The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-07
Soldiers Catch One Man AZ
ter Bold Hold-Up at Ston-
ington, Conn.
SIG, 900 FOUND
HIDDEN IN A WALL


Coast Artillerymen Joined in the
Search for Bandits Money Taken
from Mill Cashier i'll Broad Daylight.
STONINGTON, Conn, Oct I. =
United States coast artillerymen, Skin
mishing through the woods in the
northern part of this town last night,
captured a man who is believed to be
one of two masked highwaymen who
earlier in the day with drawn revolvers
held up Carl A. Koelb, paymaster of /
the American Velvet company, and took |
from him a satchel containing $4,000 |
in coin and bills. The booty was quick
" recovered from a hole under a wall
into which the bag had been tossed |
Then the pursuit of the two bandits he
gam first by posse of townsmen, who
had taken the trail of the men, and
then by 200 soldiers, who were in the
neighborhood for field exercises
The artillerymen went at the task in
earnest, going out in extended order
and finally rushing through cemetery
in which it was thought the bandits
were at bay. The men had escaped
i however, and the skirmish line swept
onward until it was deep in Witches
woods = in a wild section of the town
/ Occasionally a soldier would get a
glimpse of the quarry and the pursuers
would sweep onward again. As rein
H forcements, the artilerymen were fol
4 lowed by groups of civilians and farm
ers-most of the latter armed with
Il guns-while about midafternoon 300
male employees Of the velvet company
were released from work to join in the
general scamper across the fields and
through the brush.
Darkness set in and the soldiers
were making their way back through
Charles Davis 5 woods when'a party of
them ran into Il civilian wearing a sci
der 5 overcoat. He was taken in
charge and escorted into town and turn
ed over to Patrolman o Council, who
put him in the lookup. The man re-
fused to say il word about himself He
acted with surlv Indifference. He had
on q checked cap and answered in
height and build the description given
by Mr.. Koelb of one of his assailants.
IN pocket of his coat was cold CHS
. ell. He had nothing else. The man is
about p years old. The second bandit
escaped. 1t is believed he is making
The men apparently planned the
hold-up with considerable care. They
had not anticipated that soldiers from
Fort II. q. Wright at Fisher Island
who have been in Stonington for a fort
nights field work, would be close al
hand. The place of the hold-up was on
a bend in the road and conditions OF
either side were good for making tn,
-
, el was thrown had been prepared. TIL,
bag found its landing place, and dir
and leaves were thrown over it But
: portion of the metal work at the handle
of the bag was not covered and
searching party made the discovery. I
: few minutes before another party ha,
walked over the spot. 1t is suppose,
> that, had the men made their escape
they would later have returned and Sc
cured the satchel, trusting to the com
pleteness of their concealment Nh
N koelb collapsed from nervous shocl
j and was attended by physicians. Afte
making the capture the soldiers re
d, turned to their camp.
The hold-up occurred on Bay Nie1
avenue and was particularly bold be-
N cause there are occupied houses alon
VI the street. The money was in a larg
- lNalise, which the cashier held on hi
IS knees as he was being driven to the mi
IN an express wagon. At the poir
m whore the hold-up occurred there al
> vacant lots and turn in the highwa
IS The robbers hid around the bend unit
ne the wagon was almost upon them. The
&C. they jumped into the road and cove
ing the cashier and the driver. Charl,
so Ryan, with their revolvers commando
u them to step.
g; As the wagon halted one of the me
g cowed the driver while the other, T
~ volver in hand, attempted to snatt
'ss the valisc from Koelb. The latter he
~ on and he was dragged from his sea
VI off the wagon and across the roadw:
Sn before he was finally compelled to
y linquish his hold by a shot from t
iP robber' S revolver, which glanced ov
the back of his hand. With the vail
in their possession the hlghwaymt
%. jumped over the fence at the side
the road and started north through t
vacant lots with kOelb running aft
them. The robbers fired two shots, b
whether to give the alarm to confed
ates who might be in waiting with
u automobile or wagon, or to scare ba
. pursuers, Is not known. a trolly
came by before the men disappear
and crew and passengers gave cha
but abapdoned it when there seemed
chance to overtake the fleeing men.
little later the vaiise with the mon
intact was found in a stone wal n,
the scene of the hold-up where it h
been hidden by the highwaymen WI
the pursuit became too hot.