Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-09-05
HI pIDn-r srrn.


One Of the Oldest and best known residents
OF the little town Of Riverside, some seven
miles above ", recently came near being the
victim Of couple Of bsnes stsssess, Who
we're PLAYING for gase il thss vieinisy. bus
Who we're bsfsiei in their sssrmps by one Of
New Engiands shsevd Yankees.
Two weeks ago fine single turnout, pre-
sided over by . smart looking gentleman.
drove up 70 the store Of @. L. Ran ialI, Ed.
In the sbove linle town The sensiemaa en-
tered the store aad introduced himself q
John Badger, and said that he vss an in
'uranee agent and began asking Mr.. Randall
several questioos about some Of that towns
Oldest residents. stating that be- VS. anxioss
10 issue policies to them.
He also Questioned Mr. Randall pretty
closely In regard to his osn property anairs,
and being very inquisisive rather aroused
that sentieman's sSspieioas. He finally de-
parted and va NOS again seen until last
Monday night. when he drove up to Mr..
Rsndall's place Of business and stated to that
gentleman that be vas anxious 70 purchase
farm for . widow lady in Augusta named
Mitchell, who hsd svo sons and that they
wished 70 move there. Mr.. Randall told him
Of good farm. where il vas located, and the
gentleman called Badger drove OF. Tues
dav mar MING he ~osi. d,ova ~. - ~. 49,.
and told Mr.. Randall that he didn't quite
understand about the farm, and asked him
II he would ride down with him. which he
did. On arriving 1t the farm alluded to Mr..
Randall explained It's good qualities to him,
and was anxious To go up to the buildings
and show him around, The fellow vas
very nervous and seemed anxious TO drive
on before he had hardly reached the place
ON the drive back to Mr. Randall's store,
when the team was crossing what 10 called
the seven brook fellow emerged
from = clump Of bushes and wanted To see
the gentlemen in the team. He was sstired
in = skull cap and a long linen duster which
came nearly to his feet. and began to talk
very strangely and acted very much like .
lunstic. lie said that he WAS robbed in Ken
tncky recently that he lived in Kentucky,
and had plenty OF money and was trying to
find his sister Becky" The gentlemen,
Badger, In the team asked him how he was
robbed and the fellow proceeded to illustrate
Drawing from his pocket four cards. which
are so well known to monte men, he came
up to the carriage and laying the cards on
ia iger's knee. told him to pick out the card
with the three spots on it, which he did
Nov. I've lost q thousand dollars"
exclaimed the kentuckian. "but
I've got some toad skins in my
pocket, and III pay it," Drawing
from his duster pocket three packages Of
bills. which were marked, 81, 800"
"s3 900" and "S5 900" respectively, he
counted out thousand dollars in gree blacks
and handed to Badger The Kentucky
sharper then wanted Mr. Randall to try his
hani and bet on the card. which that gentle
man refused to 10, saying that he had no
money with him. Mr. Badger kindly offered
to drive down to Augusta, and suggested to
Mr.. Randall that he go there, draw some
money from the bank, and come back and
bet on the cards.
But Mr. Randall fatty refused to have
anything to do with the cards, money or
Badger, and told Badger that he wanted him
n drive the team back to Riverside at once,
which that gentlemen quickly did. Tuesday
noon Detective True happened to stop in
Riverside and took dinner with Mr.. Randall,
who told him the facts Of the case. Mr.
True at once started for Augusta where he
learned that the fellows had got their team
which they had in Riverside at the Cony
Bros. stable, that they had returned it but |
short time before, and had since left the city |
Badger answers to the following descrip- |
ton: Between thirty five and forty years Of |
age weight 100 pounds; medium height; |
full face with Burnside whiskers, and mus
tAche.
Mr.. Randall has been trader in River
side for twenty mine years, is the present
postmaster, and one Of the best known and |
respected citizens in kenuebec county. He |
10 Yankee of the Josh Whitcomb stock,
and to use a common expression, there are
no flies on him."