The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-25
ON THE WRONG SCENT.
The Alleged Treasury Robbers Arrested
and Discharged.

land county treasury have been arresteu,
brought to this city, examined and discharged
there being no evidence against them. What
certain men have been pleased to call prema-
ture publication in the PRESS has not defeated
the ends of justice, and has in no way prevented
or delayed the vindication of Mr.. Pennell. Ii
it in any way fastened the arrests and thereby
pricked the bubble it did good work, for it put
stop to useless expenditure of money and
time in following up false scent. The men
who have been so loud in their denunclations
may now proftably turn their attention to the
discovery of the real culprts.
The noon tram from Boston Friday over the
Boston and Maine road brought to this city
| Detective Wartman, of Boston, and Peter
Lake, ALIAS James Hayes, and John 5. Ed
wards, alias John Thompson. On arriving
here the trio took hack and went to the Preb-
lie House. The detective signed his name
Strout. while the two men with him signed
| their names Lake and Edwards respectively.
After being shown to their rooms they came
down to dinner. They did not appear to be
under arrest, ard each one lighted cigar and
| went into the reading room after dinner. The
detective remained around the hotel some time,
and at last went out leaving the men to do
what they pleased. No one would have guessed
| by his actions that he was abe detective in
| search of the robbers of the Cumberland coun-
| ty treasury, or that the men with him had been
brought from New York charged with the rob-
berry, Late in the evening the detective notl-
fed Sheriff Pencil that he had two men with
| him whom he had arrested for the PennelI
robbery.
Early Saturday morning Sheriff Pennell, in
| company with Mr. Thomas Pennel., visited the
hotel and interviewed Lake and Edwards
| They were at once satisfied that they were nos
| the men who were wanted. 1t was then deeid-
ed to bring the men before Judge Morris and
have them discharged.
| About II o'clock Lake and Edwards went
| down to the Sheriffs office to await Judge
| Morris They were obliged to wait about an
hour, during which time they were looked upon
| by a large number of curious eyes. AS the
spectator entered the office the first person that
met his eyes was James Hayes, alias Mouse
| HAYES. He sat in one corner of the room. APP
| peared stupefed, and had nothing to say. Near
| the door sat Sheriff Pennell. The middle OF
| the room was so filled with spectators and
| strangers that one would hardly notice three
| we'll dressed strangers in the back of the ROOM
| These three were the detective and the sup
| posed robbers. 1t would puzzle one to tell who
| was the detective and who was under arrest
| The large man with his whiskers dyed black
| was the detective. The tall man with brown
hair, strongly marked features and determined
| face. was Edwards. The short but stout man,
with brown hair and moustache, who has
marked resemblance to "Mouse" Hayes, was
| Lake.
| AT noon word was brought that Judge Nor
| ris was ready for the examination. The com
| pany, about dozen in number, repaired to the
| Municipal Court room. The Recorder called
| the name of Peter Lake alias James Hayes,
John S. Edwards alias John Thompson, James
Hayes alias "Mouse'' Hayes. The men indi-
Gated arose and the Judge said: Gas there is no
evidence against you yon are herewith diseharg-
| ed" The men bowed and passed out OF the
| court room to their hotel, where they took din
| ner. The trio started for New York again on
| the afternoon train.
| Detective Wartman gives the following ac-
| count Of the clue and the arrest He says he
| has been sold by one @. II. Hammond, and
| that he feels pretty cheap about it. About the
| 10th of December Hammond came to Wart-
| man aud S. IT. Hunt Of the New England De.
| tectiye Bureau and informed them that gang
of men had Just arrived in the city (Boston)
who he thought were about to put up job.
| Mrs. Harris-H almond, we mean-was well
| known to the detectives as man who was
around among sporting men good deal, aud
they thought he would be valuable to them.
| He soon came to the detectives and told them
| that the men whom he had spoken of had been
| to him and asked him to put up job for them.
He refused to do it and stated to the detectives
| that the men had gone to Portland, and show
| ed letter he had received from this city the
| very day after the robbery of behring's jewelry
| store in Boston. He also identified several OF
the tools left in behring's store as the very tools
4 he knew the burglars had in their possession
| and took oath to that fact.
| Mrs. Hammond-Mr. Harris, we mean-no,
| that isn't it, the thing is awfully confusing
| well, then, he also took them to certain hotei
| in Boston and showed them the names of the
! men registered there. The detectives took
| piece of tissue paper and traced the names.
| Upon the strength of this statement they came
to this city and discovered that the men had
| registered at the Prebe House on the night OF
the robbery. The signatures were the same as
proved by the tissue paper.
The epcene 81. also told the detectives that
one James Hayes of Portland, was interested
in the Boston robbery. Suspecting that the
rascals had gone to Biddeford, the detectives
went there. They saw copy of the PRESS
| and learned of the robbery in this city. The
description given answered to the men they
were in search of. The detectives returned to
this city in company with the Hypothetical H.,
and at once made themselves known to the
county officers Inquiry was made for James
Hayes at his former residence on Danforth
street, but they were told that Hayes had gone
to Boston, This statement was confirmed by
several of the neighbors, who said that he had
been gone several days. This appeared to
point directly to Hayes in connection with the
Boston robbery. While here the detectives
kept the hypothetical and epicene out Of sight
as much as possible for fear that the officers
here would get hold of his information and get
ahead of them on the track.
| The detective and Hammond at once left for
| New York to look up Lake alias Hayes, Ed
wards alias Thompson, Crawford alias Doctor,
| Longley and Webb alias McWlliams. Lake
and Edwards were found coming out of pawn
| shops on Blocker street, and the detective and
| Hammond overheard conversation in regard
| to some precious stones they had for sale that
led the detective to believe them, at least. the
| Deering robbers. A Mr. Everett was pointed
out as noted receiver of'stolen goods and the
agent of "fence'' in Philadelphia, where prob
ably the bulk of the Deering valuables had
been disposed of. A letter was shown from
Hayes from Boston stating that he would meet
the Others at Harry Hills, in Houston street,
or Mike Coburn's, both noted places frequented
by sports. Crawford was said by Hammond to
live in a fine house at Harlem, and on investi-
| CATION it was ascertained that such house, SIT
uated in 12Oth street, was occupied by man
named Crawford. One of the other two men it
was ascertained occupied house in Houston
street that was gambling shop below and an
| designation house overhead.
The detectives now thought they had soft
thing on the rogues, and leaving Hunt to
| watch them. Wartman and the man named
Hammond came to this city and with Sheriff
| Pencil went to Augusta to procure the requi-
| 60 This was a week