The Portland daily press., 1883-09-08
a FATAL TAG
Brings George L. PRESCOTT to Grief.
An Interesting Story of Crime.


the Falmouth and the evidence brought out
an interesting story. Condensed the evidence
yielded the following facts:
George L. Prescott Is man of medium size
dark complexion and hair, with heavy nous
tache. He was born in Buxton, and has lived
an eyentful and precarious life. He tells SC
many stories about himself and contradicts
himself so much, that it is difficult to tell
what he has been and has not been. He says
he has been Pullman Car conductor, and the
owner OF line of Herdic coaches in Boston,
during the past eight years, but admits he has
had no business for eight weeks past.
During these same eight weeks Prescott has
travelled frequently between Portland and
Boston by the boats, and the employees of the
line had lately began TO wonder what his bust
ness might be. Saturday night, Sept. 1st
Prescott came down to Portland on the
fremont. On the passage he met woman
named Inez Leavitt, whose acquaintance he
made, and the two stopped at the falmouth
Hotel. In the meantime-between former
visit to thecity ION the part Of Prescott) and
this excursion-the robberies at the Falmouth
Hotel, previously published, had occurred.
sunday afternoon, Sept. I'd, Marshal An.
drews was called to Boston to bring back te
Portland the two girls arrested there who had
escaped from our workhouse. On the train
the conductor told the Marshal there was O
woman aboard who had been robbed la Port,
land, and she wished him the coBductor-to
telegraph TO this city and have the robhe1
arrested. The Marshal had talk with the
woman, and she said her name was Ine2
Leavitt Size stated her visit 70 Portland the
evening previous, and said when she left the
boat that morning and went to the Falmouth
Hotel, she did not take a room, but that she
was followed there by man named Prescott
whose acquaintance she made on the boat the
night previous, and he took room and in.
duced her to share it. They had a lark and
changed clothes. Prescott put on her garnet
colored silk and ulster, aud she attired herself
In bis clothes. In the pocket eff her dress was
wallet containing roll OF bills, amounting
to over $50 in value. She described the bills
and said the two outer ones OF the roll were
$20 notes and a $40 note given her by her
mother, which bills she had intended to bank.
Pretty soon Prescott said TO her that he would
go down and get q bottle of champagne, and
he slipped on her ulster, having removed her
dress. He came back after brief absence.
but brought no champage, and removed the
ulster She put on her garnet silk aud thrust
her hand in the pocket for pocket comb to
dress her hair. At once she detected the loss
OF her wallet. She turned to Prescott. and
gently informed him s'if be didn't give back
that wallet she would mop up the floor with
him., and II was evident from her figure she
was capable OF doing So Prescott then walked
70 the ulster, drew out the wallet and handed
it back, saying, "You don't think I'd steal
your money" She thought he had been jok
ing and never opened the wallet. After dress
ing they went to the dining room and dined,
and after dinner she handed him back a little
silver mounted flask he had given her to keen
Tor him. Then they went out to Old Orchard.
he paying the hotel bills, so he said, and the
tickets to Old Orchard. At Old Orchard he
said he had got her passed up to Boston, and
left her, he returning to Portland. The con-
ductor came for her ticket, however, and then.
on opening her wallet, she discovered her loss.
She told the Marshal no man had ever 'sbeat''
her before, and if he would catch Prescott she
would appear against him. She also said
when Prescott dressed himself in the room at
the Falmouth, he brought in, hidden under
his coat, shit and pair OF cuffs, which he
said he brought from his own room In the
house. On the tag to the bosom of the shirt
were the initials in red letters, &c. j W.
The woman saw the letters and told him he
had given himself away. The name he had
stated to her as his own was George Barnes,
while on the hotel register it was George Den
nett.
Monday noon Marshal Andrews returned
from Boston. Tuesday Mr.. Martin, of the
Falmouth, went to the station and informed
the Marshal that amoug other articles stolen
the week previous at the house was shirt and
pair OF cuffs with the cuff buttons, taken from
room 6S, occupied by Mr.. G. j. Wells a CON
mercial traveller. All az once the story of The
woman Leayitt, and her reference 10 the shirt
which Prescott put on marked with the initials
%. J. W." flashed upon his memory. He
turned to his memorandum book, and sure
enough there was the corroboraiing statement.
He described Prescott to Mr.. Martin, and Mar
tin Immediately was impressed with the opinion
that Prescott must be George L. bennett, who
had been frequent guest at the hotel the past
two months, but who was no. then in town.
Thursday morning Marshal Andrews was
telephoned from the Falmouth that Prescott.
or bennett, was there. The Marshal went
over and found him talking at the en-
trance of the hotel. He arrested him and took
him to the station. Prescott was stripped, and
on his person was found the fatal shirt. the tag
bearing the ominous initials, G.J.W. He
also carried in one pocket the missing silver
flask belonging to Mr.. j. d. Baker. but the
letters A. ID. B. on the stopper had been filed
on In another pocket was found wallet
containing pawn ticket for three diamond
studs, paved at A. Troeder's 81 Eliot street,
Boston. Prescott admitted to the Marshal
that ne had pawned the studs, but the latter
could not understand how, If the studs we're
stolen last wesk, the pawn ticket should be
dated in July. This was afterwards explained
BY the fact that in July Prescott pawned his
eyercoat, and, it coming cool weather last
Sunday, and needing the coat he got the coat
out of pawn by giving the diamonds as secur-
ity, and the ticket for the diamonds was dated
the same as the other, so as to make the usual
four months time without break. On Pres
colts feet were Mr.. Swett's boots. but the
latter could not swear to them since the former
had cut the false lacings.
On the trial Prescott swore he got the shirt,
diamonds and flask from a man named Hart at
the Falmouth as security for So he lent Hart
Mr.. Motley, who appeared for the prisoner
made all he could Of the slender defence that
could be offered in his plea. Judge Gould
called the case remarkable larceny, inasmuch
as It evidently involved Burglary. He gave
Prescott four months on a charge OF larceny
from Inez Leavitt, two months on the charge
of larceny from G.. j. Wells, and bound him
over in $500 for his appearance at the January
term OF tho Superior Court for stealing the
diamonds. The cases were appealed, and
Prescott was ordered to give $1l00 bonds for
appealed cases.
Mics Sargents School.
The eighth wear of Miss Sarpant,s school apd