The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-05-06
F0ILS CHESTER MAN.
Lived With Detective Who Said He
Was Yeggman.


of Chester was given a hearing be-
fore Justice F. H. Holmes on the
charge of arson. He was held un-
der $4,000 bonds to appear at the
county court. The penalty for this
offence in this state may extend to
Imprisonment.
Last fall the farm buildings of a
Mr.. Goodrich Of Chester, VT, was
set fire to and burned to the ground.
The loss included tools, seventeen
head of cattle, two hogs, mule, hay
and hens. The only clew to the
setting was tracks of large footed
person, and as Caldwell had been ar
rested on complaint of Goodrich for
killing deer out of season and fined
500 for the offence, he was suspect
ed of setting the fire, as it was al
legged that he swore vengence on
Goodrich at the time of the deer in
cident, about two years ago.
The Vermont authorities were in
terested and secured the services Of
a detective from the WoodMorgan
agency of Boston. The detective
arrived in Chester with two hounds
and posted as a sportsman and took
up his residence with the hotel
man. Naturally he got acquainted
with Caldwell and they had many
good talks about hunting and dogs,
as Caldwell was fond of them. The
detective was invited to take up his
abode with Caldwell, which he did,
and they soon became fast friends.
The detective began to have large
amounts of money sent him, and
this interested Caldwell, who when
answered in regard to the same was
told that the detective was yegg
and that he made barrels of money.
Caldwell became more interested and
soon wanted to join the band Of
yeggs, who were to hold meeting
at Bellows Falls last Thursday
evening. Caldwell accompanied the
supposed yegg to the Falls and
went to room 10 in the Windham
hotel, where Mr.. Woods of the de-
tective agency was posing as the
head of the yegg gang.
When Caldwell and the detective
entered Mr.. Woods handed the de-
tective a large roll of bills as his
share of some business the gang
had accomplished. The money look
ed good to Caldwell and everything
was working nice. He was inter-
ested in the conversation and want
ed to join the gang, and when it
was proposed to rob the Chester
bank he was not satisfied with one
but wanted both the Chester and
Ludlow banks robbed in one night.
Previous to the entrance of Cad
we'll and the detective from Chester
Sheriff James H. Kiniry and States
Attorney E. r. Buck of Windsor,
had secreted themselves in the bath
room which led from the room 10.
The transom was open, but fine
piece of cotton was over the OPEN
ing. Sheriff Kiniry and Mr.. Buck
were in their stocking feet and
stood on chairs so they could easily
hear what was being said.
The supposed yegg meeting con-
tinued, and when it was suggested
that Caldwell be admitted to the
gang, Mr. Woods opposed ON the
question of his bravery and suggest
ed that possibly Caldwell was only
getting into the gang so that he
might peach on them when the OPP
portunity showed ITSELF Caldwell
was indignant and protested that
that was not his intention. Mr..
Woods asked him what he did that
showed that he had the necessary
sand to belong to such gang and
to help do such deeds.
Caldwell was apparently anxious
to prove his stability, for he went on
and stated that % years ago he rob-
bed a man in Hartford of 5000;
that three years ago two men were
stopping at his house, and while
they slept he hitched sponge or
some other material on the end of
a pole, saturated it with chloroform
pushed it through a broken pane of
glass in the window so that it was
just above their noses and succeed
ed in putting them to sleep so that
he robbed them of $500. He also
told that last fall he went to farm
er's buildings. set them afire, des-
troying seventeen head of cattle and
other property. When asked how
he accomplished the last act he said
that he left his house by the way
of the window and cut across lots,
entered the barn and set fire to the
hay and then went back the same
way he came.