Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-12
A MADE TO ORDER
BANK BURGLARY
How q VsuI? and a Reputation Were
Shattered by Too Much Dynamite


used TO open the bank vault, with dig
astrous results to ono OF the robbers.
who was blown to pieces by the ex-
p!osion. Ills confederates successful
ly looted the bank and obtained $780,
600 in cash"
This little item carried by the vari-
ous New York papers was the genesis
Of my connection wit. the great Well
den Community bank robbery. A fow
hours s:ter the papers carrying the
news were on the street. / was on my
way tn Weldon, ordered by the Burns
agency to investigate the case 81 "a
representative OF .he National Bang
eTs' Protective association
as tho reader pr, badly 10 not tamil
H.; with the Weldon community it 10
nscsssaYy to delay my story trifie
in order that tho situation may be
made more clear. T&i1 community is
ono Of several OF the sort that may be
found IT, southern New York and
northern Pennsylvania. 1t was found
ed about 1910 by an Englishman
named Weldon, who was in his own
way a seeker after a modern Utopia.
Weldon believed that our whole sys-
TEN of living in cities, crowded and
uncomfortable, or in country districts,
isolated and lonesome, was all wrong.
He believed that the small community.
fifty families, for instance, gathered
around a common center, and yet not
gathered so closely together as to
make an actual town, was the IDEAL as
we'll as the practical way, for mankind
to dwell. He had made something OF a
fortune in the mill business In Eng
land. Unable to put into practice in
that country his novel idea, he came
to America and, after considerable
searching, fixed upon the rich farming
valley in southern New York as the
spot most favorable for the location OF
the Weldon community. There he
brought together about thirty families,
bringing most of them from his native
land England He established CO.
operative store, a blacksmith shop, a
school, a church, mill, in fact, every
thing needed to supply the welfare OF
an agricultural Notwithstanding
the Weldon Community bank. This
bank, while it was owned and patron
ICED mainly by the people OF the COM
munity, was chartered and managed
Ii any small country bank would be.
Weldon had conducted its affairs him
self at first. At his death it had passed
TO his son so far as management was
concerned, though the title remained
In the community. Welldon's son had
continued the banking business as sue
cessfully as his father had done before
him, and the bank was as prosperous
and sound as a small bank possibly
could be. 1t had never become pow
er, but on the other hand, it had never
been in trouble once during its whole
existence.
Welldon's son had died few years
before the robbery occurred, and the
management thereupon had passed
into the hands Of Giles, the cashier.
He had done fully as well by the bank
as the Welldons had, and the com
munity had trusted Its money to the
banks care as implicitly as ever. The
bank had proved time and again that
1t was panic-proof; but it wasn't bur-
glar-proof. After over sixty-tive years
Of successful operation it had been
cleaned out by the conventional acct
dent of safe-blowing Altogether It
was a remarkable situation.
found the little place In the great
est stir Of its history when l alighted
from the accommodation train that
carried me from the nearest city up
wasn't much Of town at Weldon,
only few stores, offices. warehouses
and houses strung along the road in
the center OF the farms OF the valley.
The bank was a. neat. OLD gray-stOne
building that occupied position OF
no cor in the middle of It all. 1t was a
compact, sturdy looking building, OBJ
as we'll MS possible whatever might be
kept inside. Around the building zero
gathered most of tho peopiH Q. tbs
community. The rest Of them were
Sazzipg around The undertakeTs shop
across the road, where the body Of
tho slain safe blower lay for the pres
ont. The county sherry and The coro.
ner were doing their respective duties
In assertive fashion. aud the people
Rad TO content tLemdelve s with stand.
ing and looking at tho outs,des eli the
hu.llings containing tho objects that
had aroused their curiosity. They
were tho most shocke! and horror
gtriaken proun TAFT I had saaD for a
long tirle. K vaB the first real crime
OF any Importance that had ever been
committed IL the valley within the
memory OF the Oldest inEabitant, and
the community was SO awed by the
shock of II that there was scarcely a
thought left In the whc1e crowd
went 70 the bank tirs. and my card
let me in past the sheriffs deputy.
was received b. Mr.. Giles, the presi-
dent Of the BARK, and the board Of d.
rectors, who were assembled in the
banking room They were glad to see
me-. This was something altogether
out OF their line. and they were re-
lioved to havo some one arrive on
waom they could unioad the burden OF
their worry.
I had ssareG for years that 1t was
coming" aai6 Giles. Every night for
Lhe last twenty years that / have
looked up that old-fashioned vault |
have said to myself: What would hap.
pen II u safe-blower knew what a
weak door stands between this banks
mOnav and 4 rnhbar3' 7 bova cooan,