The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-12-27

HOTEL CLERK HELD UP.
BardweIl at Rutland Victim o.
Masked Bandit.

A man, a mask and an ugly looking
revolver were the combination which
figured at $50 O'Clock Sunday morn
ing, says Mondays Rutland Herald, in
the boldest hold,up ever reported in
Rutland, the affair being staged in the
office of the Bardwell Hotel, Night
Clerk John Griggs and Bellboy Will
liam Fitch seeking safety on the sec
ond floor of the hotel while a despera-
do broke open the money drawer, Sc
cured $2125 and made his escape.
The sudden noise of "buzzer" in
the private telephone exchange startl-
ed the thief and he hurriedly left the
hotel Office. Up to late hour last
night he had not been apprehended.
Holiday guests are generally wei
come at hostelry but when they
wear masks and their baggage is re-
stricted exclusively to shooting irons
even the proverbial warmth of well
come which awaits the visitor at Rut-
land hotels is lacking. When the
masked man behind revolver made
his appearance yesterday morning in
the Bardwell Office Clerk Griggs sud
denly lost interest in his job. He
shouted to the bellboy, who was
asleep. Fitch grasped the situation
and broke speed records in reaching
a place of refuge from bullets. He
had to run to keep out of the way of
Griggs, who decided not to argue with
the selfconstituted master of cere-
monies.
The description of the thief given
by the clerk and the bellboy have fur
nished the authorities clew which it
is expected will lead to an arrest with
in a few hours States Attorney c.
" Poulin, Deputy Sheriff Pascal Ric-
ci, Grand Juror Charles +. Noyal and
the police officers questioned Griggs
and Fitch for over three hours yester-
day morning 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 gaz-
ing into the muzzle of revolver in
the hands of a man he describes as
being about feet inches tall, weigh
ing about $50 pounds, dressed in a
short overcoat and dark clothes,
wearing bandana handkerchief for
a mask.
At first Clerk Griggs thought the
affair a joke but he changed his mind
suddenly when the bandit pushed the
gun so close to his face that he
seemed to feel the clammy touch of
the steel.
Here, YOU" said the robber. Get
up and give me all the money in sight
and be d-n quick about it,"
What do you mean?" quayered
the dapper clerk.
Il mean the money, mo n-e-y. the
hotel cash. said the masked man.
moving his weapon still closer tow
ard Griggs' nose.
Clerk Griggs stared helplessly at
the revolver and the handkerchief
mask, and took in the stocky build of
the bandit Then he found his voice.
''Fitch!" he yelled to the bellhop.
who was asleep in on a couch in the
Office .-"Fitch-"
Bellhop Fitch awoke with a start
and prepared to answer the agonized
call for help. But he didn't. Instead.
after taking one look at the drama
unfolded before his eyes. he gave a
shrek and dashed uff up the stairs
which lead to the southeast wing OF
the hotel.
The bellhop's hasty exit gave a
brilliant idea to Griggs, who turned
from his perilous position in front &C
the robber and followed the boy pell
nell. This left the masked man
alone in the Office and he prohted by
the situation.
With heavy tool of some descrip-
tion the man pried open the money
drawer which is under the desk and
took all the money. The safe, which
contained large sum of cash, was
locked, consequently the only loot
secured by the robber was the
Change" money-S2125-which he
found In the drawer.
After Griggs and Fitch ran upstairs
they awakened other employees of the
hotel. Then the signal on the tele-
phone exchange downstairs began to
make a noise. This evidently fright
ened the thief for when the clerk and
others came back down stairs the Of