The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-01-14
POLICE BEATEN
BY YECCMEN
They Are Then Locked Up In
Cells In Their Station
POSTOFFICE SAFE BLOWN UP

TO Woods In Spencer After Posse I.
Formed by Sounding of Fire Alarm
Through Agency of Woman Awak
ened by ExpIosion-WhoIe Town
Routed Out of Bed
Spencer, Mass, Jan. 11.-Five
robbers, armed and masked, held VI
two town policemen at the point Of
revolvers, and after beating them into
insensibility and locking them in cells
In the police station, blew open the
postoffice safe.
The yeggmen escaped to the South
Spencer woods, taking with them
about $50 in stamps and money. They
overlooked large sum of money in one
of the strong boxes.
The raid on the postoffice was one
of the most sensational acts of des-
peradoes in the history of the state
That it was carefully planned is the
opinion of the town officials and Post
master Trip.
Town Officers Morton and Collette
were standing in front of town hall
about 230 o'clock in the morning
when five men, armed and masked
suddenly jumped out of a doorway and
commanded them to throw up their
hands.
Although five revolvers were levelled
at their heads. the officers attempted
to draw their own guns. Before they
had an opportunity of doing this,
however. the five men leaped at them
and pummeled them with the butts of
their revolvers. AS a result the Off
GERS were stretched on the snow I'm
conscious.
Then the robbers. who had previ
ously obtained a key to the main door
OF the town hall, carried the police
men into the station and put them In
separate coils. locking the steel doors
as they departed.
From the town hall the yeggmen
went directly to the postoffice few
blocks away. Entrance was gained
to the building by forcing open the
front door with q chisel.
Three holes were then bored In the
safe and the doors blown open by a
charge of nitro glycerine The man
ner in which the men went about
drilling the safe leaves no doubt but
that they were experienced safeblow-
ers.
The roar made by the explosion
awoke Mrs. Walter Haynes, who lives
in the rear of the postofHce She
telephoned an alarm to the central
Office of the telephone company, and
from there = general fire alarm was
turned in.
The pealing Of the fire bells and the
footing of whistles alarmed the rob-
bers, who fed hastily from the build
Ing. They took with them $50 in
money and stamps which they found
In a small cash box in the safe.
From Spencer the robbers made
their way toward South Spencer, TAX
ing the main highway. Several farm
ers along the route heard the men as
they dashed by and fired at them.
At South Spencer the robbers made
a short cut toward the woods by cross
ing the land of Harry l.. Lyford. a
town constable. LyfOrd was awakened
to see the men running across his
land. He got his revolver. and dash
ing from the house. fired at the fugi-
tives. Owing to the darkness none of
the five shots reached their marks.
When fired upon, the robbers
dropped to the snow, and from
crouching position returned the fire.
Lyford escaped being hit by the
'usillade of shots
In the meantime the fire alarm had
jailed out scores of citizens. posse |
vas quickly formed. and the fugi- !
ives were trailed by the tracks in the /
NOW to the South Spencer woods.
The imprisoned officers were not
ound until an hour and a quarter af-
er they had been held up. Two men.
,assirg by the town hall, noticed the
main door open. They communicated
heir information to one of the select
men, who found the officers locked in
ellis.
Both officers were very weak from
he terrific beating they had received
ut nevertheless we're able to give
luch valuable information as to the
eneral appearances of the men.