The Somerset reporter., 1886-08-25
SELECTED.
LII M Der THIEVES.
Lively Adventure in the History of
Eastern Maine.

/ served us Land Agent of Maine. now lives
! in linncus, on one of the finest farms in
AroOStook County. He recently gave the
| following narration of bold and sue
ccssful raid, in which he participated, i'm
the stirring times juNt previous to the
"ArooStOok war. when there was 50
much trouble with timber trespas>ers
who came across the border from New
I Brunswick
during the administration of Daniel
Rose as Land Agent of Maine. trcspa>sing
on the public lands ON the eastern border
of the State had become 50 frequent that
il was deemed necessary to appoint some
competent person rs Assistant Land
Agent, whose especial duty ii should be
to guard and protect the public lands in
the eastern section OF the State, and ac-
cordngly Col. Moses Bmlcigh. of Lime
| rs, my father, was appointed to ihat
/ Office, and was especially instructed to ar
rest all persons found trcspasNing on the
public lands and also to seize all teams
and property used in committing such
treSpasSes. Col. Burlci@h was an cnrr-
| gctic man. of unblemishcd character, and
peculiarly we'll qualified for the duties of
| the Office to which he had been appointed
| lie had represented his district Palermo
and Dresden i'm the Massachusetts LegiS-
| lalure, and three years in the LEGISLATURE
of Maine. WIS n member of the conNcn-
ton held in Brunswick in the year lslG.
to form Il State constitution in anticipa-
tion Of separation of the District Of
Maine from the Commonwealth of Mass
achu>ctts, and was captain of Il company
of militia. and WaS called into service in
war of lSl2.
My father was Immediately qualified
and entered on the duties of his office.
and in the month of February. s33,
found that II gang Of lunbcrmcu from
the Province of New Brunswick were en-
gagged in cutting and removing valuable
pine timber from Township No. 10. Range
/. south, and near the Monument at the
source of the river ST CroiN. This town
ship is bounded ON the east hy said river,
and has since been incorporated into a
town lay the name of Anity.
." hrsc plundcrcrS had the audacity
and holiness To cross The st. CroiN river
aud build their camp ON the American
side of the line, and procured the water
To supply their camp from the river The
Assistant Land Agent therefore, in pur
suancc of his Instructions Immediately
started with Elcazar Packard Esq, of
IIoulton, deputy sheriff, and po>>c of
armed men. who were all supplied with
ralionS, and each man with pair of
snow-shoeS. The men moved cautious y
until they arrived within sound of the
woodman's axe. when Il halt was ordered
and the Assistant Land Agent and Sheriff
and myself went to the front to rcconnoi-
ter and ascertain the position of the tres
paSSrrS, and crossed the ST trOiN river
into the Province. and found that the tres
paNserS were cutting the lumber and maui
ln% II on single mann road across the
81 CroIN river I" Eel rivera distance oil
about Tour mites; mat durlh@ the DAY
some Oh me men ana horses were cohtln-
uallN III inc PROVINCE, where the Shtrll
had no authority 10 arrest iheh' ana II
was desirable To make an example ol
these men by afreNllh@ lhc 'hilre Gan@,
1t was decided TO return I" the settlement,
about TWO mics INSTANT ailu start ihe
s., ~ 49,, % IN
e'''A ~ Nv. ''o' IN 49, CIV 49,
"a ,'e ,,ai.;.,, ,n,,ar
LII, ,,,,. ,,''i,' 49, IT ',T ~,
M. va, =, ', t,,n,,I -, ,,iI
,''I p, y, ,,o Gry
- ''i, ~ man, ...
nl,cpd n The crossing of The road. with
no,ifiye orders ia lei no one PASS them;
the officers then proceeded to the camp.
and auictly placed the remainder of the
armed men in front of the camp door To
nrcveut the exit or cecapr of any person
| from the caup
The Assistant Land AGENT the Sheriff
and myself. were then admitted to the
camp when the foreman was informed
| that the sheriff had come To arrest him
and all of his men. fourteen in number.
for trrSpaS~ on the public lands of the
| State of Maine. and while this conycrsa-
lion was noinp on. n rcd-hcaacd deter
mined looking fellow took down a mu>-
| kct that was hanging on some wooden
| hooks. and very deliberately. with def
ant look. commenced loadingi il with pow
der and ball. and without doubt wa,
wondering why the officers were not lis
concerted or disturbed bv his dcmonStra-
ton.
vail. t1,..c tl,in,,. .,,-,.,,,. ,,,ino, an thp
cook who was an Iri.bman. #onencd The
rornn door and ,rrino thr armed men in
front Immediately sprauu back. shouting