Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-19
Rob Mark Twain's Sum-
mer Home at Redding, Ct.
Take Sideboard Out on Lawn
And Steal The Silver.
Thieves Are Captured After . Dss.
'perats Struggle.

who broke into the residence of Sam
uel J.. Clemens Mark Twain), in Red
ding late last night, were captured
this morning on a New York. New
Haven & Hartford Railroad train DC
tween Bethel and Redding, after des-
pcrate fight in which Deputy Sheriff
Banks of Redding was shot in the leg.
The prisoners, who are believed to be
professional crooks, who came from
New York for the express purpose of
entering the Clemens cottage, refuse
to talk.
Miss Lyon, the humorist's secretary,
was aroused about midnight by the
sound Of breaking glass in the lower
part of the house.
She went softly down the stairs to
find food of light in the dining room,
and that the sideboard with its rich
load of solid silver was missing from
it's customary place in the room. eau
tiously slipping along in the shadows
to point where she could have il view
Of the garden, to which her attention
had been called by an open window
in the dining room, Miss Lyon saw
two men forcing the door and drawers
of the sidcboard which they had car
ried out apparently in the hope that
they would not be interrupted in their
work
without giving the burglars any
cause for alarm Miss Lyon summoned
Mr. Clemens and the butler and then
telepnoned for Sheriff Banks and sew
eral neighbors. Before any of them
reached the scene the burglars had
fled with their booty, but the hurried
" formed posse started on the trail.
followed them down the railroad and
overlook them Just as they boarded
the train at Bethel.
The two men We're captured on
train at this point after fierce fight
in which the sheriff was wounded twice
and one of the men shot himself serl-
ously in the head.
Following the awakening of Miss
Lyon and her discovery that burglars
had been at work, word was telephoned
to Harry Lounsbury. neighbor. and
to Deputy Sheriff Banks both of whom
came to the Clemens place. Search was
at once made by thcn ana rci%hb"rs
who had been notified, of the premises.
and on the lawn some distance away
was found the empty drawer Contln-
ued search shovel that the mon had
taken the main road for Bethel. MT.
Iounsbury then went on to Pethei
and the sheriff remained at the Red
ding station.
When a passenger train. bound south,
came into the Bethel station Mr.. Louns-
bury boarded it and. passing into the
smoking car, saw there two men TO "hoh
his attention was attracted. He attempt
ed TO engage them in conversation ana
asked them If they lived in Danbuiy. The
men replied vaguely. Mr. Lounsbury
said he noticed that both mems shoes mad
rubber heels, which it was said would
correspond with the tracks in the road
way.
When the train arrived at Redd1ng Mr.
Lounsbury got off and notified Sheriff
Banks that he believed the men they
were after were the two to whom he had
been talking Sheriff Banks boarded the
train and attempted to arrest the men.
but they at once showed fight. one OF
them drawing a revolver. In the struggle
which followed the sheriff was shot ~
the leg and in the hand and the man
managed also to wound himself in the
head.
BY that time other passengers in tho
car had taken part in the affair in an
attempt to assist the officer At the same
time Mr.. Walk, who was at the Clemens
home. appeared with shotgun and the
two men then gave in and suffered them
selves to be handcuffed and were taken
off the train and to the home of Mr..
Lounsbu,y. A physician was called and
the wounds Of the sheriff and of the in
jufe Ell robber attended to.
Later in the morning the men were
taken before Justice Dckerscn for hear
ing. Mr.. Clemens. his daughter Miss
Clara. and Mr.. Wark appeared at the
hearing.
The men had taken only the solid sill
verware and this was all recovered. The
plated ware they had evidently discarded
somewhere.
The hearing was held in small room
of an old fashioned house. the justice.
Mr.. NiCkerson. sitting at Il little table.
The witnesses ard the prisoners occu-
pied the same Settce. Mr.. Clemens had
on his white suit.
The prisoners described themselves
as Charles Hoffman. aged 30. Of South
Norwalk, and Henry Williams, aged