The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-10
BuRCLARIES IN MAINE.
A Town in Oxford County Under
Great Excitement.
Safe in the Office of the Harper Man
ufacturing Co. Blown Open.
An Important Arrest Made at Win
throp Yesterday.
Clues Which May Lead to the Break
ing Up of a Gang.
BuRcLARIES IN MAINE.
Especial to the Press. !


OXFORD, Aug. 9.-Welchville is enjoying a
great sensation. On Friday morning last
Superintendent Walker, of the Harper Man
ufacturing Company of that village, went to
the company's office at o'clock as usual to
open the counting room and start the mills.
The office is small one-storied structure,
and the mills are situated about hundred
feet distant.
When Mr.. Walker entered the office he
found that the room had been entered dur
ing the night, and the safe, which was one of
the small sizes, had been removed from the
building. There was no traces of it any
where. Mr.. Walker Immediately proceeded
to the mills to question the watchman but
that official had not seen or heard anybody
or any noise during the night. This seemed
strange, as there is an indicator. which the
watchman has to mark every hour.
Upon hearing the news the whole village
was quickly astir and on the search. In a
short time the safe was discovered lying by
the river bank, where it had been blown open
and the contents thoroughly overhauled.
The books and large number of checks
were found intact, the latter having been
filled out but were awaiting the signature of
the president, Mr.. HI. j. Libby of Portland.
A quantity of bonds which had been placed
in the safe for safe-keeping had been taken,
including one for $500 belonging to Mrs.
Walker and a sum of money the exact
amount of which is not known. The burglars
probably expected to secure the payroll,
amounting to several thousand dollars in
money, as the following day would be Sat-
urday, the pay y-day of the corporation.
1t is supposed that several persons must
have been concerned in the burglary as it
would require the services of several men to
carry off the safe, and it is thought that the
reason why the burglars were not heard by
the watchman was because one burglar kept
track of the watchman's movements and sig
nailed his pals, so that all was quiet when
the official was near.
Mr.. II. J. Libby was notified at once. The
firm of H. j. Libby & Co. are large owners
in the mills.
Especial to the Press.l
WINTHROP, Aug. 9.-Constable A. G. Carr
made good catch today Of thief who has
been the cause of considerable trouble in
this vicinity for several weeks. Two weeks
ago the post Office at East Winthrop was en-
tered and stamps, &C., stolen, and the same
night quantity of type was taken from the
Banner office. Last night the Banner Office
was again entered and as near as could be
estimated $50 worth of material stolen. Con-
stable Carr was informed in the morning
and he turned the case over to Sheriff Soule
of Gardiner, who was on his way to Marano-
~ 10 edo 70,
short time after and on his way overlook a
man who had bag under his arm which
seemed to be heavily loaded. He accosted
him but could get no satisfaction, so he
jumped from the wagon and inspected the
contents of the bag on his own hook. He
found the missing type there and arrested
the man and put him in the lookup here.
The man gave his name as Charles Davis
but letters were found on his person which
proved him to be ANGEL W. Wentworth of
Hiram. He afterwards owned that this was
his right name. A large amount of stamps
was found on his person and also several
letters and papers with the name Of Lincoln
E. Rogers, Bowdoin Centre, on them. Mr..
Rogers is postmaster at that place and the
office has been robbed, so the find may be an
important one Three watches and mass
of papers and documents of every descrip-
tion were taken from him and locked up.
Two checks for trunks which he said were
in Lewiston were found in his pocket-book,
and Mr. Carr took them and the keys to
Lewiston tonight where it is thought more
stolen property may be found. A blank
book which he had ON his person contained
time tables, distances, &C., of the railroads
in the State and a large amount of informa-
tion ingeniously arranged.