Year: 1876




Mrs Matte G. White, of this city, who
was visiting in the family of M. John
Whittlesey, the cashier Of the Northamp-
ton Bank, writes an account of her ex-
perience with the burglars. She says:


About twelve o'clock, or a little after,
FIVE burglars entered our peaceful home
with all the violence that we have often
had pictured to us through the papers,
and such as is hard to believe, and can
only be realized through experience,
such as we have now had. The first in.
timation Laura had of what was going
on was that man was entering their
room, over the sitting room, and he had
a dark-lantern in his hand, and immedi-
ately sprang to their bed, while both
screamed. They were then held by their
throats, two men then being there, and
at once handcuffed and held down.


1 had not been asleep over ten minntes,
for heard the town clock strike twelve,
and at half-past twelve we were all under
their entire subjection, there being man
or two men in my chamber at once. The
first knew man entered my room, and
the dark-lantern wakened me, / suppose.
l screamed, thinking it was John, and
that the house was on fire, and sprang
out of bed. He put me back and chOked
me, and then told me he would treat me
kindly if / would keep perfectly quiet.
He said / was caught" You are all
caught, and you may as we'll give up"
He then told me that must get up. l
begged him to let me lie there, but he
said "No," and pulled me up and led
me into the hall and then handcuffed me.
He then took me into Laura's room-no,
not yet. After getting me into the hall
he said would take cold without more
clothing, and told him / would take
my death of cold that way, and he led
me back into my room, when obtained
more clothing, and he took me with
them. Very shortly after Maria, Aunt
Hattie and her husband walked into the
same room, and the girl was brought in
with us. After they had got us all in
that room they made us get up separately
and dress.


OF course we were rugged In each
others clothing, and some were half
dressed. They kept hurrying us up, and
we were wonderfully possessed. l was
very calm, and acted accordingly. They
opened LIS bureau drawer and took out
her handsome velvet cloak and handed it
to her, saying, / guess this is what you
want" She put that on with her Bal
moral skirt, and then Twas fixed up, and
they fell short of handouts.


Then Laura and l were Joined by one
handcuf, and they took us off into the
front room and put us into the bed, and
thor, tod n,,r ho pdo ond foot NTH lao tbar -
straps, buckled astight as possible. Then
they took heavy ropes and slipped
through these, and brought the rope
under the bed, and fastened it with extra
ropes besides. They served us all this
way. They treated John cruelty; also,
Aunt Hattie. The last operation was to
gag us with rubber gags. John was
blindfolded and placed in another posi-
ton. They then dragged him in the
lower bedroom and he was almost dead
when found.


Laura and | extricated ourselves first
by the greatest effort, and we dragged
ourselves, bed and all, to the windows,
about seven o'clock in the morning, and
with one hand free opened the window
and alarmed the neighborhood. We had
to have our handouts filed apart, and il
was about nine o'clock when Laura and
were separated. We are alive and we'll,
only that we are scratched and bruised,
and Johns chest is black and blue. They
held pistol at his head after they got
him in the bedroom, when they demand
ed the keys and combination. They did
not touch the silver, but took Johns
watch and chain. Laura grabbed hers
and threw it under the bureau, and
they missed it.