Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-08-02
BRATTLEBORO LOCAL
STOLEN MILEAGE BOOK RECOVERED
1t Was Sold by Stranger to Austin Mil
Ter and Identified the Next Day as One
Missing from Newfane.

one Of the mileage books stolen from
the Newfane station Of the West River
railroad Thursday night, July 20, was sold
to Austin Miller Tuesday Of this week
and fell into the hands of the railroad
again Wednesday. Mr.. Miller was much
surprised when informed that the book
was stolen one as he had bought IL in
good faith from a respectable looking
man and believed that it was all right as
1t bore station agents cancellation
stamp dated at Brattleboro July 29 He
had received no warning to be on the
lookout for the stolen books and when
the man came into the store Tuesday
evening about $50 o'clock with three
mileage books, his suspicious were not
aroused. The man explained that through
misunderst landing between himself and
his wife they had bought a new Central
Vermont mileage book when they already
had enough Tpileage remaining in two
other books for their immediate use. He
wanted to exchange one Of the books for
Boston and Maine book with enough
mileage to take himself and his wife to
St. Johnsbury. He even asked Mr. Miller
to figure out how much mileage was
needed for the trip. After talking the
matter over few minutes Mr.. Miller
gave him a Boston & Maine mileage with
about 400 miles remaining and paid him
the remainder in cash.
1t so happened that Mr.. Miller was
short Of Central Vermont mileages and
was glad to get this 1000 mile book. A
few miles had been taken from it.
Wednesday morning he let the book out
to Charles b. Sprague to go up the West
River branch and the conductor on the
morning train was on the lookout and
took possession Of the book. He tele-
phoned to Mr. Miller and asked him
where he got It, satisfying himself that
Mr., Sprague was innocent in having the
O. lt.r in lie v,ga
reported to the station agent a descrip-
tion OF the man as nearly as he could re-
member He appeared to be about As
years old, wei dressed. wore a derby hat
and was smooth faced. His manner was
pleasant and easy and indicated a man
Of experience in travel
Directly after the Newfane station was
broken into Deputy Sheriff Myron p.
Davis was informed Of the loss Of the
books and their numbers, with a request
that he notify the men in Brattleboro
who dealt in mileage books He failed
to notify Mr.. Miller. II he had done so
II would have been an easy matter to have
placed the man under arrest while he was
in Mr. Miller's store.
One Of the unexplained aspects Of the
AFFAIR is the station agents stampmark
on the book. Though the date was
stamped July q 1t was in an old style
square stamp and not the round stamp
used at the local station at present. The
suppostion is that the stamp was made
up or else someone connected with
the railroad in some manner had got
possession of one OF the discarded stamps
and allowed the thief to make use Of IL.
The stranger who could tell most about
the history Of the book after 1t left the
Newfane station is probably well out of
the way and everyone in any way con-
| nected with the affair admits that he
was a most nervy man to wait nearly a
week and then sell one Of the books in
| the nearest large town to where the
| robbery was committed Altogether he
| appears to be about the slickest thief re-
Gently heard from.