The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-26
ARMED GUARDS ON
THREE HIGHWAYS
Chesterfield Men Try to
Discover Who Aban-
dOned Sedan
OWNER RESIDENT h
OF BALDWINSVILLE
Left Home on Business Trip and Didn't
know Car Had Been Stolen Until
Informed by States Attorney Gibson
I Will Come Here for 1t Today.

The finding of an abandoned Franklin
sedan jammed against tree OH the Mile
Hill road in West Chesterfield yesterday
morning developed a good sized mystery
before the owner was located, and Incl
dentally some excitement in an effort to
locate a stranger whom it was thought
possible might have had something to do
with stealing the machine, which was
taken from j. Q. Waite,s private garageI
III Baldwinsville, Mass.
Seven armed guards were stationed by
the Chesterfield selectmen on three high
ways in that town last night, and they
Kept an all-night vigil, holding up all pei
destrians, teams and automobile parties. |
including several from Brattleboro. until
they We're sure as to the identity of theI
travellers
Acting for County Solicitor r. NJ. Pick
ard Of keene, States Attorney T.. W
Gibson Of Brattleboro had the machine
run to Brattleboro yesterday afternoon
and placed IN the Mosher garage, and last
night States Attorney Gibson was noti-
ned by the. owner tha8 the latter would
come here for the car today.
One of those who saw the car vester-
day morning was Selectman Harold f
Randall OF West Chesterfield VINO com
municated with Motor Vehicle Inspector
Swan OF keene, telling him of the acci-
dent and OF the fact that both the front
and rear number plates had been re-
moved. County Solicitor Pickard also
was notified, and the impression got
abroad that the car might have been stol-
en- IN Vermont. On account of this fact
states Attorney Gibson was asked to
look the car over and have it placed in
a garage here.
Mr.. Randall made a careful examina-
tlon of the machine and of the condi-I
tIons surrounding the accident He
found III one of the pockets a postal card
addressed to j, o. Waite, Baldwnisville,
Mass, who IS a prosperous chair manu-
iacturer. 1t was learned also that a ear
was heard going through Chesterfield
street early in the morning at a terrific
rate of speed. Part of one of the cement
guards at the small bridge near the iunc-
tion of the Chesterfield road and the Mile
Hill road was broken off by the sedan
before it struck the tree.
As result of the clew that the car
might belong to Mr. Waite telephone
calls to Baldwinsville were put in from
here and from Keene, which caused not
a little anxiety there. as Mr.. Waite, who
is not in good health, left Baldwinsville
the day before saying he was going on
business trip to Boston and Worcester.
Last evening Mr. Waite called Mr.. Glib
son by telephone from Baldwinsville say
ing he had returned from a business trip
and found that some of the officers were
what the trouble was. Mr. Gibson told
him about the finding of the car and pos
tai card, and Mr.. Waite said his car was
all right IN his garage so far as he knew,
rs he left 1t there when he went away,
but he said he would investigate. A few
minutes later Mr.. Waite reported to Mr..
Gibson that the car had disappeared.
which seemed to be conclusive evidence
that it had been stolen.
The scene now. changes back to West
Chesterfield. About o'clock last eve
ming Selectman Randall was talking with
Frank Underwood at the latter's house
on the lake road when tall man with
an overcoat on his arm passed. He was
a stranger and turned his head so that
his face could not be seen. 4 few min
! utes later Mr.. Randall followed in his
car but found no trace of the man, which
increased his suspicion that the man
might be hanging around to see if he
, could find another car to get away with.
On this account he had three armed
men stationed near the suspension bridge,
two near the Allen ferry and two on
the lake road, and they remained on du-
( ty all night. stopping everybody on the
road until they could advance and give
the countersign, but their work yielded
nothing important.
d Shortly after midnight this morning
Fred Davenport's dog began making a
fuss and Mr.. Davenport looked out and
saw a man moving away from the prem
ises, apparently having been frightened
off by the dog. Mr. Davenport's automo
bile stood in the dooryard
Mr. Waite is about 90 years old. His
father, Gilman Waite, who is about 90
years old, is well known in Windham
county, having bought a large amount of
timber in this section for use in the chair
| factory now operated by the son.