Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-10-19
MAKE OFF WITH S100 OR
MORE FROM CASH REGISTER
Wore Army Overcoats with Collars Turned Up
Harmed Guard from the Post
Secured Country for the
Robbers

Two negroes supposed to be troopers
from Fort Ethan Allen. with army over
coat collars turned up about their ears.
walked into the store OF Henry Desautel,
81 Mallctts BAY avenue, Winooski at 9:5i
Friday evening and ordered pound
of steak shortly afterwards one of the
negroes was pointing two rcVovcrs at
Dcsautcl and Joseph Gingras a clerk.
while the other man was riflinG the cash
register with $l0o or more loot the high
waNmcn disappeared in the darkness,
while Desautcl and Gingrass stood dazed,
their hands still being held high above
their heads 1t was Friday, the 18th for
Dcsautel
Another clerk, a Mr. Patnaude. did not
brave the battery of guns. but scampered
out the back door of the store ami across
to the store of j. B. T.. Cheviicr. From
here the first alarm of the robbery was
given, and a few minutes later four arm
cd guards from the post armed TO the
teeth, were galoping toward Wnooski.
From Chevrier's store also, the alarm
10 the Winoosk police was given.
While the big black negro. wearing a
mustacho, was levelng the shooters at
pcsautcl and Gingras. ana while Desau-
''~''''' ms 'h9'' JIllfNl4HS lIltp Nllt bdS
of the other negro, the store proprietor
kept saying: Don't shoot Don't shoot.
The negro wore diabolical smile When
they had cleaned the cash register the
negro with the guns still smiling. ordered
Desaute and Gngras to 20 TO the back
Of the store. Now Keep your mouth
shut" he said. and the negroes left.
Desautel to the Wnooski police ad-
D1iffcd that no frighfpno1 rerOl-
lection of the negroes is vague. Nothing
but their faces appeared peerns from
out the ovcrcoat collars. he said Both
men appeared about five feet ten inches
tail. He did not know whether the ne
grocs wore n full army uniform or not,
as the coats reached nearly to their heels.
When the men ordered the steak neither
Dosautel or Gingras gave particular at
tcntion to them. When the guns APP
peare,l they We're too frightened to APP
prehcnd.
The whole police force OF Winooski
ana the guard from the post skirmished
MallettS Bay avenue and the whole
Wnooski ha's. officers Wardwell and
Barber arrived early al Dcsauters place,
and with them they brought two troopers.
Neither Desautel or Gngrass could
identify them. From n store nearby Of
tcer Barber found two more negroes. but
these We're also strangers to Desautc
The sergeant of the post guard upon ar
irving offered to search all the negro
resorts in Wlnooski They asked that
Dcsautel and GinGras 20 with them. but
neither cared to GO The guard then re-
turned to the post.
Friday night was pay night in Winooski
the night when the mill workers pay their
weekly grocery bills DeSauters cash
drawer was trimming over with change
and paper money of small denominations,
there being over 500 Here. also. was an
order from the oversecr Of the poor. The
robbers took everything. even to the
pennies Not even a crumb of comfort
was left.
Desautcl still very much frightened
and trembling. tried TO tell of the affair
to tho police. He did not notice whether
the guns were army ones, nor was hs
sure that the men were real soldiers
Mr.. Chevricr. who conducts a shoe stor,
Just north Of the store Of Mr. Desautel
stated that he saw two mon standing il
front Of his store and kept looking AT hi
place and at Desautcls store, bat moth
Ing suspicious was noticed, aside from
t'cir standnE there for nalf or three
quarters of an hour. Mr. DeSnutcl con
ducts a general groccrN and rrat store
Mr.. Dosautcl was very nervous afte
the affair was over and coutd not tan
very fluently of the happenings VIII
his hands mp and telling the man will
tAc guns not to shoot lac did not motto
anything but the guns and that the MAJ
was smooth shaver. Both mon were Yer
Hack. The pistols he states were Ion
and black. 10 could not state whcthc