Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-09-07
.B0RST AND DURANT
IN DURANGO VILE
Former Thought to Have Passed
Bogus Check Here
Latter Wanted for Horse Stealing -
Said to Have Secured Team at Keeno
Livery Stable and Left it at Newfane.

John II. Borst, who is thought to have
beaten the Brooks House out of $40 re-
Gently and who cut swath in Bellows
Falls and Rutland, wearing II soldiers
uniform and borrowing funds, was placed
under bonds in Boston Tuesday in the
sum of $500 to await the action of the
federal grand jury by Judge Dodge of
the United States district court. Bail
was furnished by his aunt. He is
charged with impersonating an officer of
the United States.
Borst told the court that he was an
officer in the Connecticut state guard
and stated that he had his commission
to prove his statement. He is said to
have come from Bridgeport
Interesting stories of might flying" by
airplanes at Mincola, l.. l.. are said to
have comprised Il part of the entertain
ment furnished summer sojourners at
Nantasket beach who have enjoyed the
acquaintance of Borst He is said to
have appeared in the uniform of a lieu
tenant at hotel there.
He is also said to have borrowed APP
Iproximatey 500 from Miss Bessie Roscn-
berg at the same resort, on the rcprcsen-
tations that his pay checks had been
sent by mistake to Nantucket, instead of
lNantasket.
Officers at the army headquarters of
the Northeast are inclined to believe that
Borst has been in the Connecticut state
Iguard within six months at least, and
that before then was in the New Jersey
National Guard.
At Bellows Falls late in August man
Igiving the name of John Borst appeared
as an army officer and later was in civil
ian dress. He attempted to borrow mon
cy and said he wanted to go to Platts-
burg, and his conduct was so suspicious
that he was arrested. United States
Marshal A. p. Carpenter of Brattleboro
and District Attorney Billiard thought he
might be Stacker as he did not have II
registration card with him, but later his
card was found in his effects and he was
released
A day or two later while Mr.. Carpcn-
ter was in Rutland people there who had
been victimized by Borst and learned
that he had been arrested in Bellows
Falls asked Mr. Carpenter to have him
located again, and as a matter of accom-
mediation Mr.. Carpenter notified the Bel
lows Falls police, but Borst had gone.
While Borst was in the Bellows Falls
police station Clerk Harry Holland of
the Brooks House went in to see him and
was satisfied that he was the man who
|stayed over night at that hotel and in
payment for his entertainment gave the
clerk bogus $40 check and received
good money in change. He wore a SOL
dier's uniform at that time.
Since leaving Bellows Falls Borst had
nd in
Hull, Mass, this week.
Another man who is in the tolls and
lwho has been in various cscapades in
this section is Clifford Durant of Cheshire
county, New Hampshire, who is known
to Brattleboro officers. Durant has been
wanted at various times for horse steal
| ing. He was arrested in Greenfield
Mass, Monday night for the larceny OF
an automobile. Kcenc, n H., officers
however, do not think he stole the
motor, but have case of horse stealing
to press against him.
Durant is believed to be the man who
took a team from the Minis stable in
Keene, hiring it by telephone. 1t was
left in Newfane, where Durant registered
as Bancroft. Since then he has trav.
eled extensively. He went to Maine and
had pleasant time, arriving finally at
Portsmouth. There he hired motor
and was driven to Bellows Falls, claim
| ing he was Massachusetts state official
He stopped at police stations in Salem
and Lawrence on the way, to carry out
the idea of being an officer. He got away
| from the cars driver at Bellows FALL
and hired another car, going to Lebanon
where he fired" the Bellows Falls driver
and hired a new one. He GOT to Newport
and there hired another car, being driver
through keene to Greenfield. He
stopped at the Cheshire House in Keent
for dinner.