Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-04-15
BURGLAR IN THE STORE.
Man Under Arrest in Westteld, Mass.
Thought to be the cuIprit-Took $t2.11
from Houghton & Simonds.

The cash register in 11oughton & ST
mondss dry goods store was robbed of
S1211 Friday night 10y burglar who
entered the store through a rear window,
opening into the basement The window
is located about six feet from the base
ment floor and contains two Danes of
glass The burglar broke one pane "a
moved the pieces and laid them on the
ground. dropped to the floor. opened the
fire. proof door between the two sections
of the basement, went upstairs and open
ed the cash register, took every cent it
contained and retraCed his steps. In the
morning, before business hours, Harold
Brasor one of the clerks noticed that
the window had been broken and report
ed the discovery to MIR Houghton. who
| opened the cash register and saw that it
had been robbed Mr.. IIoughton reported
the matter to Chief-of- Police Han, but
there was no clue to work on except
tracks i'm the mud outside, which indi-
| Gated that the burglary was committed
after rain began falling, toward morning.
| Evidence since brought to light, however,
| indicates that the robbery was done earlier
| in the night.
In one of the Sunday newspapers MIR.
| Houghton read that man named Charles
! Bruffee had been arrested i'm Springfield,
| Mass, Saturday night for various rob-
! berries in Westfeld and that on Friday
night he had telephoned to Westfeld from
| Bratteboro. Mr.. Houghton showed the
| item to Chief Hail. and the latter talked
with Chief Police Cash of Westheld by
telephone. He found that Bruffee had
been at work for r. II. Briggs. An inter-
view with Mr.. Briggs brought out the in
formation that Bruffee began work here a
| little over two weeks before that time,
| that on Friday night he was in the vii
lage, but returned home on the last car,
that on Saturday morning Mr.. Briggs
went to Vernon to an auction, and that
Irt.t,f farnf tltn I'm,
stating that he was going to Greenfield to
settle his mothers estate.
Believing that he was on the right
track, Chief Hall went to Westfield ON
the early train Monday He learned from
Chief Cash that Bruffee telephoned from
Brattleboro to his wife about G O'Clock
Friday evening that he would send her
| some money soon. Having learned of
| Bruffees whereabouts Chief Cash began
to make plans for catching him. and his
hopes were realized sooner than he eX-
pected. Chief Cash searched Bruffee's
pockets and found about SS made up of
four 81 bills and some change. This was
given to Bruffee's wife. The money taken
from Houghton & Simonds consisted OF
five 81 bills and some silver.
Chief Hall and Chief Cash had a long
talk with Bruffee At one time he acted
as though he was going to acknowledge
that he committed the burglary but he
did not do so. Both officers We're salts
fed that they had the right man in GUS
tody, and Chief Cash said there was no
| question about it. He told Chief Hall
that search in any other direction would
be a waste of time Bruffee was arraigned
in court Monday, waived examination and
was bound over to await the action of the
grand jury Chief Cash hopes to get a
confession from him in regard to the
| Brattleboro burglary, but meanwhile
nothing further can be done about it.
Bruffee has lived in Westfield several
years and has worked in the whip shops
About a month ago he was detained in the
police station under suspicion of burglary
but escaped in n mysterious way. When
asked Saturday about his escape he gave
an exhibition Of his skill, and with a poker
and a case knife easily opened the door
of the room where he was confined
There is evidence connecting him with
several burglaries, and he has been in
Jail for stealing. He has a wife and two
children.
When Chief Hail saw Bruffee the lat
ter had on a new suit of clothes. The fact
was mentioned. but Bruffee said he hat
had the suit a long time. Since return
ing to Brattleboro Chief Hall has fount
that when Bruffee left Mr.. Briggs he haC
on an old suit