The Portland daily press., 1877-10-15

A gang of burglars who have been operating
| in the eastern part of this state all summer,
and are known to have broken into ten
stores and three houses, were captured by De-
tective John S. Head of the Maine Central
Railroad last week at Waterville and are now
in Jail in Augusta awaiting the session of the
grand jury. Their names are William Coch-
ran and Manley Brooks of West Waterville
and Willard Thompson of Gardiner. They
commenced operations about the first of June
and since that time have done lively BUSH
ness. They have broken into the store of L.
Libby at Albion Corner, where they obtained
$500 worth of goods, FL. A. Archer's at Fair
field Centre, two stores in Wins'ow, two houses
in Waterville, Capt. Meader's house in Card.
ner, j. NJ. Fields jewelty store, Chas. Full
SONS hardware store and the Maine Central
depot at West Waterville. Besides these sew
eral stores and dwellings in Waldo county have
been broken into and it is probable that these
parties were the burglars. Harness thieyipg
has also formed branch of their business,
The value of the property stolen must amount
to several thousands of dollars. They disposed
Of their goods through the country, selling
small lots here and there at much less than
their value. set of jewelry which they got
in Capt Meaders house and which cost in
London 500, they sold for 50.
Detective Head took hold of the case imme-
diately after the depot in West Watervile was
broken into, early in September. He was not
long in spotting the parties, but the difficulty
was to obtain sufficient legal evidence to con-
vict them. He followed them from town to
town, frequently going by the same train which
carried them. Last Tuesday they started from
Gardiner and Mr. Head followed. They
stopped in West Waterville and he stopped
there too. That night they broke into the
store of Chas Fulsome and stole a large guam.
tity of hardware The next morning two Of
them, Cochran and Thompson, were arrested
at the depot by Mr. Head and Constable Her
som. They both stoutly denied all knowledge
of the burglaries and their demeanor was cool
and collected. Mr.. Head Immediately OBJ
tanned warrants and searched the houses of
Geo. Cochran, Luther Ellis and Marley Brooks
and in each of them found large quantities of
stolen hgoods. In one house the thieves had
concealed their plunder beneath a chamber
floor and in ripping up the floor articles of al
most every description were discovered. Mr.
Head then went to Gardiner and with City
Marshal Siphers searched house there and
found a lot more goods. On Friday he arrest.
ed Manley Brooks, having obtained sufficient
evidence of his guilt and had all three taken
before Judge Aver of West Waterville who
bound them over in $500 each for their appear.
ance before the Supreme Court at Augusta.
Failing to obtain sureties they were taken to
Augusta and lodged in jail
This gang has been the terror of Kennebec
and Somerset counties. Larcenies of some
kind have been of almost nightly occurrence.
The thieves were experts and left few traces Of
their villainy. The chase has been long and
difficult one and its successful ending has dis.
posed of one of the worst gangs that has infest-
ed the state for years.
2. s. An Augusta despatch reports the ar
rest of John johnson in addition to those given
above, and says SO far ten houses have been
searched and stolen goods found in them all.