Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-07-24
FACTS IN The CASE.
Who Il Was that Discovered Cilman's
KnaYery.


or less sensational statements regarding Il
the Journal reporter called Yesterday apoi
Hon. George f Macomber OF this city, wh,
has been more aetivel, engaged in tsrretia.
out the crime ,hsa say other person, and {,
whom is due the praise for So we'll conducte,
piece Of detective work No other persos
is in possession of SO many facts relsung I,
the matter, and We give below sienogrSph
ie report of Mr. Maeomhers statements
| Charles ). Gilman, East Corinth vas in,
sur,i in the Granite State Fire Insurance
| Co, through their agent, Mr.. Kicker of
Bangor. for $1,000, the policy being issued
on the frs, day of July. and the fire Occurring
| the tenth of the same month, the COMPANY
notified me 10 attend TO the adjustment of
| the same, and for that purpose went 10
Bangor on Monday the 18th, aud Tuesday
morning took team and drove up to East
Corinth aud found Gilman away ut his
fathers about Que mile ont Of the village
and while waiting for his return made a
| careful examination of the safe in the build
ing, which was occupied BY ps rhlbrick
and Gilman Jointly, ss drug and jewelry
store, and which was burned up on the
morning of the previous "Wednesday
found the safe was of the Masler msauiac.
fuIe, double toor, aud about IA feet high
and not far from the detection lock on the
| outside door found small hol. about
three eights of All inoh In diameter drilled
| through the outside door. and this door had
been taken OF from the safe and carried 10
Mr.. Hill's stable for safe keeping on ~
| moving the inside plate OF the door, which
easliy did With n screw driver. | found tina,
he a
piece of steel which worked the lock aud
II was, by the use of some lion tool,
that this piece of iron had been driven ou,
OF shape 50 that the lock worked all free
aud this piece of iron al the time OF nv es-
animation had been removed, AS | under
stood by Mr. llill and others for further ex.
animation by experts. | also AT this time
discovered that the inside steel door of the
safe, which had n Yale lock upon IL, was on.
t'Ieiy nnnjurcd, showing To my mind
that whoever robbed the safe had
no difficulty IN opening this door also as
crttalned that Gilman was Involved hnan-
cially and | came TO tho conclusion before
seeing him at all that one of the oc ,upants of
the building and who had the run of the
safe, could explain the robbery and in
ccndiarlsm. Gilman returned Just befor,
noon, and inquired of him minute.y ia ~.
gard to the FIRE anl he claimed he left the
store the night previous with Dr Philbrick
about ten o'clock. ani returned to his house
al went to bed. and was asleep at the time
when the alarm was given by the next neigh
Dor; That he then ran across the street to the
store ard into the back room where this safe
wns standing and the first discover he made
Was that the safe had been robbed AMI
claimed that some of the trays which hal
rn rt, 4
placed IN the safe the night b, fore were on
the floor, empty in front OF the safe. lie
also told me that he carried home all his
gold watches instead of leaving them In the
safe, and saw them in closet out of his
dining room. 90 making enquiry as to what
the safe contained he told ne that all his
silver watches and all the iewelry in the
store was in there and that he had 600 IN
money of his oen, and that Dr. Philbrick
the druggist had $3.50, | asked him where
he 40, the 5000 that he claimed 10 have IN the
.afc, and he said he had recently borrowed
$500 OF his fnther-in-iaw, and had used
sl0O to pay note short time before
and had losned the other 500 TO his
brother. who lived AT Exeter, about
tcn miles dishpt. and who returned ii
90 hm IN bills Of the same denomination Ia
fact the same bills that he rec, ived, and that
they were two 500 bids. This story seemed
improbable ~ well some others he had
told, SO aitr examining the good. which had
been saYcd from the fire ard then stored in
an unoccuWcd store building opposlte the
hotel | talk, With Mr. Gilman indicating
that underatood how the safe was drilled
and who st the FIRE. and after while he
waited 10 know If | could help him out Of
the scrape any. told him could not
ia. sh..t Z II l..
ment in any way or shape, but that the be, /
way for him TO do If he had got into \ scrape
was TO tell the whole story and do what he
could to convict amy other parties who might
be concerned in it. lie tbereupon gave me
a fun and explicit account Of his connection
win party of s1eak thieves ard butglar. ia
New York and told me Of the eo-respon-
derce he had had with them IN relation to the
robblng Of this safe and the burning Of the
store The confession was in substances NJ
follows: That about two years ago he re-
ceived .gttcr from a man In New York in
quirlng if he wanted Job, and he replied
asking whaL the work wBs, when they wr,'e
him that 1t was fitting skeleton kcys. Hc
declined at that time 20 have anvthing to do
with the business, and from that time on
down @ nearly the date Of the alleged rob.
hery he received W -iors letters from this
New Yp'k party urging him 10 90 into the
busiuess and make what money he coul1 out
Of it, and 40 pay his dfbts. aDd in August
ast the man himself came to Eq.'
| fcrinth while Gilman va. conf ned to biz
house by sickness, and bal long interviev
With bim. ella ming in the presence Of other
! parties ho happened to be in the room ai
/ the time. that ne vas there selling safe.
/ Gilman also claimed that he visited the lrng
s'nre and saw the doctor for the purpose of
| seiing him a safe or making an exchange
! for the one that vas drilled. ard by thi,
means learned Just what kind Of safe il
was. and told Gilman that he could open the
outside door by his drilling in fifteen min
| a;es but that The inside door must be lef
unlocked. Ia April or Hsy Gilman received
a letter from lin again urging lin to fDt
on, how much inoHey the doctor usually KEEP
in hs safe. aud TO fud gu, about other safe
ami The amcunt' % be obtained IN them il
the village. ard fifsily Gilman consented t.
20 into the jol, aHd was To receive one
quarter Of all they got out Of the safe aat
-haisver money he could get on the insnr
arce policy, ane AZ the sBgge.tion Of thf
N.w Ye'k parties be placed an insurance oi
1900 on hi. s;ook, not having formerly car
ned any iDsutsaee. A bout the last Of Jun.
hs received the last letter from New Yori
saying that t',4y bad appointments IN hi,
yicHit- for about the l0th Of July, and 70
lin to isass The inside door Of the safe un
booked on that night. which he did ~ith ths
rrfalt as all know. One Of the require
IN nts of the gang sss hist al! letters wbici
they arotc bilI,aD should be returned II
he mex letter after receiving ii. 10 tha
GimaD claimed that there was but on
letter from them 10 his possessiOn, which h
.rie1 10 sod in the hurry Of my leaving Their
TDesfiay forenoon. bu, did not succeed
After making his confession he seemed yer,
anxious to DO everything in his po~er u
secure the arrest and conviction Of the otbe
paries vho had led him into the trouble. an,
agreed 10 come % Bangor With his ~if
Wednesday D0raing and meet me at tn
Bangor House at noon, and vas ~ 10 viii
tim ~ Boston AID procure the assistance o
ore Of Pinksrton's detective. and do wha
re could 70 ran down the other parties II
The scrape, but az he did no, put In an ap
psarsBce Wednesdsy. and seeing an sccoun
10 the Commercial Of his attempt a, suicide
secured the services Of Detective Allen o
Bangor. and se drore to CorDth in tn
night and found Gilman in bed at his father
, ss bis folks claimed very insane and unfit 4