Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-20
". A. Hewitt Is Detained
at Philadelphia.
Accused Of Trying TO Rob Car
Containing Gold Bullion.


Philadelphia, Dec. 19.-Charged with
making a daring attempt to rob car
on the Buffalo express, containing gold
bullion, while the train was standing
In the Reading terminal last night. Will
liam A. Hewitt. who gives his address
as 325 West 18th street. New York.
was today held in $4,000 bail for further
hearing. The train had been made up
and was scheduled to leave at $40 p.
NJ, via the Reading Railroad and the
Lehigh Valley. One of the express
cars contained 100000 in gold bullion.
which was being shipped by the gov
eminent to Buffalo.
A yard man while at work on a track
adjoining the one on which the express
train stood, heard a grating noise. and
on investigation found Hewitt under
the bullion car at work with q saw on
a gas pipe. The yard man gave the
alarm and Hewitt was pursued and
captured.
About the time Hewitt was dis
covered the lights In the car went OH:
and an examination showed that tho
gas pipe had been punctured. At the
hearing today the police exhibited the
saw left behind by Hewitt in mis- flight
and a section Of the gas pipe. The
police say they are working on the
theory that Hewitt probably expected
to enter the car after he had eXtih-
guished the lights and loot it unob-
served $N9
While the police believe Hewett was
accompanied by two companions, he In
sists that he was alone. Hewett. who Is
81 years old, gives the impression Of a
man of education and refinement who
had adopted desperate methods 10 secure
funds. He was unarmed when searched
and had but Is cents in his clothing. The
young man has n mother living in st.
John. n r. Recently he had charge of
the Billiard room OF a local hotel and
worked at the Somerset Club In r stoi1.
From the latter city Hewett went TO New
York ard Their came to this city, he says.
and walked the streets all the night Of
Tuesday. The police endeavored to se-
cure 4 confession from the prisoner but
failed.
4 The following version of the capture of
Hewitt was given at the Office of J. y.
Warrington, superintendent of the Phil
adelphia division of the Reading Railroad
Co..
Shortly after the time scheduled for
the departure of the flyer. Angelo Tutelo
a car inspector. was inspecting n train
CHANGING over toward the adjoining track
he saw three men crouched under three
of the passenger coaches of the Buffalo
Express. Two of the three men saw that
they had been noticed and, crawling from
beneath the cars. walked swiftly down
the platform.
AT that time Tutelo did not know what
the men had been doing, so he watched
the third. who. unconscious that he had
been seen, sawed away industriously at
the pipes that carried the gas which light
ed the cars. In few minutes he finished
his job and entered the car. The inspector
hunted up the conductor of the flyer and
told the latter what he had seen. The
two went into the car Hewitt had entered
and as they did SO the lights became
lower and finally went out. In the half
darkness. however, Tutelo had recognized
Hewitt. who fed and was captured Hew-
lit was indignant, but he was searched
CONTINUED on Page Two.)