Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-28
New York World


DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde has his coun-
| terparJ in Clarence A. Adams, prosperous
| and until recently highly respected farm
er, whose dual personality was so unex-
pectedly disclosed by a spring gun, says
a special from Chester, VT. The shock of
1 more than an ounce of No. s shot which
| hit Adams IN the leg was no greater to
him than was the discovery to the people
that a burglar has been living IN their
| midst
Once they had sent him to Montpelier
as their representative in the legislature,
twice they had made him selectman, and
even now he is one of the trustees Of the
library. In addition to these honors he
has a record of having served the town
faithfully as Ulster" which In other
states would be assessor, and he it was
on whom the people relied to choose the
books for the library.
Thinking the mans mind was out of
tune when he attempted to break into
Waterman's grlst 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
citizens of tho place had been living the
life of a Christian and a criminal for
more than = dozen years staggered him,
| DuN ENGnAS WHICH nave NIdickliIC0 NlAilAi
a week give q new aspect to the case
and now Mr. Herrick believes the ac-
cusation. 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 suf-
iciently he will be removed to the jail
at Woodstock.
For more than fifteen years Chester
has been terrorized by the frequency Of
mysterious burglaries. The post-offlce has
been robbed. the railway station looted,
stores and private houses entered and not
a clue left to even suggest a suspicion
that Adams was the thief.
Several poor fellows entirely innocent
OF wrong-doing, have been looked at
askance by people who had lost, and one
| man, years ago, who was held In jail be-
cause somebody thought he was impli-
waited in a burglary. died OF a 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
towns burglars.
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 Il the burglar failed to appear for
any considerable time. The Waterman
mill, where Adams raised the window to
which was attached the string that pull
ed the trigger Of the spring gun, was rob-
bed 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 he
| hitched 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.
SkiIfuI in Hiding His Trail.
Adams had a scheme ell of his own for
robbing the mill. Before entering he would
conceal his horse and blackboard near at
| hand, climb to the fiat roof OF a 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 of the lock-cateh on the jamb
with screwdriver, and, this accomplish
ed. he would nil his bags. place them out
side and screw on the locl-catch again.
Waterman very likely lost more grain
than no has knowledge of. for II was not
easy TO detect the disappearance of a few
| odd bushels now and then. When, howev-
er, the discovery was made that systemat
&c 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 halloween and his son
that such robberies could be so success