The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-25

committed this horrible deed were profession
ais and reveals the manner in which
they operated. The struggle undoubtedly be.
gan in the coal room. Probably the gang had
been watching Mr. Barron, and when he pass-
ed across the audience room saw their opportu-
nifty. Opening the door probably with false
keys they rushed into the coal room and over
powered him before he had time to provide him.
self with any weapon of defence. 1t may be,
however, that Mr.. Barron himself let them in
on the plea that they had some business. and
that when they were there he weut for some
coal. The coal room furnished abundant evil
dence of a struggle, indicating that Mr.. Barron
had fought bravely with the means at his COM
mand. The hod which he had apparently sue
ceeded in filing was overturned and his false
teeth and lead pencil were upon the hoor In
SO unequal contest, for there were at least
two and probably three assallants, the struggle
must have been short, and the victim was
quickly gagged and handcuffed. The robbers
then undoubtedly rided his pockets aud pro-
cured the keys to the inside doors of the vault
(the outside one was probably open) and OPEN
ed them. Had they been able to get into the
safe Mr.. Barron would probably have been left
where he was Knocked down and not further
troubled But the combination lock staggered
them and it waste compel him to open it that
they dragged him into the vault. But unluckiy
for the success of their designs, they had found
man whose devotion to trust WAS stronger than
his love of life, and spite of all their threaten
ings, all their cruelties, he refused to yield
Finding themselves baked In their designs,
partly from rage and partly to enable them
selves to get long way from thu scene of the
tragedy before it should bs discovered, they
shut their victim up in the vault, locked the
doors and left him to die. Ali the booty they
obtained was 800. When access was had to
the safe by the searching parties the time
| locks which had been set for Z o'clock had
locked itself and the inner door could not be
opened. bat at the next morning the bolts
| few back and every thing was found safe.
Suspicious Parties.
OF course in time Of such excitement az
succeeded this tragedy, Imagination was active
| and almost every one had seen some suspicious
parties. Many of these stories when investi.
| gated will undoubtedly amount to nothing, but
it seems to be pretty we'll established that three
men, strangers in town, and whose movements
| were suspicious, were seen in the neighborhood
| of the bank lats in the afternoon. Mr.. 81. G.
Parsons, who has an insurance Office in the
bank building, says he left the bank at twenty.
five minutes before 5 o'clock, and when he
went out locked the door. Before he left the
bank there were several trials at the door from
the outside, soms of them very persistent Or
one or tive of these occasions there were foot
steps Of two or more persons, and after the
door was tried taese steps seemed to go in The
direction Of the Masonic Hall instead of the
stairs leading to the street. Mr.. Curtis, cashier
of the National Bank, came out of the banl
room at about quarter past 5. When he wen
in, which was about 5. he noticed that the low
or and outside door was unlocked He though
nothing of it at the time however, supposiDe
Mr.. Barron to be above, but he tried the latter,
room, and finding it locked, passed out ant
locked the door, thinking that Mr.. Barron had
forgotten do So He is sure the door leading t.
the Masonic Hall stairway was shut, but wher
Mr. Barron was found it was open, showing
1 doubtless, that the murderers had COB
cealed themselves 10 the hall and haG
keys to all parts of the building
1t is pretty well settled that the murder occurred
between and o'clock. Now about 6 O'CLOCK
Mr. Chas. L. Winslow, passing the bank. saw
man at the foot OF the stairway. He was
large man and was fixing his overcoat prspar
atory to going away. A man who lives somt
miles out of the village passed team abou
/ n'oIopx IN of 81.
containing two men, driving in the direction O
Sangerville. They were goiog at rapid rat,
OF speed, SO fast as to attract his attention.
Efforts for Arresting tho Assnssins
AS soon as the facts became known Mr.
Bradbury, President of the baak, sent des
patches to the msrshals of various cities an
nouncing the murder and asking them to watcl
the trains for suspicious parsons. A large mum
ber of men patrolled the streets or searched
the surrounding towns, aud teams were sen
out in various directions. Public FEELING
against the murderers ran very high and i
they had been caught they would probabl,
have been lynched. The bank corporation
offered reward of $1,000 and detectives wer,
sent for and several arrived here this mornin.
by special train from Newport, among then
MIR. j. S. Head of Portland Every effort vii
be made to catch the perpetrators of this fou
deed, but the chase will be diff ,ult one az
they are undoubtedly we'll yersad ia their bust
ness and studied beforehand and arranged
their route of escape. 1t is altogether
probable that they have gone in the di
rection of Canada. A coroner's inquest wa
begun yesterday afternoon, but no facts add
tlonal to those given above, were brought oat
The Victim of the Tragedy
MIR. James w. Barron, the victim of the
tragedy was one of the best known and mos
highly respected citizens of this town. He wa
a native of Athens and was about 40 years O
age. he began life as apothecary's clerk i,
the store Of the late Dr.. Spripgall in this town
and on the death of the latter bscame himsel
proprietor. He had been town treasurer and
had held other positions of public trust. Whel
che savings bank was incorporated he wa
elected its treasurer and to fit himself for tn
duties OF that position spent some mouths b.
hind the counter of the Portland Savings Bank
Doubtless many of your readers will remem
Der him. he has proved himself an efficien
officer and his loss will bs felt as severely b,
the bank officers as by the Community at large
ewas member of the Congregational churcl
and consistent Christian. He was a promi
| nent Mason, member of Penobscot Lodg
and also of st. John Chapter An instance
which illustrates the honesty and couscien-
| tiousness of the man has transpired since hi
death. A few years ago the savings bank mad,
an unfortunate Investment by which it lost sew
| eral thousand dollars, Mr.. Barron was M
more to blame for it than the trustees, but 80
delicate was his sense of duty that he had hi,
life insured for $4,000, unbeknown to the bank
| officers, in favor of the bank to cover the loss
! Nothing was known of the existence of thi
policy till it was discovered among his papers
since his daath He was slight in stature, but
Of indomitable will and possessed of courage
which enabled him to face death rather thar
incur what his sensitive nature doubtless re-
garded as dishoDor
MAINE.
Contract Awarded.
LEWISTON, Feb. 23.-The contract for the