The Portland daily press., 1862-11-29
Arrest of gang of Female Thieves.


1t is well known that our citizens of late
have suffered from extensive depreciation upon
their clothes lines, and alsu in various other
ways in which articles have been stolen. They
will be glad to learn that portion of the gang
who committed these depredations have been
arrested.
Deputy Marshal Head has been engaged
two weeks in working up this matter, and he
has succeeded in recovering large quantity
of clothing, dry goods, &c, stolen from clothes
lines, shops and dwelling houses, and has ar
rested four female thieves who have been en-
gagged in these nearious operations The
articles recovered consist of various kinds of
wearing apparel, baby's clothing, sheets, quilts,
an india rubber door mat. child's carriage,
breadth of carpeting, shoes, napkins, table
cloths, bleached cotton, shawls, hoods, under
sleeves, delaines, prints, two tubs, &C., &c.
The women arrested are Joanna McGrath,
Helen Murphy, Catherine Tilley and Bridget
Rooney. Murphy and McGrath are supposed
to be .he principal clothes-line thieves. They
would wash for families on Mondays and then
go at night and steal the articles from the lines.
In one case Mrs. McGrath went on Sunday
night, knowing where the articles were placed,
and stole the washing" for the fext day, and
carpet with it. They were also concerned
with Tilley and Rooney in shop lifting, and,
from appearances, must have done pretty
extensive business.
The first one arrested by Mr. Head was
Mrs. McGrath, residing in Canton street. He
went TO her house on suspicion that she had
stolen hood from the shop of Mrs. Mcguire
on Middle street. Before he could obtain en-
trance Mrs. McGrath burned the hood in the
stove. She acknowledged the fact, and he
made her pay for the article. He then looked
round the house and found large lot of cloth
ing, &c, which he was confident did not be-
long to her. He took it to the Police office,
and portions of it have since been identified
by parties as belonging to them.
Mrs. McGrath, on being detected in her Of
fences, ''peached" against her opposite neigh
Dor, Mrs. Murphy. The Deputy Marshal
thought he would visit that place and see if he
could discover anything of hood, stolen from
the shop Of Mrs. Clark on Middle street He
found it there-the hood was covered by
dish on the wall, but the strings betrayed it.
Here he also found quantity of dry goods,
some of which have been identified as having
been stolen from the stores of Mr.. Corey, Mrs.
Clark and Mr.. Little, also two tubs which she
had stolen from somebody.
Mrs. Murphy then turned 'informer" against
Mrs. Tilley who had formerly resided on
l-off k,,ttl IoI .:.t.
McMrath. On visiting the house on Bracket
street where she had resided, a lot of stolen ar
ticles were found.
Mrs. Tilley then complained of Bridget
Rooney, who had formerly resided with Mrs
McGrath, but was boarding on Danforth
of articles which she had stolen. Among
them were rubbers, shoes, &c.
All of these women have been committed to
jail to await the action of the grand jury.
Mr.. Heald deserves great credit for the sue
eessful manner in which he has prosecuted
his investigation in this matter. That these
women are notorious thieves, and have stolen
every thing they could lay their hands on, is
evident from the variety of articles recovered.
One of them burned portion of linen goods
: and other articles stolen from shop, which
she was afraid to keep in the honse. We trust
all of these characters will receive their inst
deserts.
The articles recovered by Mr.. Heald are all
at the Police Office. Those persons who have
missed anything are particularly requested to
call at the office to-day to see If they can
identify any of them as having been stolen
from them.