St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-05-05
GIBSON AND PAY MISSING
His Lumber Jacks Were Without
Food Or Shelter in Montpelier.


After walking 20 miles and go
ing without dinner and supper, 27
lumberjacks we're rather angry men
when they failed to get their wages
from Martin Gibson, a lumber deal
er of Fayston, at Montpelier Thurs
! day evening and they were not en-
tirely reconciled to their lot when
they were forced to accept the city's
| hospitality and sleep on the stone
| floor in the basement of the Mont
| pelier City Hall. They didn't have
any money and they couldn't there
fore, buy a lodging. They didn't
have a blanket for a covering or a
| cushion. The men claimed that
Gibson owed them sums of money
varying in size from 500 to $500.
The group made a strange appear
ance as they marched into Montpe-
| lier from the Fayston woods. They
declared that Gibson had telephoned
TO the lumber camp early yesterday
morning that if they would come to
Montpelier they would be paid off;
so they came, going without dinner
and supper meanwhile. They went
to the Pavilion Hotel, where it was
said they were to receive their pay.
| They took up their station outside
the front entrance to the hotel, but
they got no invitation to enter by
Gibson or anyone else. They waited
long time and no pay was forth
coming. One report had it that Glib
son left the hotel by rear exist and
went away by automobile.
The presence of the 27 men in
Montpelier with their demand for
money from Gibson was made known
to States Attorney Gleason. In the
al xT
thorities were confronted with the
necessity of affording shelter and
food for the motley crowd of men.
The problem of shelter was solved by
utilizing the basement of the city
hall. and there the men camped for
the night.
The GibsOns In Jail.
Martin H. Gibson and his son, W.
M. Gibson, were arrested Saturday
night by Sheriff F. H. Tracy and
Deputy H. C. Lawson under the
worthless check" act. They were
brought to Washington county Jail
where they were held in lieu of bail
o'clock evening train, when Judge |
G. H. Dale, who was brought from
Waterbury in an automobile fixed
ball at $1,000, which was fur
nished by a son and brother to the
two men. They left on the 10 o'clock
train for their home in East Rye
gate.
The warrant issued on infor
nation filed by States Attorney f. +. |
Gleason set forth that by false token |
they had attempted to defraud Matt |
Hill by issuing a check for $500 |
when it was known there were no |
funds in the Montpelier Savings
Bank and Trust Company upon
whom the check was drawn. 1t is
said there are four such checks.
Clarence Kew of Waitsfeld ar
rived in Montpelier Monday morning
hoping to see Martin Gibson relative
to a debt of $50 which Gibson owes
him for contract labor on pulp
wood Job in Fayston. He appears
IN he only one of several which Glib
son owes in Waitsfield. Carl Long,
a groceryman, has an attachment on
the horses amounting to 500 for
groceries, while w. w. McAllister
and others have attachment on other
property, said to be owned by Glib
son. Mr.. Kew believes that Gibson
will settle with him and that he had
money enough with him last week to
have settled with the men here.
The Gibson lumber jacks were al
lowed to make their headquarters in
the city hall over Sunday. This was
decided after it was learned that Glib
son had been arrested and the men
will now remain a day or two longer
to see how they will fare. Feeling
around town has run high over the
matter with sympathy on the side,
Of the lumberjacks. y