The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-25
A STRANGE CAREER.
How "a Young MAN From Portland BE
came a Burglar and was Finally
EnfraPpcd.

The criminal career of George Fl. Proctor,
who has been sentenced to solitary confDe-
ment for nine years and elk months at the Eas-
tern Penitentiary at Philadelphia, was an IN
tsresting and varied one, says the New York
Tribune. The crime Of which he was convict
cd vas the robbing OF the safe of the United
States Express Company, Susquehanna, Penu., :,
Of $4,000 on the night of June 90 1883. The
money was intended to pay the workmen in
the Erie Railroad shops, and did not reach
Susquehanna until midnight. It was sealed
pouch, and when it arrived was placed In the
express company's safe. In the morning the
money bad disappeared and bag similar to
the original one sent from the Marine Nation
al Bank of New York was found to contain
only packages of manila paper cut into the
shape of bank notes and strapped together.
The case was placed in the hands OF Pinker-
toms detectives, and after a year and half of
constant watching suspicion fell upon Proctor,
who was finally arrested by Detective Robert
Pinkerton. His conviction probably ends his
career, for other charges viii be pressed at the
expiration Of his present sentence.
Proctor was, in burglars parlance, a filter
one who secures impressions of keys to places
which it is planned to rob. The principal OBJ
stace to success is the difficulty in getting the
impressions. In the Susquehanna robbery
Proctor, who was a skilled machiniss, worked
over year in the Erie shops before he secured
duplicates to the keys of the express compa-
nys sale. His share OF the spoil amounted to
$4,000, and when he received it he buried it
in his garden, and for over year afterward he
remained steadily at work at his trade. He
then dug up his money and removed to Buffalo
where he opened accounts in three different
banks. He began speculating in oil through
vario1s brokers at Buffalo. He soon formed
an extensive acquaintance and in short time
was made member Of the City Club, one OF
the prominent clubs Of the city. His family
remained at Susquehanna and Proctor visited
visited them every Saturday. He pretended
that he had friend in the management of the
Standard Oil Company who gave him inside
information as to the movements of the oil
markets. He induced several Susquehanna
persons to join him in his speeulations. No
suspicion that he was connected with the ex-
press robbery had fallen on him at this
time.
Pinkerton's detectives. who had not relaxed
their watohfulness, heard of these speeul ations.
A detective was set to watch him at Buffalo
and it was soon discovered that he was in con-
nection with men in Canada, who were known
to b5 professional thieves. About the same
time his speculations proved M
lucky, and his ill-gotten wealth was swept
away. He was about putting into operation
plans for robbing the safes Of some of hia Buff
alo friends, which he had been concocting all
the time, when he was arrested by Mr.. Pink
efton. TO secure his two aoeomplices, who
were then IN Canada, a plan was arranged by
which Proctor was to dscoy them across the
border. Proctor broke faith, however, and
joined his friends in Canada. Soon after
ward Mr.. Pinkerton discovered that Proctor
had bean concerned in robbery near Quebec,
and Dy putting detsctiVe on his track on
this account he so frightened his fugitive
prisoner that he attempted to escape to Europe
by steamship from Portland. He had scarce.
ly crossed the line when Detective Pinkerton
again arrested him at Island Pond, whils
asleep ia car on the Grand Trunk Railway.
In tracing Proctor after suspicion fell on him,
thesdetectives discovered that he was net a
simple mechanic, bIt for years successful
burglar who was unknown to the police.
Proctor was born in this city, and, aftsr S
good education, he learned the machinist's
trade under his father, and in 1873 he had
been promoted TO be foreman in the Portland
Machine Works. He became addicted to
gambling, and in a short time lost his position
He had meanwhile formed the aeqlaintancs
Of several Eastern burglars, who easily per-
sUaded him to join them. He was successful
in his new trade until in the act Of robbing a
safe at Lowell, Mass, for which he was sem
fenced in February, 1877, to four years in the
Massachusetts State Prison at Oharlestown.
Well educated, an accomplished musician and
OF pleasant address, he soon was general fay-
orite with the prison officers. He was made
organist and finally was allowed unusual free
dom. 1t was not long before he had secured
duplicate keyt to tbs prison doors, and on the
night of September 80, 1878, he walked ont
with four friends whom he first mat in the
prison. From his,e escape to his latest arrest by
Detective PiDkerton his career was continu-
Gus succession OF burglaEies in the United
States and Canada.