The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-03-30
BURD|CK Is t;,s.E. A5ID q. ..,,.
2oseptiS
FOR COMING TERM
OF COUNTY COURT
Alleged Raider of Booze Car Is
Held in $4,000 Bail
GARDNER OFF BAIL BOND
Bennington County Sheriff No
Longer in Position of
Bondsman

Following an all day hearing in mu-
nicipal court Wednesday. Chauncey
Burdick OF the Mohawk Trail was
held under bond OF $4,000 for the com.
ing June term OF Bennington county
court charged with attempt to rob in
concert with three other persons. The
rul ng Of Acting Judge +. c. Bennett
was the conclusion, so far as the To-
cal court, Is concerned OF a number
Of hearings growing out of the raid
on the night OF March II on an al.
legged rum running car in the town OF
Pownal.
Immediately after the disposal Of
the BuTdick case Judge Bennett com.
mtted George Hamel, %. OF North
Adams, adm ttedly a member OF the
radlng gang to the state prison for a
period Of IS months. Hamel was
orig nally sentenced, following a plea
of gut ty to not less than three years,
but commitment had been suspended
pending the Burdick hearing. A Wig.
orous effort had been made to Sc.
, cure a further reduction Of sentence,
the state probation officer, Philip T.
II. Pierson, even going so far as to
recommend that the prison sentence
be entirely suspended the recon-
mendation being made in view Of the
facts that the young man had prev
ious good record, had served for IL
overseas in the world war and had
been awarded a medal for braver--.
Opposed to the recommended on
was Hamel's admission when on the
witness stand that he was the nom.
Der Of the raiding party who "st--k
up the booze runners with revolv.
er and ordered them out OF their al.
tomoble, that he kept them covered
with the weapon while they were be.
ing "frisked" for arms by Frank Am
law and while the contraband liquor
was being transferred rom the Yer
mont car to the automobile owned
and driven by Burdick
Frank Amlaw, the third member OF
the outfit was re eased under bonds
of $50 furnished by Deputy Sheriff
Edward Shanahan but was held as a
material witness at the trial OF Bur
dick to take place at Manchester
Amlaw was the first OF the raiders "a
give himself up to the Vermont au
thorities and to make clean breast
OF the whole affair.
Only two witnesses were on TIE
stand during the afternoon. Burdicb
and Hamel who were introduced by
the defence Burdick was cross-ex
amined by States Attorney George
A. Mathers Burdick testified that he
did not know that he and his cal
were engaged for the purpose o
Transporting liquor, that he did not
witness the holdup and that u wa:
because Of his insistence that tn,
quor was taken from his automobi.
and hidden beside the road.
Hamel verified Amlaw's testimony
relative to the holdup. The ex.serv
zee man told how he ordered the run
runners out of the car with blued
steel revolver and kept them covered
while the automobile was being rob
bed Of its contents.
Henry Chase, who appeared foI
Burdick, made a number o. motion!
during the hearing and at its clos,
asked for reduct on Of bai' sor hi!
client States Attorney Matheri
argued for an increased bail. Bur
dick was held, however, IN the origi
nal sum Of $4,000. He was surrend
cred by his bondsman, Perry B. Gard
ner whose place in this capacity va
taken by L. Alden Graves.
Hamel left this morning will
Sheriff Gardner for Windsor.