar failed to appear for
any considerable time. The Waterman
mill. where Adams raised the window
to which was attached the string that
pulled the trigger of the spring gun, was
robbed more than a dozen times.
The fact is Adams. who for several
years has Wintered more than twenty
head of cattle, seems not to have paid
out much for such commodities as corn
and meal. When his bins ran low ne
hitchcd one of his horses to an old buck
board and drove to the Waterman place
for another supply.
There, too. he provided himself with
enough shingles to keep the rain from
driving through the roof of one of his
farm buildings.
Then too he seemed to be handy at
safe opening as Waterman discovered
one morning when he entered his office
and found the money he had locked up
the night before missing.
Skilful in Hiding His Trail.
oil of
robbing the mill. Before entering he
would conceal his horse and blackboard
near at hand, climb to the fiat roof OF
shed built close to one end OF the mill
and force a window His next move was
TO unfasten the mill door, which was
done by taking off the lock-catch on the
lamb with a screwdriver, and. this ac-
complished. he would fill his bags, place
them outside and screw on the lock-catch
again.
Waterman very likely lost more grain
than he has knowledge of, for it was not
easy to detect the disappearance OF
few odd bushels now and then. When,
however the discovery was made that
systematic grain stealing was going on
one of the constables was engaged to
watch the mill
Adams always knew when the watch
man was present. for he had frequently
sympathized with Waterman and used
to marvel with the millowner ana his son
that such robberies could be so success
No attempt would be made to rob the
mill while the Waterman was on duty
but vigilance would not be relaxed three
DAYS before another burglary would be
committed. 49,
This vexed the constable and the mill
owner. and the scheme of the spring gun
some saw the gun was loaded lightly.
others that the charge was three drains
of black powder ard an ounce ana an
eighth of woodcock shot The range be
III chance
spread to a wider circle than the top OF
His Amazing Self-Control.
So severe was the wound that Adams
had to lie down in the grass by the ROAD
side to recover from semi-swoon
PHYSICIANS marvel at the nerve OF the
man in being able to get to his horse
drive home and put up the animal: some
think he had companion put Iils Au-
ans stoutly denies.
H. to1d The physician first called in
that he had been held up by highway
men. but -wtrrry tsfe~ spring gun analr , MAS
noised a bout the town, the authorities
nut two and two together, searched the
Adams farm buildings and placed the
owner under arrest ., a.
Thus far Adams has CONFESSED 70
nothing more than ne Was sun N'"'N Nv
proven against him. .. .,a.
In two big burglares which nave taken taken
place here within fifteen years, I0ur Ilie,l
are known to have taken part In eacn
tall and rather slender. 100
When the George C. Allen mouse was
entered and 81 500 in gold coin TAKEN tWp
men covered Mr.. and Mrs. Allen WIN
their pistols while the other two searcheu
the house. One of the two with the PTS
tolls was tall, like Adams and that the
robbers knew something about their VIC
Tins was evident, as Mrs. Allen was
asked where her gold watch and long
chain were hidden. They were under the
inflow but she saved them by stouty as
sorting that they were at the jewelers.
Another time when a safe was blown
tn building, and one had figure like
Adams.
Did Not Consider Friendship.
Friendship acted as no barrier to the
onerations of this skilled burglar. Quite
the contrary seems to be the truth, for
ba has robbed so many times one who
was his closest friend that the friend
10 kind of mysterious fondness for
his unknown visitor.
When back in the early 90s Adams
ooDreived fancy for politics it was
tbis friend. j. f. Pollard. who smoothed
~ nav for him. He was made Select
nep and while in office he robbed Pol
Ids clothing store.
pohberies were frequent about that
+irne occurring sometimes as often as
10 week There was so much dread
~ to%n that the selectmen were called
mon TO act and Adams as chairman
81 the board suggested oHerlng a reW9To,
some few hundred dollars was oHereo 10
90, oerson who would give information
that would lead to the uetectloH OIL CHeS-
ter's arch bandits. .-,
IL