The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-26
Bandit Holds Up Clerk at
Point of Revolver in Rut-
land Hotel
CLERK AND BELLHOP
FLED FROM SCENE
Desperate Broke Open Money Drawer,
Secured S21 rs and Then Disappeared
- Descriptions Have Given Officers
Clew That May Lead to Arrest.

RUTLAND, Dee. ga man, mask
and an ugly looking revolver were the
combination which figured at $50
O clock Sunday morning in the boldest
hold-up ever reported in Rutland, the
affair being staged in the Office of the
Bardwell hotel, Night Clerk Griggs and
Bellboy Fitch seeking safety on the
second floor of the hotel while des
pcrado broke open the money drawer,
secured S21.25 and made his escape.
The sudden noise of a 'buZzer' inI
the private telephone exchange startled
the thief and he hurriedly left the hotel
Office.
Holiday guests are generally welcome
ut a hostelry but when they wear
masks and their baggage is restricted
exclusively to shooting irons even the
proverbial warmth of welcome which
awaits the visitor at Rutland hotels
is lacking. When the masked man be-
hind revolver made his appearance
I'M the Bardwell office Clerk Griggs sud
denly lost interest in his Job. He
shouted to the bellboy. who was
asleep. Fitch graspcd the situation and
broke speed records in reaching u place
of refuge from bullets. He had to run
10 keep out of the way of GriggS. who
decided not TO argue with the self-con-
Stituted master of ceremonies.
The description of the thief given
10y the clerk and the bell boy have
furnished the authorities a clew which
it is expected will lead to an arrest
state 5 Attorney c. V. Poulin, Deputy
sheriff Pascal Ricci. Grand Juror
Charles Z. Noval and the police officers
questioned Griggs and Fitch for over
| three hours regarding the hold up.
Griggs was sitting in a rocking chair
! in the office when he heard the doors
| of the main entrance open. He looked
around and found himself gazing into
! the muzzlc of a revolver in the hands
| "f a man he describes as being about
1 five feet eight inches tall, weighing
| about $50 pounds, dressed in a short
| overcoat and dark clothes, wearing a
bauGana handkerchief for .a,.mask..
At first Clerk Griggs thought the af-
| fair Il joke but he changed his mind
suddenly when the bandit pushed the
| gun so close to his face that he seemed
to feel the rlammy touch of steel
"Hore, YOU said the robber ''Gct
~ and give me all the money in sight
and be d-n quick about it, -
a." Wharf do you mean?' Quavercd
the dappcr clerk.
- mean the money, money, the
hotel cash, - said the masked man,
r7o,ing his weapon stiIl closas toward
Griggs 5 nose.
Clerk Greggs stared helplessly at the
revolver and the handkerchief mask
and tool, in the stockv build Of the
bandit. Then ne found his voice
F'IrsI - lao Z-pllaJ =, Al, ,,,,
who was asleep on a couch in the Office
" Fitch-~'
Bellhop Fitch awoke with a start
and prepared to answer the aaonizeC
call for help. But he didn I. Instead
after taking one look at the drama un
folded before his eyes, he gave a shricl
and dashed off up the stairs which IeaC
to the southeast wing Of the hotel.
The hellhop's hasty exit gave a bril-
Liant idea to Grigas, who turned from
his perilous position in front of thu
Tobber and followed the boy pell NELL
This left the masked man alone in tn,
Office and he profted by the situation
With heavy tool of some deserip
ton the man pried open the money
drawer which is under the main desl
and took ali the money. The safe
! 't' t''Aii''' d ldi &c sum VI CASH
was locked, consequently the only loo
secured by the robber was tn
"change' money - 1925 - which h
found i'll the drawer.
After Griggs and Fitch ran upstair
they awakened other employees of tn
hotel. Then the signal en- the tele
phone exchange downstairs began t
make noise. This evidently fright
ened the thief for when the clerk an
others came back down stairs the OF
fee was empty.