The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-07-29
PUTS LOG ON TRACK

Supt. Stanyan Finds Obstruction
On M. & w. r r Near Plainfeld |
Last Night-ThOught to Have
Been Placed There by Charles
Getchell.
Supt. f. A. Stanyan, of the Mont
pelier and Wells River Railroad
Company while returning to this
city from tour of inspection of the
road on Thursday in his converted
automobile runabout, found a log
across the tacks about one mile
east of Plainfleld village, and while
nothing can be proven as to the au-
thor of the deed, it Is thought that
Charles Getchell, who escaped from
the Waterbury Insane Hospital a
few days since, is responsible for
it. Getchell was seen by the agent
at Plainfeld early in the evening
when he entered the depot at that
place and stated that he intended to
walk to Marshfield before morning,
starting up the track Immediately.
This was the second obstruction
that had been found in a few hours,
the engineer of the White Mountain
express striking a roll of fence wire
that had been placed between the
rails at point between East Mont
pelier and Plainfield. 1t was i'm
possible to stop the train, which
was going at good rate of speed
until the engine had passed over the
wire, but no damage was done, as 1t
was taken out from under the
trucks where it had been wedged in
without causing any derailment.
The log, however, would have
caused a more serious accident, as
it was found by Mr.. Stanyan just
around a sharp curve and at 30
| foot curve where it would have been
impossible to stop a train before
striking it, Had the obstruction not
been removed, the morning freight
which leaves Wells River at 4
o'clock would have been piled up
with the resulting DANCE to life and
property.
1t was thought at first that train
wreckers were busy along the line,
after the finding of two obstruc-
tions on the track, but the knowl-
elge that Getchel was in that vicin-
| ity served to convince the authori-
ties that he was responsible for
both occurrences.
Sheriff F. H. Tracy and Deputy
H. c. Lawson left Thursday evening
about 10 o'clock on the receipt of a
message from Mr.. Stanyan saying
that Getchel had been seen in the
vicinity of that place. The officers
searched the country around the
town, examining all the roads lead
ing out, but were unable to discov-
err signs of him, after which they
stopped for the night and started
out again Friday morning.
After some little search they dis
covered their man walking up the
tracks of the Montpelier and Wells
River Railroad company. capturing
him about a mile and a half above
Marshfield village, where he had
walked since the night before He
told several rambling stories as to
the places where he had spent the
night. but they differed in many
respects, the officers were at a loss
TO determine his whereabouts dur
ing the time he had been at large.
He was brought to this city and
placed in the county Jail where he
will be confined until an attendant
can come from Waterbury to take
him back to that place, as it is in.
tended to remove him today. Get
chell has always been considered
harmless. more feeble minded than
insane but this latest escapade with
The log and wire fence seem to show
mora serious tendencies.