Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-07-14

perienced in entering the postoffice, but
the first explosion was not sufficient to
break the safe. and while preparing for
the second Mccarthy, who was outside,
heard footsteps approaching. He called
to his companions to come out and they
needed no second invitation. The steps
of the Waterman could be heard, but in
the darkness nothing could be seen OF
him and the party spread apart to be
ready to fight or run. Suddenly, the sound
OF a revolver was heard, and thick and
fast the bullets came flying about them,
one going through the crown Of Nc
Carthys hat. From the sound the yeggs
knew the Waterman was across the street,
and they finally deserted him behind a
tree. firing as fast as he could bring his
revolver into play. There was no chance
for an effectual return fire, but the safe
breakers discharged a few shots in the
direction of the courageous town guar
dian, and then hustled up the road The
Waterman shouted for assistance, but did
not put after them, and they succeeded
in getting safely to the railroad, from
which, after running two or three miles,
they turned into the woods.
They remained out of sight for two
days, journeying during the night time
toward Houston, where they cracked the
safe OF the Long d depot, and without in
terruption succeeded in getting $500.
From that point they returned to Norfolk,
where the profits of the trip were divided.
Mccarthy felt then supremacy happy.
He had been successfully initiated into
the pete" business, as the yeggs term
safe-breaking, had been under fire, had
shown himself possessed of the requisite
nerve to undertake any kind of a break
and had established himself in the clan
as a professional. Although not yet 10
years OF age, he felt that he was looked
up to by numerous of the elder members
Of the fraternity.
He dashed for the concert halls Of Nor
folk, and there his ruin was completed.
He tasted OF the pleasures TO be found
with soubrettes and champagne, and that
was the final straw. His ambition was
satisfied II he could find safes to break
successfully and could then spend his
profits in riotous living. In three days
his share of the proceeds from the three
successful breaks existed only In memory
and Mccarthy was down to hard pan, but
the gang did not gather to undertake a
break for several weeks, and then II was
decided to make the attempt at Plymouth,
the postoffice picked out by the apprentice
on his initial trip as a safe-breaker.
The scenes Of McCarthy's exploits in
the years that followed were largely in
North Carolina, Virginia and West Vir-
ginia. He frequently shared in rich hauls,
was in prison two or three times, and once
was given 80 lashes for trying to escape.
While serving sentence Of Is years he
broke jail.
For some time Mccarthy and his pals
made their headquarters in Charleston,
S. c., and they were very successful in
that state, but whenever the young man
secured a roll of money he "blew'' 1t
buying champagne for the soubrettes.
Mccarthy was in hard straits at Norfolk,
Va, when he received a letter from DR."
Ford telling him to come to Boston.
Breaks in Canton Junction, Middleboro
and Hopedale, Mass, which soon follow
ed were not productive of big results,
and on returning to Boston two yeggs
who had been investigating in Vermont
reported that they had found two easy
marks, one being at Newfane. Arrange
ments were made to come to the latter
town, but McCarty felt compelled to
hasten first TO Detroit to visit his IA
vorite soubrette. On the short trip he
spent all the proceeds from the sale of
postage stamps obtained at Canton juno |
ton, and when he arrived in Brattleboro
two days later than he had planned he
was broke again
1t happened that he had forgotten the |
name of the town in which the bank TO |
be robbed was located, but he remem- |
bered that "Tapper" said 1t was about |
ten miles up the narrow gauge railroad |
from Brattleboro, and that the place |
could be recognized because there were |
only two stores there besides a small |
hotel. So Mccarthy started up the mar |
row gauge railroad. He walked about |
twelve miles and came to a little station |
called Williamsville. When he asked a |
passing farmer about the town he was
told that the community boosted of but |
two mercantile establishments, but that |
It was a pretty smart place. Mccarthy