The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-02
RAILWAY OFFICERS
. PURSUE BLACK
HAND" MAN
Edward Gereu Arrested in
Bristol Notch
CHASED BY SPECIAL ENGINE.
Charged With Writing Extortion
Letters to General Manager
Jarvis Of Rutland Railroad.
CHASED BY SPECIAL ENGINE

Rutland, July Edward Gereu,
aged "a years, was arrested at Bris
oil Notch last night charged with try.
ing to get money from the Rut-
land railroad by means Of let
tiers and was taken to Ad-
Olson county jail at Middlebury to
await hearing. Gereu's arrest fol-
lowed an investigation by Sheriff +.
is. Whitaker of this city, Special Of
.ficer John w. Brislin and Claim
Agent George J. McMaster Of the
Rutland railroad, officials of Kddi-
son county and other railroad officials
as result of the trip Tuesday to
Beldens. The man yesterday stoutly
denied being connected with the
crime, but later weakened under
rigid examination. The evidence
against him is considered pretty con-
elusive.
The first letter, which was mailed
at Middlebury the 18th to General
Manager George T. Jarvis, demanded
that a sum of $500, in So and $40
notes be thrown off between Brandon
and Alburgh. The letter designated
the place where the money was to be
thrown off by stating that white flag
would be placed there beside the
track 1t demanded that the engine
should be running wild in passing
and that the money in package,
should be thrown off without stopping,
because, 1t said, the man who stopped
would be shot dead
On Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock
a wild engine, with the package, and
carrying an engineer and q fireman,
left Brandon at exactly o'clock, as
required by the letter. Fifteen min
utes later the combination observa-
Ition car and locomotive Nehasanee,
with Sheriff Whitaker. Superintend-
ent s. S. Cotton and Agent McMaster,
Policemen w. II. Puryea and Grin
Packard, Deputy Sheriff Pascal Ricci
and Special officer John w. Brislin
on board, followed the wild engine.
They went through to Rouses Point
n. Y, but saw no signal.
On Monday General Manager Jarvis
received a second letter, mailed from
New Haven, the contents of which
were practically the same as those of
the first. but which stated that the
writer was late in getting down TO the
train and it went by, but that the sig
nal would be put out for the train
leaving Brandon at 3 CLOCK Tuesday
afternoon. A threat was made, IL is
said, to wreck train il the demand
were not complied with
On Tuesday afternoon at 23O
o'clock the same officers and Super
mtendent Cotton boarded the Naha-
sanee and left Brandon at exactly
o'clock, as before, all the conditions
required being complied with. Just
above the cut at Beldens white flag
was seen beside the track, The 10.
connective was stopped Immediately and
the officers jumped to the ground, all
armed with their revolvers, and
secured the woods around Beldens
and in the vicinity of Brooksville.
Gereu was found in the woods near
by but was not arrested at the time,
Late in the night he appeared at the
home of his uncle, Clarence Sturte.
want, only half mile away. He
spoke to no one, but went directly to
bed, sleeping with the hired man.
Early yesterday morning he arose
and hurriedly left the house.
Yesterday morning officer Brislin
went to Bristol Notch, to look up evil
dence mt place where Gereu claimed
he had stayed last Sunday. Gereu
had left the place an hour before the
officer arrived.
Mr.. McMaster and Sheriff Whitta'
ker went yesterday morning to Mid
dlebury, and secured a warrant for
Gereu's arrest from States Attorney
Leroy G. Russell, McMaster having
secured evidence making 1t practical
ly certain that Gereu was the man
wanted. He was taken into custody
at Bristol Notch about 8 o'clock last
night while standing In roadway. He
made no resistance and was taken
to the Addison county Jail. At the
jail the officers searched the prisoner
and found notebook containing sew
eral statements concerning the Rut'
land railroad. Gereu's home is said
to be at Lincoln.