The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-15
[From tle Boston Adrertiser.1

With our account OF the developments FORM
ing the grounds for suspecting Charles A.
Dodge of the murder OF the two Joyce chill
dren we gave a somewhat disconnected histo-
ry of his lite, as gathered from the officers of
justice. We are now able to publish more
detailed statement of the events in the career
of the suspected man, taken down from the
lips of his adopted parents, Mr.. Aaron Dodge
and wife, of Hamilton, Essex County, Massa-
chusetts. ffh 9s
Mr.. and Mrs. Dodge first heard of the sub
ject of this biographical sketch by means of
the agent of an orphan asylum in Boston, on
fremont street. Tbs agent being in Hamil-
ton, informed Mr.. Dodge that the matrons of
the asylum, Eunice and Anstace Fellers, had
bright boy whom they wished to place in
some family willing to adopt him. Mr.. and
Mrs. Dodge consented to take him, and on in
curing into his birth and parentage, learned
that at the age of one year he was known by
the name of Charles Scott, and that he was
then in the care OF gentleman named Mum
roe. who reinquished the custody of the child,
at the age above stated, to Mr.. Kennedey.-
inls last-named person retained possession of
the boy until he was three years of age, when
he placed him in the asylum before spoken OF,
from which he was taken, to lie received into
Mr.. Dodge's family, when little more than
Jour years DID, This is all that Mr.. and Mrs.
Dodge know of the origin OF the child. They
1ave no evidence that ne is of Spanish parent
age. On the contrary, they express their be-
lief that he was born in Boston. ~
Mr.. Dodge gave his proteSe the name of
Charles A. Dodge, and when he was about
seven years of age sent him to the district
school of the village, which, according to the
custom of those days, was kept but three
lad was good-looking, bright and playful
boy, but carly betrayed disposition to wan
der from home, and at times manifested some
strange characteristics which his foster parents
could not comprehend. Fiom very early
age he took delight in sailing small boats, and
when he became old enough to make these
toys for himself he frequently employed him.
sell in making miniature vessels of various
models. Il. 7r-. fe @
At the age of twelve years, young Dodge be-
gan to assist his father, during the school va
cations, in working upon the farm, and in
pegsing shoes in the shoemakers shop, near
the house. At thirteen years of age he began
to evince an uncomfortable desire to go to sea,
and constantly importuned his parents to
crafty his WISH ALI the pictures of ships or
marine views which he could obtain he pasted
up in his fathers shop, literally covering the
walls, and many OF these pictures remain up
to the present time.
His parents endeavored to dssuade him
hOui HIS uotiOuy Uut dt ieuSIu MI. OOQ1e
yielded to the boy desire, aud allowed him to
ship on board vessel which sailed on a
treightinS voyage up the Hudson River. Soon
after his return his father shipped him on a
voyage in a whale ship to the Moth Atlantic
Ocean he was absent about nineteen months,
On his return from this trip he remained at
home but short time, when he sailed for the
West Indies, and was again absent from home
about three months. Subsequently he made
trips to ports in South and North Carolina,
and sailed twice from Beverly on fishing vow
ages. When at home between these trips, he
worked on the farm and in the shoe shop, in q
rather INDECENT manner, which he excused by
saying that he had SO little to do whiie at sea
that it made him lazy. 40.
After having made the voyages above spo-
ken of, young Dodge, when nearly tweAty
years of age, went to school one winter, Mr..
Dodge persuading him that he needed a bet
ter education. He still exhibited an cratic
disposition, and would leave the family with
out giving notice, and remain away long peri
DDS of time. Though generally tractable and
dociie, he would sometimes, when his will was
strongly opposed, exhibit violent temper, last
ing several days. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge say,
however, that ne was, While at home remark
ably free from any propensity to NEEDLE with
what was not his own; that they never knew
MN TO steal anything, and that he would not
even take any article OF food not placed upon
Tue taole, without asking liberty to do so.
r, ~ tne spring OF 1861 Dodge enlisted in an
irisn regiment; deserving from which he en-
Hsteu III the navy, and was on board the
ohaWsheen when that vessel was blown upin
the James River. Swimming ashore. he was
incarccrated in the Libby Prison at Richmond
and thence transferred to Andersonviila IN
deserving from the army he had cbanoed b;s
name to Charles Woods. His parents hear ,s
ing nothing OF him for long time. wrote 70
the Secretary of the Navy Tor information N
and that functionary informed them over hi,
own signature that Charles Woods died in
prison Oct. /, 1854. 10 the surprise OF his
parents, however, Dodge returned home on
the 21st of December of that year, and re
manning until Feb. Is, 1865, again departed,
and has not since returned.
When last at home, Dodge told many wild
stories of his adventures by land and sea, and
acted more strangely than ever. During his
last absence he has written several letters to
his parents, the last being dated al East CIeve-
land, Ohio, some time last spring. Once he
sent home sum Of money, wbicn he said had
come to him by prize distribution,
Mr.. and Mrs. Dodge are plain, elderly peo-
pie, residing on small farm about two miles
east OF the Wenham and Hamilton station on
the eastern Railroad. They are much troub
led by the charge against their adopted son.