River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-09-14

just robbed store at Dorset and
two or three houses, and they showed
us a diamond ring, watch, some
other rings and whole lot of stuff
they had stolen and were hiding in the
barn.
when | told them AL and / were
going away they asked me why we
didn't join them. They said it would
be a good thing for 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, aud said they would make
me the Queen of the gang.
"Al didn't ike the idea, but said:
Come along. 1t can't 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. | 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, so
/ raided a hen roost near by, and that,
with some veal that Reed stole. made
our supper.
"The next day we went on to
Pawlet, and that night we cleaned out
a farmers hen roost and all his clothes
lines. Again we slept in barn, and
next morning tramped on TO Granville.
'Our plans were not quite ready for
the big trick we were going to try,
which was the robbery of bank in
Manchester We were not armed
enough, and we didn't know the ar
rangements, so we decided to stay in
Granville for little while. So we
stopped at the hotel over night But
the next day we thought we'd better
go back, as it was rumored that we
were being watched, and we didn't
want to get caught and jailed for the
simple little things we had already
done. Besides, there was jewelry
store at South Dorset. kept by a man
named Abrams I thought it would be
easy to get in there, and besides get
ting some diamonds, take what pistols
and ammunition we might need for
bigger work.
"It was a dark night, and we didn't
expect we'd have any trouble over the
Abrams trick. 1t was arranged that
the boys should stand guard while l
got into the store and cleaned it out.
So | was to take the pistol THAT Reed
had given me and protect myself if
they didn't warn me in case OF any,
one coming, or if l should run across
anybody in the store. About nine
o'clock that night we got near North
Dorset, where the jewelry store was
and were just going down the road
toward it when a team drove over a
bridge that we would have to cross
over a little stream.
1--WE tried to get out Of their way,
for none of us thought the team was
after us. But the men in the wagon
had lanterns, and l saw that we were
discovered We had been followed.
1 yelled to the boys to run for their
lives.
81 recognized some of the men in
the wagon as they began to jump out,
among them Constable A. G.. Mason,
of Pawlet, and a farmer named Black,
near whose house we were overtaken
Merritt Reed ran first, and Ross
right after him, but I didn't see where
Brockway went I wasn't going to
run, thinking that the officers would
follow the men and I could sneak
away quietly. Besides, I wanted to
see how AL Ross would come out of
the scrape, and, if possible, help him.
AS soon as Constable Mason struck
the ground he drew a revolver and
commenced firing. Then I drew mine,
intending to use it if they fired at me.
''But before I could get a chance to
fire l felt arms about me, and Farmer
Black had me pinioned. At the same
time Reed, who was being followed
by Constable Mason, turned and fired
at him. l yelled for AL to help me,
and he turned to come up the little
hill down which he had run. AS he
did he must have got in line with
Reeds revolver, for he suddenly threw
up his hands and yelled: I'm killed.
Then he fell to the ground.
.Al's death made me wild. l fought
and kicked to get free, and if l had
would have killed some one. But
there was no one to kill, at that, for
the constable's posse was a pack of
towards, and only one man besides
Mason himself stood ground. That
was Farmer Black, who caught me.
The rest ran for dear life as soon as
a shot was fired.
Reed and Brockway got away dur
ing the excitement. Al was killed,
though he gave the constable a good
tussle right in front of me before he
fell back dead. Then they carried MS
body to a little schoolhouse near By
and took me to Farmer Blacks for the
night
''They caught Brockway next day in
the next town, but they haven't got
Reed, and if I'd had any chance to
get away they wouldn't have got me,
either. Al has been buried in the
pauper's graveyard at Pawlet. What
they'll do with me I don't know.
What do / care, anyway"
Such is the story of Lovina Lanfear.
Not highly romantic. as she tells it,
but, from the very manner of its re-