The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-02
WAS HIKING FOR BOSTON.
Paul Kelly, Alleged British Army Desert
er. Arrested.

er, Arrested.
The mctamofphosis of Peter kell,
from soldier to a civilian lasted but q
day or two after his departure from thu
barracks of the lst Quebec regiment ol
infantry in Montreal and to-day Kelly
was getting ready for trip TO the Cana
dian border in the custody Of Chief Sin
clair, who. with Deputy Chief Harry
Gamble, was instrumental in intercept
ing the fight OF the alleged deserter last
night. Kelly was trying TO reduce the
goose step record between Barre and
Boston when Sheriff A. A. Reed oi
Orange county, at the request OF the
Barre police, took him in custody just T.
night was closing over the little village
of East Brookfield Kelly, clad in Gu
.rious admixture of Canadian and. Amer
lean regimentals, admitted afterward
that he was intent on seeking shelter
| for the night when the Williamstown
officer gave him the sign TO halt.
kelly's arrest came about as the re.
suit of suspicions aroused in an East
Brookfield farmer, who aecosted the sol
dier on the road to Williamstown yester-
day afternoon II is claimed that Kelly
wore overals and cast of overcoat over
/
explained his desire 20 reach Boston by
indicating in a rather veiled way, it is
said, that the climate north of the Cana.
dian border was too warm for him. The
farmer gave him directions as to reach
ing Boston and hastened to Barre to re.
port his suspicious to the police. None
OF the officers here had been advised TO
be on the look out for deserters from
~. l. L.. 1. l. L., l..
right kind of a ring, and search for
Kelly was instituted. People in Will
Jamestown recalled having seen the
stranger hitting stiff pace through the
village in midafternoon, and elsewhere
down the valley folks told the police over
the telephone enough to indicate that
the distance between someone and Can
ada was growing greater every minute
At last Sheriff Reed was advised of
the situation, and the Orange county Of
fetal proceeded post haste through Will
Jamestown gulf and on, down the road,
until he saw in the distance figure that
proved to be the missing stranger. Kelly
made no resistance to arrest, and after
Sheriff Reed had turned him over to the
Barre officers at Williamstown, he made
a statement concerning his adventures.
The man declared that he enlisted at a
British war mission rally in Providence |
Feb. I, although he had registered in
Milford, Mass, where he resided for sew
Ell years before going to Rhode Island. |
night, according to Kelly, he
slipped out of the barracks in Montreal,
babe a silent adeu to his comrades in
the lst Quebec infantry, and made for
the station. He processes not to know
where he crossed the border, but before
he left Canada he encountered deserter
from the American army The latter, he
,laims, was bound for Canada and after
mutual explanations had passed, the two
young men traded part of their wear
ng apparel. Kelly says he got enough
If Uncle Sans uniform to pass muster
before the immigration officials, and,
while amenting his own sad plight at
present, he expressed to-day the hope
hat the Yankee deserter managed to
yet into Canada with the borrowed khaki
# the dominion soldier.
Some of the recital offered by Kelly
mells of the brook according to the po-
ice, for he claims to have left st. Johns
'ury early yesterday morning and beat
lis way to Waterbury. after which his
curse veered and he found himself in
,arre Kelly's story as to the exchange !
+ army apparel is borne out by the fact
hat his underwear bears the number
nd other insignia of the Canadian mill
ary service, as does his khaki shirt,
'hle the trousers, which he wore under
he oyeralls, are OF the American shade {
nd pattern,
Immediately after landing the man in c
cell at police headquarters, Chief Sin 5
air communicated with the command. v
~ officer of the lst Quebec regiment by a
,lephone, Ii was learned that Private t
eter Kelly was among the missing, and {
le officers asked the chief to escort the t
legged deserter to the Canadian bound Fl
" and there turn him over to the do c.
inion immigration officials. Chief Sin n
air has already notified the United d
-ates marshal of his capture, and the 5,
ip to the border may be deferred TEN
,rarily wlSle that official makes an in C
stigation of his own, inasmuch as he Il
ay desire to investigate the claim that al
ely registered in Milford. ii
This forenoon Sheriff Reed. while II
arching in the woods bordering the Il
ad near East Brookfeld, found the
mic which Kelly said he threw away II
hen the thought struck him that Ca h,
dian army coat, with its insignia ~
stened on the collar and shoulders, n,
ght arouse suspicion. The coat was bt
ought to police headquarters this aft 20
noon and identified by Kelly as his of
IN. !