Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-05-24

ieit TIC otoiicu uaul VIII thc Ahuioho
The poor child could only say that his
name was Jim, and so his new mother
called him "White Jim.
Wild search was made by the Avon
people for poor little Jimmy Wilbur, but
in vain. They found some fragments OF
of the childs dress, which it seems, Rob-
bins had torn and scattered to induce a
belief that the child had been eaten by
wild beasts,-and all the child's fam
lily and neighbors gave him up for dead.
The Indians knew nothing Of Robbins,
whence he had come or whether he went,
and presently went book to their tribe in
Canada taking the white baby with
them.
Presently Robbins, who had thinned
the game in his own neighborhood,
moved farther into the woods-up TO lit
lie Kennebago lake. Here he found two
hunters. named Kinds and Cloudman,
who had been hunting on the lake for
years. and campcd there. They claimed
the hunting ground, but Robbins, who
seems to have been apt 10 get is own
way, prevailed upoa them TO take him,
although not willingly, into their partner
ship. They built company camp,
agreeing 10 meet there with their spoils
from time to time, and started in differ
ent ways with packs and traps, returning
occasionally to deposi, their furs in the
camp. After seven weeks of unusual
success, they set day to meet at the
camp, divide their gains, settle, and go
home. But when Kinds and Cloudman
reached the camping place, they saw,
where the camp had stood, only track
less sheet of snow The camp had been
burned down. Is precious contents
were gone An obliging snow storm
had obliieratcd every trace, and the two
hunters were without furs or provisions,
alone in the forest. Robbins did not
come.
And presently it occurred to the men
that he was the culprit. He had stolen
the furs, fired the camp, and left them to
starve in the woods.
Robbins farm was on the west Maine
line, - miles from Colebrook, y. H.,
and his buildings just over in that State.
The robbed men went TO Colebrook, got
warrant, and had Robbins arrested and
taken TO Errol. He would not talk, ex-
cep,ing to say that he was innocent. But
at Errol.a man from Pennington happen
ed along, who said that Robbins had
sold large lot of frs there only the. week
before, over SiOO worth. Then Robbins
owned up, paid Kinds $3.50 and gave
his note for $50 more, at the same time
threating to " have satisfaction" Thus
threatened, and evidently fearing Rob.
bins, Kinds and Cloudman trapped no
more for two years.
At the end of that time Kinds seems to
have thought the matter had blowed over,
and he took his son, boy seventeen years
old, and went into the woods after his
traps. They went straight to the old
place, and queerly enough, found Robbins
there. He seemed delighted to see them.
He confessed his old wrong, begged for
giveness, and said he had been miserable
ever since, but was now living godly
life. He told Kinds that he had found
at the head of Chaudiere river, beavers
village, and that if Kinds and his son
would 90 with him to take them, one.
half the spoil should 60 toward the $50
note The father and son went with him.
No one ever saw them again.
Three weeks passed. Robbins was
known TO De at home, but the Hindses
had never returned. Their friends had
suspected Robbins, and sent messengers
to dead river, where Robbins had lately
been, to inquire. Here they found Hind $
rifle, powder horn and hatchet, which
Robbins had sold the week before.
Two men, one of them named Loomis,
started after Robbins with warrant.
When they reached Robbins house, Mrs.
Robbins burst out crying and said, "You
have come after my husband again he
went away yesterday and | never shall
see him again The men told her they
were only after lumber, and went on up
the Magalloway river. At the carrying
place between that river and the Chau
diere, in Canada, they found some of
Robbins packs, and knew he would come
back for them. They lay in wait, leaped
upon and overcame him by surprise and
sheer muscle, tied him and took him back.
On the way he wished to call at his home,
and the scene of distress there may be
imagined. His wife and children never
saw him again.
But he was not hanged then. David
Robbins was in some things lucky man.
He was put in Jail for trial, which was
TO take place in two months but before
that time he broke jail and escaped, no.
body knew where.
The next spring, the dead bodies Of
The Hindses, father and son, were found
in the woods at the head of the Chau-
diere river, by the Indians. The father
han been shot, the son killed with a
hatchet.
None of Robins's State acquaintance
ever heard from him again, until sixteen
years after, when David Robins" was
hanged near Upper Canada for the MUIR
der of a Frenchman. He previously
confessed to a Catholic priest that he had
years before stolen and sold to the In
dians a little child; had robbed and
burned hunting camp, and killed two
shooting the father and MUIR