Year: 1867

vermont


From The Burlington w. Free Press, AprtlS.


An extraordinary raid was made by burglars
last night on the various churches 10 our city,
IN the course of which every church IN BurlIng-
ton but one was entered.


The Unitarian church was entered by pryng
open window In the basement. The Sunday
School library was broken open and the books
tumbled on the floor, all the various drawers
and closets broken open, and all the communion
service, stolen, including baptismal bowl OF
solid silver.


TIE First Congregational church was entered
br the door of the coal vault in the rear, which
as split open; nothing was stolen here, though
all the doors and closets were broken open, the
coverings stripped from the pulpit, and every
thing searched for articles of value.


The Third Congregational church was appa-
Ienty entered by breaking o pane in one OF the
rear basement windows; the burglars did not
go up stairs at all, but ransacSed the lower
rooms, breaking open all the drawers, spilling
the contents on the floor, and carrying OFT
quantity of the private property OF the pastor,
Rev. G. B. Stafford, who, having at present no
house of his own, ne hud stored in his study in
the church, The property taken comprised
gold watch and quantity Of family silver in
Cluding number of wedding presents to Mrs.
Sa6ord, amounting to some $500 in value.


The Baptist church was enJered also by rear
basement window which, it would seem. must
have Oeen lett little open, enough to admit the
burglars bar, as the spring of the window was
not damaged Nothing was found in this chu-ch
though everything was ransacked up stairs and
down. A quantity of pewter spoons used at
Sabbath School pic.nics we're bent and twisted
to test the metal; a door leading into tue organ
was taken out and no place untouched which
might have had valuable contents.


The Episcopal church was still more easily
entered, as the front door was lett untastened,
the church being IN the hands of workmen for
repair and enlargement, The contents OF the
Sabbath School Contribution boxes, two or three
dollars only, was all the plunder the robbers got
here, the communion service plate, which was
in use during the evening, having been removed
10 a private house.


The door of the Roman Catholic church (St.
Mary's) was forced open, after an Intellectual
attempt had been made TO unlock it, the con-
tribuuon boxes robbed. and silver goblets and
church ornaments stolen. The robbers drew
down and lit The large lamp in the vestlbule to
aid them IN ther searches AMI also lit and
carried around some OF the wax candles from
the altar. They LETT in the lock an iron key
they had tried TO use, and inside an iron draw
bar, much bent, which was identified by the
sexton of the Unitarian church as the one used
by him for a poker. The closets in the Unita-
rian church were apparently forced open by
help of this poker, as well as the door OF the
Catholic church. The marks in the other
churches show a smaller iron to have been used.
tool evidently used there, crooked iron with a
wooden handle, very much like 'littern OF a
kitchen stove. These circumstances indicate
that the burglars were not professionals"


The Methodist church was not broken open,
although it may have been visited. 1t has no
cellar windows, and the shutters on the main
windows are tightly fastened.


Instances have occurred before of robbery OF
single churches, but never before we're all the
churches in the city robbed in one nigdt. No
clue has yet been obtained to the burglars. SO
far as we learn. Taken in connection with the
recent incendiary fire, it is evident that some
and our citizens will do well to be generally Oh
their guard.