Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-07-30

took up land there, hut soon passed from
III. earthly farm. There arr, learn.
many descendants of this old family,
respectfully ou the female side. AMI they
have generally rankrl a. among the flrst
families ~ Bethel.
The town ~ Bethel was In those days
noted for n. raising ~ valuable horscs.
~ which the llartleiis did much. II was
common for father. to give their sous q
Young colt io ralse Ia maturity. the colt
the procc~ls. lIorse dealers from
Massachusetts, or other distant points
came therr nearly every season to buy.
They would manage "a get some notice
ahead. which would much excite the
hOys who had mature colt to sell.
Ahout lsgl such q notice was received n
Bethel and vicinity; the boys and young
men wcrv wile awake and anxious for a
customer.-among them frr-born Bart
lett. The horse merchants sOon came on,
bought a large drove of horses aud lie
parted, without specifying the location
from which they came or the point at
which they intended io sell.
The Young men and hoys nov had
their coveted money. They soon formei
a syndicate, or combine. think ~ eight,
to 90 10 Portland, Ia dgurati,e sense Ia
seg the elephant, In which they succc-d-
c,l. but In a very different way from what
they anticipated. frrcbom Bartlett Nas
selected a. their leader. They had one
conveyance 60 which two horsrs were
attached. II Was arranged for .lN seats,
IN which the slN junior members of the
company rode. while Mr. Bartlett snd a
companion hy the name ~ fauum had
q siugls team that would seat two. They
reached my fathers Inn Va good season,
ani spent q iolly night. In the morning
they aid there Was no hurry, a. they
wishe.i to look the scenery over as thrN
vent along. and should go no farther
than GRAY 'orncr that dsy, 80 a. Co get
into Portland about noou ~ the third
dhy.
fh-ir plan wss carried out, and The
thiui day they entered Portland, and al
pat up Together, under the charge ~ Mt
Ririlett. They wrrc soOu On the strrrts
a. 81. the sighis. aud hogan a. .peni
money. ~ which thcy had quite a sur
plu.. In short tim. they we're all pat
tel on the shoulder by an officer ~ The
ourt. whittier they were al conducted
ani arrilgnri for passing counterfeit
money. The hoYs we're badly frightened.
hui Mr. Bartlett Kept coOl; he nskcd Tor
counsel. which Wasa sslgnssi thrm. They
we're al setrrhsi aud all their money
except a Vrry few dollars Wa prouounc-
"a counterfeit. Mr. Barilett'. lawyer ~
uur.t,-l the cuurt to put his client under
oath. which was done. When he gave
hi. nsmr the prosecuting attorney quiz
fcd him about n, saying u Nas an odd
name aud inilmiting that u was an alias
assumed to counterfeit under. Mr Hart
lett aid hls fathers name Was also odd.
bat there wsrr merchants la Portland
wht knew him we'll ,nd had dealt largely
With him. aui b. gave the names of y.
a l.. Dams. then the leading whole.alr
and retail grocer. ~ Portland. one ~
the. was called in. ani stated that he
knew pcrvgrinc Btrtleii ~ Bethel a. a
thrifty farmer. aud had dealt much With
him. and gave him . gOOd character, bat
be- did not know the Young man Who
claimed a. b. hls sou.
To- the boys the affair looked dark,
hut Mr. Rarticit told them be- Wa sure
he could fN matters. lie cOnsuliel With
the lawyer. then Wrutc two billet. aud
.cni uut messenger to deliver them,
who .oon returned with two men Who
reported a. the lawyer. Ihe.e men were
FTc.ma sous, such az Mr.. Bartlett had
Inquired for. lie Was pointed out Ia
them, aud after a few whispered words
they consulted the lawyer, Who ask~i
the court tO allow two ~ the prisoners
to be conducted hy the officers t0 a Ma
sonic hall near by, with the two men be
had sent for.
Thi. was granted. one went Tor the
TYLER ~ the lodge, the other kept with
the officer aud his men. They all met AZ
the lodge hall. where Mr.. Bartlett VA.
Invited Into an anterOom, the Tyler aud
officer guarding the door. In lees than
half an hour the two Masons aud Mr..
bartlett came out of the anterOOm. One
~ them was the Junior Deacon of that
Lodge, aud when they came out they
found awaiting them the senior Deacon
aud Master, Who had heard rumor of
what was going on. The Junior Deacon
reported that hc had thoroughly tested
one ~ the prisoners, aud was well sails-
fie,l that he had been duly initiated a. an
Entered Apprentice, passed to the degree
Of a Fellow Craft, and raised to the sub
lime degree of a Master Mason; and be-
ing within the cable tow of this lodge
aud needing assistance, u shold be grant
ell. lie stated that a. Mr. Bartlett had
given correctly all signs, tokens, grips
and passwords, and had repeated verba-
tim the obligation. ~ Mason, he wa.
i .a..ss.l...l Tor fIe
other brother a. member of the same
blazing star Lodge of iiumfoni'
Oxford County. TIL. was assented "a
by the senior Deacon aud the Master
aud they all returned 10 the court room
with the prisoners.
Their counsel now asked what bonds
would be required for these two; think
the reply was $4,000 each. Quite
number Of Mas0ns were then la the room
aud all who were Invited signed the
bond. heard u stated that II the sigma
turcs tO that bond had been appended Il
a bank note Il would have been good f0I
more than $4,000. Mr.. Bartlett aud hi'
chum were discharged from custody and
allowed Ia consult With the non-Masoni,
prisoners. Promising that they would
return Ia five days from Bethel, they
took what little good money there wa,
In the company tO pay bills, and started
back with their single team, and by fas'
travelling reached Bethel Ia les. thar
forty-eight hours. At Bethel council
was held aud a program agreed upon
which was that Pvegrine should TAX
a lively team Of two horses aud hi. son'l
chum, and that they should get the aiil
daylis of two traders taken before I've
Justices Of the peace In the vicinity, an'
that freeborn with light team shoul'
20 over Paris IIill to procure the sigma
ture aud seal of the court a. vouchers Z.
the signatures of the magistrates. Ihi
plan MAS carried out, and they reaches
Portland the third day Ia the evening.
The next morning the court was con
yened and the locked-up prisoners wer
brought In. Uncle Peregrine was pa
ON the witness stand and testified a. q
how the boys came by the money
Luther Dana was called In 10 identif.
this witness, which he did, and ,ouehe'
for his character. The affidavits wer'
then read. The bonds were cancelled
To the two Masons, and mol. pros. wa
entered a. TO the others. All were dis
charged and hurried 20 their homes.
Bethel and vicinity has ever since bee
Il A.. -. a.. f..sHaf eau uf effelf mnugN