New Britain herald., 1930-04-18
Robbery of Bank Mystifies Sheriff,
 But Daug hter Acts
Much Smoke

ss Kentyille is a rather quleL Htte southern town on a sort Of pia- teau above Kent river.
 Down by the river are the Kent Cotton Mills Without the mills there wouldn't be much of Kent vile, because practically everyone either worked there, depended on people who worked there, or sold supplies to the employees.
 Around one side of the mills above the river landing IS a dense growth of timber.
 One afternoon the residents of KentviIle were startled to sec thick smoke in the timber lands north Of the mills in the river valley.
 Tho wind was blowing down the river and the smoke became thicker and approached nearer to the ol5 wooden mills.
 Practically everyone in the village was frightened. The burning of the mills meant almost tragedy to every one. They might not be rebuilt there at all, and that would be the end of kentyille,
 Almost everyone able 10 do so rushed down the short valley with an idea of helping stay the forest fire and ths save the mills, Such men, women and children as Nercn | working in the mills and were able to do so grabbed brooms, pails and similar things to help fight the fire.
 The smoke seemed 10 grow denser. It became so thick and rolling that people could scarcely see each other a few feet away.
 Nor'was there the usual crack ling sound. that accompanies a for est fire.
 Many of the men were sent out from the mill to help stop the fire.
 People wandered around deeper and deeper into the woods, getting lost, pumping into each other and shouting and coughing.
 Finally at nearly the upper end some of the men came across q group of people,
 One look and the men were angry and disgusted.
 Here were three men in lumber mems costume, a hero in leggins and open -throated white shirt and a pretty heroine.
 A camera man was grinding away and a director was mega phoning orders
 There was no forest fire at all except the practically harmless glow that comes from smoke pots such as are always used when , movieland people wish to produce the effects of smoke of fire, or, z by using the lighter colored stuff, they produce the effects of fog.
 The director assumed respon- sibility. He said that since the smoke pots were harmless he couldn't see any harm done. He apoIogized profusely. He had fin ishad his rescue scene, his men would gather up the burned ou. smoke pots and all would be well. e~ But the sensational portion of this was the way that three travelling salesmen, who had been stopping at the kentville House. took advantage of the nearly abandoned village, walked into the bank, covered the two men there and cleaned it out.
 The traveling salesmen had gone with the banks funds when tho citizens got back to the village. ? Burgess, the sheriff. promptly sent a posse down and arrested the moving picture outfit.
 Coarse work" Sheriff Burgess said; you people come here and pose as picture-makers and throw smoke screen for your confed- crates; you'll stay locked up until we get the banks money back"
 But the sheriff was wrong. The director. Wayne Gilbert, didn't take long to prove they were all legitimate picture people. and had come down from a big New York outfit to make a Southern location picture.
 The sheriff had to release these prisoners.
 It was soon proven that the travelling salcsmcn were fakes. There were no such companies as they represented and the goods. or samples, they had brought. down were nodescrpt things gathered here and there.