The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-07-23
CLAIM POLICEMEN
ARE GUILTY OF
MANY THEFIS
Long island Village Trustees
Turn Detective
TRACED A STOLEN COAT
Two Members of the Force Are in
Jail and Third Will Be
Arrested

Rockville Center. l.. l., July o.
The Village Board OF Trustees of
this place. which has already won re-
nown by its efficient and economical
administration of the community's af
fairs, resolved itself last night into
detective force. AS result of its
activities two OF Rockville Centers
six policemen are in the county Jail
at Mineola, charged with burglary.
and a warrant is out for another, who
is away on his vacation.
The exposure, which has shocked
the citizens OF Rockville Center, who
believed they had the best police
force on Long Island followed the
burglary early in May OF the store OF
c. Husser. which was entered one
night and robbed of $4,000 worth OF
womens clothing. The store is d.
rectly across the street from the vii
lage office, which is the police sta
ton, also. but the police had no clue
to the robbery, and as time passed
they made no Roadway in finding the
offender. 1t was suggested that in
spite of the plate glass windows in
the front OF the police station, the
view OF the man on the desk might
have been INSTRUCTED by the row OF
handbills Offering rewards for men
wanted by the police of other cities,
which stretches clear across the win
dows; but no suspicion against any
/ one on the force was entertained at
that time. r-
Yesterday afternoon Mrs. Phoebe
Douglas, who runs a boarding house
a block or two from the store that
was robbed, came down the street by
the store in a coat which Mr.. Husser
recognized as one that had been
stolen from HIS stock. II had been
reported about town that Policeman
Rolof Peterson was frequent caller
at Mrs. Douglas home and upon re-
Election Mr.. Husser decided to tell
what nau Cttu nut w lld DollNt
but to DR.. ID. n. Bulson, President
OF the Village Board
DR.. Bulson called a meeting of the
entire board. They summoned Coun.
~ Detective Phineas Seaman from
Hampstead, and the body forthwith
went into an executive session which
lasted from $3.50 o'clock last night
until Z o'clock this morning. II is be
lieved that this is the first time that
any one has sat up all night in Rock.
vile Center since the night the saw.
mill burned.
The t'ustees learned from Edgar
Miller. who had been a boarder in
Mrs. Douglas house az the time o,
The robbery. that shortly after the
crime he had one night assisted 20.
hceman Peterson in carrying from
The house a trunk and several suit.
cases, which, he said. he took to he
home of Policeman Amos Veritzan.
Other witnesses from Rockville Cen
ter and Valley Steram were examin-
ed. and then Mrs. Douglas was called
before the board and cross-examined
for four hours by DR.. Bulson and
Mr.. Hooley. At the end of that time
she admitted that she had received
the stolen property from Peterson.
who told her that he had robbed the
store with the assistance of Veritzan
and Policeman Henry Wick She said
that some time after the robbery
Peterson had said the goods had bet
ter be removed. and had enlisted
for that purpose the aid OF boarders.
who did not know what was in the
trunks.