Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-08-05
.NEWFANE BANK ROBBED
PROFESSIONAL BURGLARS DYN-
AMITED SAFE THIS MORNING.
Gained Entrance to the Outer Com
partment Of Inner Safe and Sc
cured Over S20o-one Of the Gang
Wounded and Now in Newfane Jail

Wounded and Now in Newfane Jail
The Windham county savings bank
at Newfane was entered between the
hours OF l and o'clock this morning
by professional burglars who blew
open the outer door of the vault,
smashed the inner doors with a sledge
hammer. dynamited three doors in
the inner safe and secured something
over 5000 in money before the noise
Of their operations aroused the neigh
boring residents. All of the gang es-
capped with the exception of one man
who is In Newfane jail with a badly
shattered right arm and flesh
wound in the right side, caused by a
bullet from the rifle of George Batch
elder That the burglars were profess
sional safe breakers there Is not the
slightest doubt, and that they We're
familiar with the ground on which
they operated cannot be disputed.
They began by entering the carriage
shop of 4. H. Farnum, about one-half
mile below the village, and securing a
sledge hammer, several cold chisels,
wrench and some other tools. Then
went to the bank building, a brick
structure just above the Newfane
house, and entered the front door by
means of a skeleton key. at first try
ing to get in by prying open one of
the front windows. The dial on the
outside of the vault was pried off and
an attempt was made to force the
bolts by means OF chisel but evil
IDENTIFY this was unsuccessful. The
burglars then bored a hole in the out
er door and inserted charge of dyn-
amite or nitro glycerine which
smashed the bolts and opened the
door. The inner doors were smashed
by crow-bar or some other heavy
instrument Another charge of dyn-
amite tore off the outer door of the
inner safe and the first compartment
was reached. Here was found S22i.45
composed of $40 In bills, S67.s5 in
silver, SIS in gold and Sl.70 in five
cent pieces This the burglars took
and then attempted 10 reach the in
ner compartment which contained
considerably larger sum of money. A
third or fourth charge pried open the
second plate in the safe but at this
point the operations were interrupted
The first explosion, which occurred
at about 1880 aroused II. j. Batchel-
der, proprietor of the store directly
opposite the bank. second and loud
er explosion occurred few minutes
later but Mr.. Batchelder could not
seem to locate the noise. Meanwhile
he had aroused his son, George Batch
elder. who lives upstairs in the same
house, and both waited develop
ments, In about half hour a third
explosion took place and the younger
Batchelder went to the piazza to see
what was the trouble. Just as he
reached a point short distance IN
front of the store he heard fourth
explosion, and simultaneously saw
man crouching on the ground at the
corner of the bank building. Without
waiting he brought his Stevens 32,40
into service, and heard several men
running westward. His shot was an
swered bys one from one of the gang
but the bullet evidently Went Wild tor
no trace of 1t can be found.
BY this time a number OF the resi-
dents had been awakened and ID. a.
Benson. who }ives a short distance
north Of Mr.. Batchelder, ran to the
house OF +, a. Dewitt treasurer OF
the bank and aroused him. Together
they went TO the bank and found the
front door unlocked, but did not en-
ter, not knowing who was inside. Al
about this time Amasa Grout, who
lives on West street several hundred
feet from the rear of the bank, was
awakened by the groans of man
outside his door He called Rev. L.
u. Davies, who lives next door ana
together they went to see what was
the trouble. On the ground in front
of Mr.. Grouts house they discovered
a man bleeding profusely and groan-
ing as if in terrible pain He was
taken into the house and DR.. +. T.
Osgood summoned by telephone. The
man evidently believed that he mad
been mortally wounded for he gave
nin which he wore to the adopted
daughter of Mr.. Grout, and when the
doctor arrived presented him with a
cheap silver watch, which he SAID
world pay him for his trouble. Ex-
animation showed that the man 5
right arm was shattered near the ell
how and that he had sustained
slight flesh wound in the right breast.
IN his pocket was found notebook.
torn by the bullet which contained
the address of someone who is con-
nected with Ringing Brothers cir
Gus. After the mans wounds had
been dressed he was taken to the
comfy iaiI where he was seen by a
Reformer reporter this morning. He
is of medium height, with dark hair
and a dark moustache, wore suit or
coarse clothes. The third finger OF |
his right hand is missing and there IS
n deep bullet wound in the back OF |
his neck. When asked where he sus-
tanned the wound the man grinned |
and said, If | should tell you | got II
i'm Cuba YOU wouldn't believe me. He |
refused to give any particulars ABOUT
himself or his pals, saying that ne hau
no relatives and did not wish anyone
No money was found' on ms
person.
q w Shepardson, retired police
officer who was formerly stationed at
Deer Island. Boston, was awakened |
soon after the last explosion and I'M
nediatelv went to the scene. At the
corner of the bank building he dis
covered a hat. and upon turning IL
over. found a 3S calibre revolver with
the chambers full.
The several prisoners in the county
iail say that late last night they
heard several men talking a snort
distance away from the corner of the
iaa and that about 9 o'clock this
morning they saw two men on the hill
east of the railroad track There can
he no doubt that the gang was MADE
up mostly Of professional crooks. IN
front of Mr. Batchelder's store was
a large pail which had
haen used over a fire. II contained
ouantitv of bread. tea and salt. The
woodwork around the front of the
vault door is spattered with soap,
evidently used either to tamp the
charge to help in boring the hole IN
the outer door The window in the
rear of the directors room was dis
covered open and it is the opinion OF
-, v,,ar, xrlC xx-ars3 or1prltlng i