Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-09-15


could. Father and mother care? Not
they.
II married West ott, but we didn't
get along, so we just quit,
81 didn't care, because he tried to
make me stay in the house nights
when he was away, and didn't want
to, like to enjoy life. Well, when
he told me to so away from him,
went ! stayed at home a little while,
and then met fellow named Albert
Ross, who was clerllng at the Putnam
house in Bennington,
1--WE kept company, AL and |, and
he worked at the hotel and over at
the golf links at Manchester-in-the
Mountains But finally we got tired
Of living around here, and thought
we'd get out.
"The first night it was dark, and
got tired; so AL and | went into a
barn to sleep till morning, We didn't
know there was anyone in there, but
we had hardly got inside when we
heard our names called, and looking
up in the haymow, saw my cousin,
Merritt Reed, and friend named Dan
| Brockway.
when AL and I saw the fellows we
wanted to know what they were doing
there and Reed told me that he and
BrOckway had given up their jobs and
We're going to be burglars They had
| just robbed a store at Dorset and
two or three houses, and they showed
us diamond ring, a watch some
other rings and a whole lot of stuff
they had stolen and were hiding in the
barn.
when | told them Al and I were
going away they asked me why we
didn't join them. They said it would
be a good thing for a gang to have a
woman along, as she could do jobs
that they would be caught trying,
They offered me an equal share of
everything, and said they would make
me the queen of the gang.
al didn't like the idea, but | said:
Come along, 1t cant be any worse
than working So he agreed to join,
too and we slept till morning,
EARLY in the morning We left the
barn and started north. Reed was
armed | knew, for he had shown me
two big pistols, one of which he gave
me. l don't know about the others
except that AL had a knife that he
said he could use in close quarters
if we got caught at anything. We
walked all day, laying plans as to
what we should do, and that night
slept in the woods, making our beds
of pine boughs. We were hungry, SC
I raided a hen roost near by, and that
with some veal that Reed stole, made
our supper.
| THE next day we went on tc
Pawlet, and that night we cleaned out
a farmers hen roost and all his clothes
lines. Again we slept in a barn, and
next morning tramped on to Granville
Our plans were not quite ready fol
the big trick we were going to try
which was the robbery of bank il
Manchester. We were not armed
: enough, and we didn't know the ar
rangements so we decided to stay II
Granville for little while. SO We
, stopped at the hotel over night. Blu
the next day we thought we'd better
; 90 back, as it was rumored that We
were being watched, and we didn'
want to get caught and jailed for thu
| simple little things we had already
done. Besides, there was a jewelr!
store at South Dorset, kept by mar
named Abrams l thought it would b.
, easy to get in there, and besides get
ting some diamonds, take what pistol!
and ammunition we might need fo
| bigger work.
t 1T was dark night and we didn'
expect we'd have any trouble over thu
r Abrams trick 1t was arranged tina
the boys should stand guard while
got into the store and cleaned it out
SO | was to take the pistol that Rec
had given me and protect myself i
they didn't warn me in case of any
one coming, or If | should run aCros
anybody in the store. About min
o'clock that night we got near Nortl
Dorset, where the jewelry store wa
and were just going down the roaC
toward it when a team drove over
bridge that we would have to eros
over a little stream
1--WE tried to get out of their way
for none of us thought the team wa
after us. But the men in the wagol
had lanterns, and | saw that we wer
discovered. We had been followed
| yelled to the boys to run for thei
lives.
Il recognized some of the men i
the wagon as they began TO jump out
among them Constable A. c. Mason
of Pawlet, and a farmer named Blacl
near whose house we were overtaker
Merritt Reed ran first, and Ros
right after him, but | didn't see wher
Brockway went. | wasn't going t
run, thinking that the officers woul
follow the men and | could snea
away quietly Besides, | wanted t
see how Al Ross would come out @
the scrape, and, if possible, help hin
AS soon as Constable Mason struc