by Laurel | April 23rd, 2013
9 October 1921
E. H. Ball Homestead at Holyoke
Letter from Burglar to Colonel Ball
The three men were captured and put to trial, to make a long story short. Now comes an interesting document in the shape of a letter written to Col. Ball from Charlestown state prison from this same Charles Williams, found among the ball estate papers. It is about as smooth a document as ever was penned. It was written “by the man who talked tobacco with you at noon and held a pistol to your head at midnight” as the writer frankly states. It tell in detail of how he was infatuated with card playing and was led in evil courses finally resulting in being led into the robbery scheme. Later developments proved was was generally though at the time that Williams was the organizing force and brains of the entire robbery. He promises in his letter to pay Col. Ball $2000 as soon as he is released and more later. He wrote to ask Col. Ball to sign a paper for his release; and so it is a fact that Col. Ball did so, though he never recovered the money so far as known; in fact it has remained a mystery to this day as to where the bonds were cashed or disposed of. Col. Ball signed the paper out of consideration for Williams’ parents but he had far better have left it unsigned as events turned out; for Williams, far from reforming, made no attempt to do so and in a short time was in durance vile for another escapade, and probably died in jail; at any rate all trace of him seems to be lost, as well as those of his companions in crime.
Col. Ball, Noted Figure in the Life of Holyoke, Part I
Col. Ball, Noted Figure in the Life of Holyoke, Part II
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
