Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-08-14
A PICTURESQUE CAREER.
Clarence Adams Of Chester Became
Robber for the Fun Of II

all the surrounding towns as well.
Adams now contesses that he has been
thieving and burglarizing during the
past 10 or 10 years, but confession was
hardly necessary. Several days be-
fore Adams said a word he was pro-
nounced a guilty man BY evidence
strong and overwhelming. The story
is like a sensational novel of the five
cent order.
II will be remembered that Adams
told that while be was going to his
home Monday evening, July n. he was
held up within a mile Of Chester Depot
by two men who seemed TO rise up out
OF the earth and demand his money
and that he whipped up his horse and
got a charge of bird shot in his leg c.
II. Waterman. who runs the Water
man Bros. mill, had suspicious that
Adams story was little colored. For a
long time be had been losing meal
and grain from his mill and all efforts
to catch the thief had proved unayail-
ing. As last resort he arranged a
spring gun near window in such
way that when the window was raised
half way the gun would be exploded.
About o'clock that evening Gardner
Waterman, who was in bed, heard the
discharge OF the gun. He dressed at
once and ran to the town hall where
his father and mother were attending
a show. Investigation showed that
the iron roof on a shed near the open
window showed marks of shot, and
blood was found on the front OF the
shed where the thief had slipped 10 the
ground As il is Y or Is feet from
the ground to the roof it is supposed
that Adams used rope ladder which
was atterward found al his house.
When il developed that the shot
taken from Adams leg were No. 6, the
same as Mr. Waterman used in his
gun, suspicion was aroused. Adams
premises were visited by Mr.. Water
man and Constables Henry A. Bond
and Fred A. Leland. A thorough
search brought to light numerous arti-
cles Of merchandise, the possession Of
which Adams could not satisfactorily
explain. An almost endless variety Of
articles, including clothing, harnesses,
shingles, boots and shoes. sllyerware,
revOlvers, barrels OF -four, books, gold
pens and other goods sufficient to
stock a country store, were found In
the chambers of his home and in the
shed. one room in the house had al
WAYS been kept locked and the present
housekeeper, who had been with
Adams for four years, had never seen
the inside OF IT, There quite a guam
tity of the plumber was found. Several
parties were notified that goods carry
ING their names had been found and
the process of identification COM
menced. 4 box OF neckties has been
found with the other goods and he
claims he took them In Montpelier
during the session of the legislature
several years ago, when a representa-
tive from Chester.
Adams was held on four charges Of
grand larceny as follows: Breaking
and burglarizing Pollard 4 Carpenters
store in Chester, July 10, 1902 Bur-
dett Bros feed store, Apr. Is, 1902
Adams 4 Davis store, Oct. 25, 1900;
Chas. II. Waterman's iced store, July
2s. 1902 also on two counts for petty
larceny. taking feed from Watermans
mill. Apr. Is, 1902. and taking a barrel
OF sugar from the Rutland railroad
freight office. August 5. 1901. Bail,
fixed at $1,000, was furnished by a.
ID. L. Herrick, town clerk OF Chester,
and Adams was bound over to the
December term Of the Windsor county
court. The bail was fixed at $500 for
each OF the grand larceny cases, and
$500 for each of the petty larceny
cases.
When first charged with long list
OF burqlaries Adams had nothing to
saw. but after while became a little
taikative and said that he had been in
the business since he was 30 years Old,
or during the past l6 years. When a
boy he had an ambition to become a
detective, but was discouraged by his
parents. He read freely, however, OF
detective and criminal literature, and
thinks that his taking 10 the burglary
business was due to an appetite Great
Ell bv this reading. He says he has
followed the profession for amuse-
ment
Adams is a farmer, unmarried, %
wears old. He represented Chester in
the legislature in 1894, has been a
selectman and Is trustee of the Whit
inc Free library. He has always borne
an excellent reputation and has been
highly honored and respected by his
fellow townsmen. He has a fine IL
hrarv valued at $1,000 or more, but
many OF the books have never been
looked at. The general opinion Is that
Adams was never a great reader.
The wound he received il on the IN
side of the left leg about eight inches
from the hip, is about four inches
in circumference and extends to the
bone. Someo OF the shot taken from
me wound was tlattened by coming IN
contact with the hone. The wound
seems to be healing well and his COM
plete recovery Is expected.
The only explanation many can OF
fer of Adams strange career is that ne
has diseased mind, is kleptomanl-
ac. Whether this theory Will WASH
remains to be seen.
Vermont Pensions