Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-21
DARING H0LDUP.
Paymaster Relieved Of About
$4,000 Near Woonsocket.
Stopped on Way to Mill by Three
Men, Supposedly Italians.
They Now Have the Money and He
Has the Experience.

Woonsocket, r. L., Sept. IA typi-
cal Western holdup, in which three
highWaymen We're successful in reliev-
ing paymaster f. c. Sherman of the
American Wooden Co., who was on his
way to distribute nearly $4,000 among
the help in the Saranac mills, in Black
stone, took place in the outskirts of
this city, Saturday morning.
Mr.. Sherman, who was riding over
from the bank of this city, accompan-
led by a driver, was met within a
quarter of a mile of his mill by three
men, who, it is believed, were Italians
His horse was stopped, the cloth
handbag containing the money was
seized by n man, who at the same time
aimed a revolver at the head of the
paymaSter. and threatened to shoot,
and before either he or the drive could
jump to the ground the three highway
men had run down the road and
plunged into the woods.
Within an hour the police in all the
adjoining cities and towns had been
notified, and nearly a score We're on the
trail of the three men. They We're able
to trace them nearly a mile in the di =
I6cllOn VI IIONlueIC0, lllcH liz
trail was completely lost in a swamp.
The robbery was at about $50 o'clock
this morning, and before noon the police
in three states, Rhode Island. Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut, We're on the
watch for the men, but when darkness
fell the highwaymen Were still at
large.
1t has been Mr.. Shermans custom
during his five years as paymaster at
the Saranac mills to go to Wo6nsocket
early Saturday morning, and draw
money for the weekly wages. He was
there when the bank opened at s
o'clock, this morning, and a few min
utes later had started for Blackstone,
about a mile and a quarter away, with
S29613 in bills and small change in a
cloth handbag.
He was driven by A. L. Bracket, the
two occupying an ordinary box buggy.
Neither of the men was armed.
When about a quarter of mile, and
almost within sight of the Saranac
mills, they saw three men leaning
against a fence on the left-hand side
of the road
Mr. Sherman says that one of the
men, who was tall and swarthy, wore
a dark stiff hat and dark cloths and
appeared about 80 years old, stepped
out into the road and grabbed a horse
by the head.
Another. a somewhat shorter man,
who. Mr.. Sherman thinks. was of light
complexion, stepped up to the side of
the buggy and pointed to the money
bag.
Mr.. Sherman brushed his hand away
once or twice, and in doing so dropped
the bag which he had been holding in
his right hand. AS he did so the man
drawing large revolver. which he
aimed at Mr. Sherman's head, eXclaim-
ing I'll shoot!''
Before Mr. Sherman or Mr.. Bracket
could jump to the ground, the three
up a side street Mr.. Sherman and Mr..
Bracket gave chase but the Italians
gained rapidly, and within a few min
utes had turned off the side street on to
the railroad track.
They We're seen running up the track
a short distance and then plunge into
the woods to the southwest of the
track. Feeling that they had no chance
in such chase the two bewildered men
hurried back to their team and drove
to the Saranac mills.
1t was matter of but few minutes
before they had notified the chief of
police in this city as well as the Massa-
chusetts town of Blackstone, and be-
fore o'clock half a dozen men, includ-
ing several policemen were at the scene
of the robbery and had started on the
trail.