The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-06
BOLD BURGLARY.
PRESENCE OF MIND OF A WOMAN
OF PLUCK.
The sooundrel Leaves His Club Behind
Him.

A bold robbery took place on Park street
the other evening which the police have kept
very sedulously to themselves, hoping, as we
do, that they may get the man. The burglar,
it is true, did not obtain any plumber but it
was not for the lack of good intentions and,
from appearances, he had determined, If nee
essary. to add violence to his other crimes
Mrs G. P. Hemmenway and daughter reside
in the neat two-story house with hip roof at
the corner Of Park and Spring streets. 1t is
the corner house in the block occupied respect
iyely by Mr. Henry Fox, of the Maine Steam
shin Company, Mr.. Allen Moulton, of W. &
@ r. Milliken, and Mrs. and Miss Atchison.
The house fronts on Spring, with long ell on
Park street, and in the ell are situated the din
ing-room and kitchen, with entrance direct
from the Park street yard. Mrs. Hemmenway
oceupies the front room in the second story,
while her daughter has the room off from it.
Mr.. Adams, with Walter Corey & Co., has a
room in the third story.
On the night in question Miss Hemmenway
was away from home visiting friends in Bos-
ton, so that Mrs. Hemmenway was alone on
the second floor. She had set up reading very
late so that it was nearly two o'clock when
she went up stairs to bed. After reaching her
.room she moved about a little around the
apartment, as was customary with her, and
then proceeded to undress She had nearly
completed when, all at once, she heard what
sounded like sneeze. At first she thought,
from its smothered sound that it must have
been the cat but, as she turned, few mo-
ments afterwards, she saw sticking out from
under the foot of the oldfashioned bedstead, a
pair Of substantial mems legs encased in strong
boots.
With great presence of mind Mrs Hemmen-
way did not start, or scream. She turned to
the table, where candle was burning, and, as
If talking to herself, made the remark "that
she must get her a clean nightdress," and
quietly opening the door passed up stairs to
Mr.. Adams's room. Upon informing Mr..
Adams, he, naturally, told her she must be
mistaken, but nevertheless sailed down stairs
to the room. Lo! and behold the fellow had
taken the alarm and departed. AT first Mr..
Adams was inclined to think his first impress
sions were correct but on leaving the room
there on the bureau, near the foot of the bed
stood, or rather lay, the sub stantial club
| shaped like policeman's billy but made Of
rough hard wood, which the burglar had left
behind in his abrupt departure. Further in
yestigation revealed the fact that the burglar
had left the marks of his presence where he
laid, and had left the house by the back parlol
window, which was unlocked and slightly
raised, and which Mrs. Hemmenway dis
tinctly remembers fastening before she went tc
bed.
II is supposed that the man had been in,
formed by girl who had been employed by
Mrs. Hemmenway, that she placed her pocket
book at night under her pillow. Not because
she kept much money in her portmonnaie, die
| Mrs Hemmenway do SO, but because she had
got in the habit. 1t is also supposed that when
Mrs. Hemmenway went out for few moments
the first of the evening, lea wing the front dool
ajar, that the man may have stepped in
looked around to see how to beat retreat and
then secreted himself in the ROOM The pun
pose of the club can only be attributed to his
determination, if the lady should awake when
he was robbing her, to put a quietus to her
cries. Her GOODNESS and late hour of retiring
that night feiled him.
The police were notified and made careful
examination of the premises the next morn
ing. A strange, suspicious looking man, few
days after, called into Mr.. Dillingham's, the
apothecary, corner of Park and Spring
| street, and wanted change for a $40 bill. THAI
| same night Mr.. Dillingham; was aroused from
/ sleep-he occupies the house over his store
! by two men, who told him when he opened the
window, that burglars were trying to get into
the rear of his store. Mr.. Dillingham; replied
che guessed not" and shut the window. He
recognized the speaker as the man who wanted
to get change for the $40 bill that day.