Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-11-01
OUT OF JAIL
OUT OF JAIL
Only to Step Into The Arms of
the Sheriff.
Alfred Hurd of Harmony, To Stand
Trial On Indictments of 1886,
For Arson--just Out from Seven Years Sen.
tence at rhomaston.

SKowaEGAx, oct. 3i.-{spsciai- The
readers of the 10, gsAL will remember the
fall of 81; v ben the. little town OF Harmony
va. in an intense state of excitement, when
the ..sizeu. Of that town rose up in arms
in the protection of their home, when the
creates, CONSERVATION prevailed by reason
of the burning of several residences.
Armed men guarded every house in town
and tbs. approaches to the town but still the
work Of the incendary or incendlaries con-
timed until within the period of very few
,tavs. Several stands OF buildings had been
burned to the ground. Ii was not alone at
night. but IN the broad light of day that the
buildings we're burned.
I'm nnick succession were destroyed the
homes of Charles \. Laughton, Abel Frost,
Alvin Booker, Ira Hurd and Charles
Brown. That the fires were of incendiary
origin there was no doubt in the minds of
the people :,
A. before stated, armed men patrolleii
the highways and surrounded pieces of
goods in V mich it was suspected an organ
ized gang of fire bugs had sought hiding
place. When John Dore, just over the
tawn line in Wellington, and John foss
and John Mclaughlin of Harmony lost
theIr homes and hben Nutter a barn. the
people became Wild
The Governor was asked for troops,
qnar,is were doubled and it was almost AS
much AZ a mans life was worth to be found
around IN that section without a reasonable
excuse. The militia was not ordered out
bnt volunteers from the Dexter and Skow-
brvan companies went out to the terror
stricken town to find that riah Trip and
Frank Uurd were numbered among the
LOSERS by the fire iicnd.
tue day while a funeral was in progress
at one house suddenly was discovered,
ascending toward the heavens, the smoke
of three fires in different parts of the town.
! The mourners alone remained to bury the
dead for the rest sclrried away to the scene
of coniiagration with all dispatch possible,
yowing to shoot the firebug on sight If he
should b. discovered. One well-to-do
+ townstuar moved his safe and household
| goods out door. and for days the safe stood
on the piazza.
! Detectives from all parts of Maine ard
/ New England were there trying to get a
/ clue to the perpetrator of the fearful crime.
/ When the homes of Silas Whtehouse and
/ Frank Luce had gone up i'll smoke the
upople were mad with the frenzy of excite
ment.
Every stranger in town was made to give
strict account of himself, suspicious par
ties were arrested. and it was bad time to
90 visiting in that town unless one was well
known Everybody laid awake nights I'M
agning iirebugs were approaching this
house or that. some dark object was con
stantly being fired at, and 1t was miracle
that no ore was killed in the indiscrlmnate
use of firearms.
Detective Ira NJ, True of llallowell was
at work ald at last succeeded in fastening
suspicion on one Alfred Hurd, a young fel-
low who llved in the town. Detective
rrues catch proved to be the right one, for
( deputy Sheriff Mitchell succeeded in get
ting IA confession out of Ilurd. during the
time the latter was in Jail waiting trial.
Young Iiurd confessed to burning the
buildings Or Frost and Laughton but would
not admit being the author of the other
fires. He WAS indicted for burn
ing Frost's and laughtons build
ings and upon being arraigned
he pleaded gully and was sentenced on one
Indictment to a term of seven years in State
prison at TEomaston. Through good be-
hayior his term in prison has been reduced
about one year and he will be discharged
from that institution this morning.
Deputy Sheriff Mitchell is in Thomaston
to take iIurd into custody and bring him to
Somerset county to be tried on the other in
dictment.