Miscellaneous, Burglars Visit Horace Woodward, 1906

Burglars Visit Horace Woodward

Bainbridge Republican, Aug. 9, 1906

 

Yesterday morning about 8 o'clock while Horace Woodward, residing in the western part of this town [Bainbridge, Chenango Co., NY], was in the lot after cows, burglars entered his room in his house, took out his trunk to the back of the house, smashed it open with an axe and took silver coins amounting to $25 and notes amounting to $1400.  This was one of the boldest tricks ever played in this section.  The thieves knew Mr. Woodward's habits.  They knew he would go into the lot about 6 a.m. for the cows and waited until he left the house, then they entered, took his large heavy trunk, lifted it up over a large stove and carried it to the wood pile where was an axe and made their way inside.

 

While going into the lot Mr. Woodward heard a smashing noise but gave it no special attention.  Mrs. Rice, who lives in the house and was just getting up, also heard the noise but thought it was Mr. Woodward in the cellar.  He was not gone after the cows longer than fifteen minutes and upon his return discovered what had been done.  The thieves had made their escape by going, as is supposed, over the hill back of the house.  No trace of them has been found.

 

The silver coins, amounting to $25, were in the trunk, also the notes, several in number, and aggregating about $1,400.  They were against parties in the neighborhood and people are cautioned about purchasing paper fromj strangers.  The thieves also took a violin from the mantle in Mr. Woodward's room.  This instrument was a very old one and valued at $50. 

 

Thirteen years ago while Mr. Woodward was attending a fair, his home was entered and notes and securities taken from his trunk.

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Woodward Finds Securities

Burglars did not Want Them and Left Them in the Woods

Bainbridge Republican, Aug. 16, 1906

 

It was published in the last issue of the Republican how burglars entered the home of Horace N. Woodward in the western part of the town on the morning of August 8th, while he was in the lot after cows and took $25 in silver coins and $1400 in notes from a trunk and made their escape.  Mr. Woodward thinking the thieves must have gone over the hill back of the house, went up that way a few days afterwards to see what he could find.  He went into the woods on the farm of Henry Smith which adjoins his place, and after looking around found the notes stuck into a crevice in a stump of a tree.  The notes when stolen were in a long pocketbook and this was on the ground near the stump.  The looting of the trunk at the house was done in great haste and when the burglar, or burglars, reached the woods they investigated the contents of the pocketbook.  Realizing these securities would be of no value to them, they evidently left them with the intention that they would be found by some one for they were in a conspicuous place.  Besides the silver coins and notes there were taken a razor, a revolver and a violin.  The violin has a powerful tone, is dark red color and made by the Boyce Violin Co., of Norwich; the case was painted black, red flannel lined, nickle trimmed.  The revolver was 32 caliber, double action and bore the name of "Ryan's New Model."  A part of the coins were of foreign denominations and among them were five Franc pieces.  The burglary was committed by somebody familiar with Mr. Woodward's house.  The trunk, the violin, the razor and revolver were in different parts of the building.  The next day after the things were stolen while a Coventry man was berrying, a man came through the lot carrying a violin case.  The Coventry man did not then know of Mr. Woodward's loss and the next day when he read of the affair he recalled the incident and notified Mr. Woodward.  [Bainbridge Republican, Aug. 16, 1906]

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[Compiler note:  Horace Woodward would be shot and killed during an attempted robbery on 18 August 1918.  Write-ups about the tragedy were posted to this blog on June 27, 2013.]