The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-02-08
Adolf S House
BY ELINoR MARSH

broke out Win TtncWeu NlsoI III VI
2 autumn of that year. One OF thes
: attacks was not only well planned, s.
far as getting treasure was concerned
but in getting away with It.
Jim Charnley was the leader of tn,
band that made the attack aud chos,
the field OF enterprise by personally in
; vestigating different points on the rail
road he proposed TO operate on. III
discovered a cave concealed by thicl
underground where a party of mel
might hide. SO far as he could learn
no one knew Of II He proposed to roll
a train as 1t passed within a few hun
bred yards OF this cave. A part OF the
force would make off ON horseback
while another part with the plumber
hid in the cave. A posse would follow
those who had ridden way while the
men In the cave waited till the excite.
ment had died out and then make off.
The robbery was eminently success
full. The train was stopped and the
plumber taken from the express car.
The robbers made off through wood.
dropping the treasure into the hands
of four men who made their way to
the cave unseen, Those who had rid
den away were followed but not cap
tured.
! A surprise awaited those who had
gone to the cave, among whom was
Jim Charnley, the leader of the gang
He had not been to the cave since he
! had discovered it several weeks before.
On entering It he saw a doll IN little
bed and several articles OF doll furni-
ture beside It,
The presence OF this inanimate com
bination of china and sawdust caused
commotion on the part Of the rob-
beers. Some of them, fearing that their
presence there might be discovered,
were for moving at once. But Charm
ley argued that the region of the rob
berry would be filed with persons NOV
ed by curiosity, IL nothing more, and
that any move for the present would
be dangerous. If the child came TO
play in the cave she could be taken In
and held from giving information OF
their presence
Little Marcy Bickford who lived on
the other side OF the rise from the
mouth of the cave, was the child who /
had made the place playhouse. On /
the afternoon of the robbery she start !
ed TO go there 10 get her doll and bring /
it home. Coming to the rise, she pass /
ed over the roof of the cave, where
there was a break In the rock that
formed il, not sufficient to let in light,
but through which sound might pass
The robbers had closed up the mouth
of the cave and supposed that they
might talk with freedom. At the time
Marcy was passing over the break in
the roof they We're discussing whether
they should get out or remain where
they We're, The question was a mat
ter OF life or death with them, and
their arguments were by no means
Marcy, hearing voices in the
bowels Of the earth beneath her, turned
and ran. back homo ms fast as her lit
tie legs would carry her. Her mother,
seeing that the child had been fright
ened. questioned her and was told
that some men were in her playhouse
and would take her dolly away with
hem.
Mrs. Bickford had heard of the train
and it was not long before
'he began to suspect the truth concern
ng the voices her daughter had heard
n the cave. She went at once to {
leighbor and reported the case. Tn ,
most of the men there
bout had gone off after the robbers,
Who had ridden away, and not enough
nen could be got together to warrant
ttacking an unknown number of des- {
eradoes ensconced in cave, so moth I
NC was done except TO station a boy I
( sixteen to watch the hiding place. I
Charnley decided 10 remain where
be robbers we're only till midnight, f
hen to walk to the nearest station two a
liles distant and board a train that !
Tould stop there at a few minutes aft :
r ] o'clock. \
Billy Simpson, who was on watch, .
aw them leave the cave He followed ;,
hem to the station, near which they :
'aited till they heard the train coming, !,
nd then went up on TO the platform "
lilly went to the rear car unseen by =
hem and got aboard at the same time =
ley did. There were four men in the :
ang. but they took separate seats. .
hey paid the conductor their fare, y
nd he passed on to the rear car, where -
lily Informed him as TO the nature of
he passengers who had just got on the
ain.
The conductor wrote a telegram, m
hich he gave to Billy, instructing him &C
get off at the next station. FIVE miles 1t
slant. and send it, believing that hig m
vn motions would be watched by the b,
bbers. On reaching the station Billy Is
epped of on the dark side of the ear il
lseen, and the train went on. The OF
tent was in bed, but Billy routed him OF
It. and the telegram was sent to a "a
fable town ten miles distant. :
Meanwhile the conductor directed the -
gineer to slack speed that sufficient
ne might be given for preparation
r a capture.
But few men could be got together
so short a time, and they were dis
Used. having boarded the train and
INT on with It, The robbers began
leave Il one by one. thinking they
re unsupported. This rendered their