The Portland daily press., 1889-11-25
Wholesale Thieving at the Maine
General hospital.
The Thief Fills Closets and Boxes
With Booty.
ANS Fish That He Can Get into His
Net.

hospital bedding and supplies seemed to dis
| appear at much faster gait than would
reasonably be expected In the wear and tear
of such an institution. They didn't miss
| any special article but every week or so il
was noticeable that there was lack of
needed bedding, or bandages, or crockery, of
which it was supposed there had been an
abundance procured only little while pre-
yious. However as they did not see any
thing wrong going on. and as they had every
| confidence in all persons employed about the
buildings, they presumed that the goods had
been used up in the service of the wards, and
by private patients.
About week ago Superintendent Hunt
became satisfied ia his mind that there was
thieving, and thieving too on a large scale.
Therefore he made a statement to that effect
to Judge Webb. president of the hospital,
and the Judge on "Wednesday last put him.
self in communication with Marshal Green.
The Marshal heard all that DR.. Hunt had to
say and then proceeded quietly, to make a
little investigation about the building. In
conversation with Engineer Gray he learned
| that Edward M. Burrows, night nurse of the
hospital, went out of the building frequently
with packages, and that Gray had seen pack
ages about his room. Not only that but
| sometimes notice would be sent by Burrows
to the Gray stage to call at the hospital for
packages and boxes. This information set
the Marshal thinking. On Thursday night
he sent Officer Firth up to the hospital in
citizens clothes and that officer was an
nounced as new employee of the institu
tion.
Firth at once took in every point he could
get hold of. He watched Burrows eating
his supper, by climbing a step latter and
looking In window so as to know him, and
soun became satisfied that he was in the case,
whether there was any one else or not. 1t
was ascertained that Burrows didn't allow
his room to be open at any time. He always
kept the door locked even when he was in
side. and the KEY in his pocket. But Firth
saw some packages in the room the next
morning, and also hearing that Burrows In
tended leaving the hospital he arrested his
man aud took him to the station.
| After Burrows was arrested he was inter-
viewed by the Marshal and Deputy Merrill.
He was exceedingly non-committal and all
they could get out OF him for a long time
was the remark ooh my head" at the same
time putting his hand to his head as if suffer-
ing great pain. But when he was Informed
that it was known that he had room in the
city to which he had been carrying the plum
der he had taken, he owned up that he had
room on Washington street, that there was
trunk and two bundles there, and handed
the key over to the officers. The Marsh al
and Mr.. Merrill went to the house and on
opening the room they found a table in the
centre of the apartment covered with pack
ages. On opening the closet door Deputy
| Merrill stood aghast. The closet was packed
with goods of every description. There were
quilts, sheets, towels, napkins. dresses. all
sorts of stuff, all nicely folded, and packed
as compactly as possible These were all re-
moved safely to the Marshaps Office. Here
they were seen by the superintendent and
matron of the hospital and recognized as
goods stolen from the institution, only that
the marks "Maine General Hospital" had
been removed from each article. There
| were forty-three bundles and three trunks
| full of goods In all.
| Further questioning revealed the fact that
Burrows had sent trunk and case of goods
to his sister at Gray. So yesterday morning
the Marshal and Mr.. Merrill took the
Marshaps team. and Engineer Gray took an
express wagon. and the parties drove to
some distance beyond Gray Corner where
the sister lives. 1t was evident from their
conversation with the sister that she was
totally ignorant of her brothers ill do
ings. She stated that there were none
of his things at her house, but that If
they would call at friends at Gray Corner
they would find the property. They did so
and we're very politely received. The peo-
pie who lived in the house, on learning their
errand, took them up to the attic where
quite sight met their gaze. There was a
large trunk besides seven large wooden cas-
es crammed full of goods and with the COW
ers nailed on in real workmanlike STYLE The
people in the house said that these goods
were brought by the Gray stage. Burrows,
It seems, would get the boxes, take them to
his room at the hospital, fill them as fast as
he could and send them off. When the stock
of boxes gave out he carried the goods in
packages to his room on Washington street
in the city and filled the closet with packa-
ges. From thence the officers drove two
miles toward South Gray where they had
learned Burrows had house which he had
bought, located on hill. 1t was a very
l pE6tty, uoWly pdlutou StUTy duu u udlI al
fair, In complete repair and leased to the
party occupying it until April 2. 1890 when
Burrows intended to occupy it himself as he
had notified DR.. Hunt he should leave the
hospital shortly. Nothing was found In this
house and the officers returned to Portland,
the weight of the load in the Iexpress wagon
amounting to 900 pounds. The boxes or cas-
es, were about of size, three feet long and
10 inches wide and Is inches high. On ar
rival at the station the booty was deposited
in the old billiard room, where 1t will be oy-
erhauled tomorrow.
1t seems incredulous that such systematic
wholesale thieving could have gone on from
public institution for so long time. The
value of the property taken it is impossible
to estimate. 1t is all of the best quality and
includes clothing and crockery besides the
articles we have mentioned. Burrowes is
young man, but 20 years of age. he has had
the full confidence Of every one connected
with the hospital. manner was pleasing
and he was considered attentive to his du-
ties. As has been said he had given notice
Of his intention to leave the institution short
ly and 1t is thought he then proposed to
make use of the stuff he had stolen. At first
1t was suspected that he had a store at Gray
where he sold his plumber In small quanti-
ties at time, but the officers cannot find any
proof of such proceeding on his part as
yet At present Burrows languishes in jail
and will be brought before the Municipal
Court this morning. Whether he intends to
to make insanity plea remains to be seen,
but 1t would not be strange if he did, for it
will be remembered that he complained Of
his head as soon as he was arrested.
We think great praise should be given
Marshal Green, Messrs. Merrill and Firth
for their work in this case. Within two days
from the time the complaint was made the
guilty party was arrested and had confessed
his guilt, and within five days all the booty
had been recovered. This is not the first
good thing Marshal Green has managed
within week; the arrest of the servant girl
Feeney and the exposure of the Maxwell
gambling business with MaxwelPs arrest,
together with the arrest of the policy play