The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-05-24
ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
Recovery of stolen Goods.
ARREST OF AN EXTENSIVE FEMALE
OPERATOR.

On Wednesday, April 9th, sh)wy look
ing woman arrived here in the evening train
from Boston, stopped at the st. Lawrence
Hotel, and gave her name as M. c. Williams.
The next and few following days she visited
the dry goods stores of Woodman & True,
Storer & Cutler, Lane & Little, Dunn 81
Palmer, Thomas Lucas and others, stating
that her husband had kept dry goods store
in Bangor, but was about to remove to Rock
land and open store there. That she had
come on in advance Of him, for the purpose of
making purchases for cash, expecting him In
the course of a few days. She accordingly
selected at various stores goods to the amount
oil $4,000 or $4,000, visiting the stores daily
until the next Wednesday, when she turned
up missing.
The merchants thought nothing of this as
their goods were safe enough, until the pro-
prietor OF the hotel went to them for the pur-
pose of making enquiries about the woman,
who, he stated had cleared out without pay
ing her board bill. He also stated that her
two large trunks were very light when they
came to his house, but very heavy when they
were sent away by her in the charge of two
women ostensibly to be taken to Bangor.
The merchants then consulted with City
Marshal Head who told them they had been
robbed by her without doubt. The matter
was then placed in his hands and on the 14th
instant he went TO Rockland and after diligent
search could find or learn nothing OF the wo-
man. Satisfied from what she had told the
merchants here that she would visit that To-
cality, the Marshal visited a female acquain-
lance of his, Miss Coombs, young lady about
II years of age, told her the story and re-.
quested her to be on the lookout and to noti-
fly him when the woman arrived there.
Last week the woman arrived at Rockland.
Miss Coombs learning that a woman had Ia
ken rooms in private house and opened dry
goods for sale, visited the place and was sat
ished from the description given of the wo-
man by the Marshal, that she was the identi-
cal one. She accordingly telegrsphed the
Marshal, but as he could not go at that time
he sent Deputy Marshal Wentworth and
gave him a letter TO Miss Coombs.
Mr.. Wentworth arrived in Rockland last
Saturday and visited Miss Coombs, who i'm
mediately went with him to the house where
the woman was offering her goods for sale.
He seized the goods, arrested the woman and
brought them both to this city, arriving here
yesterday morning.
The merchants whose stores she had visited
were notified of the fact and yesterday they
were engaged at the Police Office in identity
ing articles which had been stolen from them
Wy her. Among the articles recognized were
tN pieces OF valuable silks, worth 500 each,
stol,,n from the stores of Messrs. Woodman &
True and Messrs. Lane & Little. Other val
liable dress goods were recognized by other
merchants. The woman had been very choice
ia he selections, taking none but the best
and choicest articles. There was large
quantity of them and nearly all were
claimed by our city merchants.
The true name OF the woman is; Mrs Mar
sha Richards. She appears to be adept in the
business. She owned up to Marshal Head
where the goods were taken from. She will
have an examination before the Municipal
Court.