New-York tribune., 1910-11-13
POSSES SEEK MEN
WHO STOLE $1,000
rayInaSter of Construction Com
pai1y Held Up in Southern
Berkshires.
VAIN SEARCH IN SWAMP
Police of Massachusetts and
connecticut Hopeful of Capt
uring Robbers and
Their Booty.
by Telegraph TO The Tribune. J


Nlnsted. Conn, Nov. 12.--Arred and
ready to give battle in event the robbers
should open fire, several posses COM
prising five hundred men are tonight
exploring a swamp covering more than
two hundred acres between South Eyre
mont and Sheffield in southern Berk
shire County, Massachusetts, in an effort
to capture four masked men. believed to
be Italians, who this afternoon held up
and robbed R J. Hines. paymaster of
the Woronoco Construction Company, of
Westfield. Mass, of upward of $1,000 IN
money and about $1,000 in checks and
then escaped.
The search so far has been in vain. 1t
is feared that the brigands may be able
to get out Of the wilderness tonight and
make their escape. The man hunt Will
be continued all night, however, and
every country road within d radius Of
twenty miles Of the scene of the crime,
the boldest ever perpetrated In southern
Berkshire County, is being patrolled by
armed men. All the deputy sharffs and
constables in that part of the country
and Chief of Police Oschnan. of Great
Darlington, are taking part III the search,
and the swamp is practically surrounded
The Woronoco Construction Company is
building a trolley line from Great Bar
rington, Mass, TO Canaan, this state,
and six hundred men and one hundred
teams are engaged in the work The
men, who are scattered through fifteen
miles of country, are paid every two
weeks Hines, with c. A. Robinson, su-
perintendent; Deputy Sheriff Truesdeii,
of Great harrington, and John Cronln'
chauffeur, LETT Great Darlington by au-
tomobile late this forenoon for the south
era part OF the county, with $4,000 to
nav the men. Nine thousand was In
money ard the rest in checks. Trues-
dell had accompanied the paymaster on
several previous trips as guard.
Arriving at South Egremont. Hines,
Robinson and Truesdell left the car with
the two grips containing the money, and
after paying the men at that place
started up the track TO pay another
gang On reaching a gravel pit the trio
stopped and ate their luncheon. AS they
were passing through thick woods. where
trees had been felled for the trolley line,
four masked men suddenly jumped from
ambush and, covering them with guns,
commanded them to hold up their hands,
which they did. After getting the two
grips containing the $1,000 in money
and about $1,000 in checks--S2,0 coo of
the cash had been left at Egremont-
the highwaymen, with guns still levelled
at the trio, backed into the woods, fired
several times and then disappeared on a
run. The men were unable to tell the
nationality of the robbers by their Ian
guage, but Deputy Truesdell believes
that they were italians, and the supposi-
ton is that they had been employed in
the trolley construction work.
Half an hour after the robbery, which
took place about L o'clock, g. posse was
formed, and throughout the afternoon
the searching parties were constantly
augmented, and Connecticut officers were
asked to keep d sharp lookout.
The whole countryside is thoroughly
alarmed The officers themselves are
hopeful Of getting the robbers and their
booty before tomorrow night. They do
not believe that the quartet had time TO
get out of the big swamp. and think
they are still in hiding there.