The Night the City Tried to Eat Itself: A Confidence Man’s Flight Through the Woods

The fellow that shut up the roll from the bar of a saloon on Washington Street, Friday night, and decamped with it, was convicted of petit larceny in the Police Court on Saturday. He was fined and cost in all $40, in lieu of which sum he has been committed to jail for 45 days. Another charge of assault with a deadly weapon was also brought against him; on this latter charge he was committed to jail in the sum of $150 awaiting the action of the next Grand Jury.

The assault with a deadly weapon—a pistol—was made upon a man who caught him in the street while he was making his escape with the money and attempted to hold him until the police came up. The homestead was afterwards arrested just at daylight on Saturday morning. After releasing himself from the man who attempted to secure him, he ran up Washington Street and struck out into the woods on the top of the hill. At the approach of morning, believing he would return again to town, officer Thorndike secreted himself among some of the old buildings near the hill and kept a diligent lookout.

The fellow, as he expected, soon came sauntering down the hill, when he approached him and took him in custody. He first attempted to draw a pistol on the officer, but Thorndike was too quick for him, and caught his arm before he had got the weapon fairly out of his pocket.

This thing of assaulting officers of the law with deadly weapons is getting altogether too common in this city, and it is high time that our police must begin to take advantage of the law framed for their protection in this matter, and bring these vagrant bullies to justice. We hope to see the next robber who attempts to resist an officer complained of and punished to the full extent of the law.