The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-29


Lellan came in and stopped until o'clock.
Others were in, among the rest a tax collector
who wished to pay me money, but as was set
ting up declined to take it. A lawyer also
was in with two foreclosures to;be published in
the Advertiser for neighbor and friend at
Harpswell. ! took them and carried them to
the newspaper Office and returned about dark.
Grin Fox was in the office soon after and in a
few moments Mr.. Woodman came in and
asked me if had completed the foreclosures
in reference to date. Iplaced my cash box in
the safe and ran down to the Advertiser office
as quick as could to correct the foreclosure.
l returned very rapidly, entered the City
Building in front, met deputy sheriff. AS |
turned the corner into the corridor small
man dressed in black passed in before me and
went down the cellar stairs I entered my
office and sat down to my desk to write. Very
soon man came in, walked up closely to me
and asked me If could cash check. told
him no. Immediately something struck the
window at my left and at the same time sec
ond person stood in the front door, and the
know of the affair. My suspicious were not
aroused in seeing the man passing in front of
me. The person in my Office stood near the
gate facing me within twelve inches of my
desk He was a man feet 10 inches in height,
dressed in a dark brown evercoat buttoned
snug around him. He was very neat looking
man in his dress ;had on black Astrachan cap
had black close-cut beard, dark complexioned.
He did not present check. I saw neither of
his hands. The noise was at the window to-
ward Chestnut street church. I didn't see the
man strike me. The first recollected after
the affair was it seemed that some one had me
by the throat; then thought I was struggling
toward the door. The first person saw and
recognized was Chas. Field of Freeport
That night had sharp severe pain in my
left side, which proved to be bruise. 1t re-
manned several days and then was lame for
some time. The next day discovered a bruise
on the forehead from one temple to the other
The bruise was rising and sore over the top of
my head. My right eye was cut. Right side
of my nose was injured, and can't today
the lid. had good deal of pain and chok-
ing about the throat. Others saw the injury
upon my throat externally. first went out Of
the house the 9TH Of January. Rode up to my
Office to see D. W. Fessenden, who paid me
several thousand dollars, which turned over
to the county. The Sth of January went to
the Canal Bank and turned over funds there
into the hands of the County Commissioners,
also some vouchers and receipts; $15, $40 81 was
the amount of the bank deposit. The balance
OF money due the county was all taken by
robbers. They took also $500 of my funds and
$426 belonging to my ward. Besides this
there were 81 800 u. S. bonds and two $50
Universalist church bonds belonging to me in
the safe and taken by the robbers. The
amount of bank deposit had been reduced by
from which was taken $25 or!$30. did not find
nor ever saw, except a small amount of frac-
tional scrip, any of the moneys which were in
the safe. Left in the safe was $13 in u. s. bonds
belonging to my ward, and quantity of West
ern bonds belonging to Mr.. Joseph Holt
There was not dollar outside of the safe and
bank belonging to the county; nor was ever a
dollar appropriated to my private use Au-
thorized reward to be offered and detectives
employed for the arrest and conviction of the
Hnhh nr pn rfyaor i i
Portland. was asked to identify two. but
failed. never have seen the party that rob
bed me. My boys and wife did not come up
that afternoon. I left all the papers and
books OF the county at the office that night
afterward made settlement with the court
and turned over everything that was left.
CROSS EXAMINED.
Attorney Libby then cross examined the wit
ness as follows: was in my office IS late as
o'clock every night did not notice any
other offices in the building open that night
The Supreme Court was in session. L went to
the Advertiser affice at about 5.45 D. M, and
was not gone over five minutes. 1 closed both
outside doors when L vent out and the safe
was shut with bolt turned. When Mr., Wood
man came in was examining the court books
preparatory to final settlement with the books,
We had got nearly through the books the day
before. The night was robbed was putting
upon the book constable fees. remember no
10th: When Mr.. Woodman came to my office
did not know what the balance was due the
court from me. The foreclosure notices were
running from me. Mr.. Woodman had pre-.
pared them. He was at my Office about three
or four o'clock and came the second time at
about six. can't tell the items of money in
the safe. can't remember of making deposits
in the Canal Bank that month. I was not in
the habit Of leaving the safe unlocked, but
where had been out for moment OF two
L hnd Inff tt1n l0Dr. l., 111A-
times.
He denied the statements published in the
daily papers contrary to his testimony. He did
not balance the books until January /, 1875.
Received 1888. 20 from the Bridgton collector
which had not been accounted for. He al
declared that he never lent or lost any funds
from the County treasury and did not draw
checks in favor of the pastor of the Universal
lst church, l.. B. bennett or G. A. Thomas
s against County Count funds; Witness was here
his, in which were the stubs of five checks
drawn in favor of LIB. bennett, Rev. George
W. Blcknell and George A. Thomas on the
County OF Cumberland) Mr.. Pennell said he
mad no recollection of issuing these checks
County to those persons. He said he might
have changed the form of the checks or de-
posted private funds to equal amounts. His
income for the years 1873 and 1874 was 800 or
$2oO from his farm; $40 interest in vessel
besides his salars as treasurer. He didn't re-
County from the office previous or subsequent
to the robbery and has not seen the books
since.
Court adjourned at 6 p. m.
SECOND DAY.
The attendance in the court room was not
very large. Among the gentlemen present
from Portland as witnesses were Deputy Mar
shall Black, Deputy Sheriff Ring, Officers Han
son and Hicks, ex-officer Barbour, Mr. Wood
man, Mr.. Townsend, Hiram Cook, W. T.
Sturgis, Grin Thoits and Capt. George W.
Parker. plan of that portion of the City
Building in which the Treasurer's Office is
situated was displayed on blackboard.
Mr.. Pennell's
redirect examination was resumed:
If issued checks to Mr.. Thomas, I deposit-
ed the amount in the safe.
CROSS EXAMINED.
1 did not correct my books in reference to
the Bridgton collection until January follow
ing; the county Was paid the amount from nv
private funds some time previous to this: I
offered no reward, but authorized one to be
made for detection Of the robbers. The aver
$1,000; it varied from $1,000 to $4,000. At INV
settlement in October L had not over $1,000 in
bank and safe; generally the cash was put into
the safe; sometimes it was deposited in the
bank; many receipts in my possession were &C
counted as cash upon my books; several ac-
counts with various persons were kept run
ming through the years 1871-2-3-4 without being
audited by the commissioners. Don't remem,
Der in reference to bank balance or amounts on
hand at various quarterly settlements. The
safe had never been in condition SO as to use
the inner combination, and the only protection
was the outer door with its Sargent combina-
ton. Can't state in reference to the amount
of money in bank in comparison to that in the
safe. Witness was asked to refresh his mem
DRY from copy of the bank books. The bal
lance January 2, 1873, was $S47.41; the same
day deposited $4,000. (The paper Was with
drawn from the witness at the suggestion of
the court) l kept no daily, weekly, or month
ly balances; don't recollect of ever counting
up my cash in the bank and safe, receipts and
vouchers, and comparing the amount with INV
kc Nv IN,