The Portland daily press., 1891-12-05
Treasurer Str0ut Of Linn
ingtOn the Victim.
Some One Lies in Wait by
..y .sy His Barn Door, g o.e e,ssr, .@c'
fifa Ag1f esu.f
StrOut Knocked Insensible
$50 and Robbed.
Especial to the Press. l

BIDDEFoRD, December 4-The tewn
OF Limington in this county is agitated by
most daring and brutal highway robbery.
About 6 o'clock Wednesday evening Town
Treasurer Leonard ]. Strout was knocked
senseless at his own home anG robbed of
$3.50 In money. The robber made good his
escape.
The town of Limington is situated on
the Saco river, about twenty-five miles
from Portland. No railroad runs through
the town, but the Mountain Division of
the Maine Central runs through Baldwin,
the town next north, and the Portland &
Rochester through Hollis, the town next
south.
Town Treasurer Strout lives on what Is
called the Saco road, about eight miles
from steep Falls station on the Maine Gen.
trail and nine miles from Hollis Centre on
the Portland & Rochester. The locality
where Mr.. Strout lives is sparsely settled;
put ne mas one near neighbor. a nephew
named Hobson. who, with his wife, occu-
pies farm house across the road.
Mr. Stron's home Is a comfortable farm
house. lie Is himself a wealthy and much
respected farmer, prominent In the church,
a trustee OF Limington academy. and a
prominent leader In the Democratic party
of the town. He has not been town treas
urer long, this being his first or second
term.
The story Of the robbery is as follows:
About 6 O'Clock Wednesday night Mrs,
Hobson was over at her uncle's house. 1t
was dark and she had brought lantern
with with n her AS she started to return
take your lantern and feed the horses and
will walk back home with yOu.''
He took the lantern and started for his
barn, which is about ten rods from the
house on the same side Of the road. When
he did not return as expected, Mrs. Hob
son became nervous and sent the hired boy
out to look fol him. The boy found him
lying in the barn yard, near the small door
into the tfe-up, unconscious and groaning.
The boy fastened to the house and in
formed Mrs. Hobson, who at once sent for
her husband.
Mr.. Hobson came at once and Mr.. Strout
was taken into the house. Mr.. Hobson
then directed the boy to take the mare.
which was the. best of the two horses kept
by Mr.. Stront, and ride for DIR. John F.
M0ult0n. The boy went to the barn but
returned at once, saying that the mares
stall was empty. He was then directed to
take the other horse, which he did. He
found Ut. Moulton and returned. AS he
was putting the horse up, he found the
mare had returned to the barn and was
waiting to go into her stall.
This was all the family knew for some
time, for MIR. Strout continued to remain
unconscious for a long time. Thursday,
towards night, he revived a little, enough
to say that some one had struck him; and
yesterday he managed to give a discOn-
nected and incomplete description of what
befell him.
II seems that he had butchered some
time wednesday, and in cleaning up the
barn had left the barn door open Just wide
enough to let the hens In and out. When
n ne went to the barn that evening to feed
the horses he saw the door open cOnsidera-
bly, wider than he had left 1t. Previously
he had seen signs about his premises Ito in
dlcate that tramp might have been about
and when he observed the door he felt
some nervousness about entering the barn.
He stepped quickly to the stalls, fed the
horses and then started out, going across
the barn toOr, into the tie-up and out the
tie-ap door. AS he was coming out of the
barn his attention was attracted to an un-
usual flash of light on the barn yard fence.
ness. and he hastened his pace, fearing
danger from behind. But the danger
seems in reality TO have BEEN ahead
of him. For as he stepped out Of
the tie-up door he was struck blow. From
that time on he members nothing, although
he thinks he remembers getting himself to
there by his nephew. His condition is
not yet such as to describe definitely what
happened to him, even If ne knows.
The r0bber took a pocket book contain
ing about $3.50. 1t Is thought that the
mare was used by him in getting away,
for she was there when Mr.. Thompson fed
the horses, and missing when the hired
man wanted her to use in going after the
doctor.
The people of Limington are greatly ex-
cited over the affair and 1t is probable that
rev ard will be offered at once for the
detect ion of the robber. Mr.. Strout is
highly respected in the town, and has the
heartily sympathy Of all.