The Portland daily press., 1893-11-29

A Portland Mans Exciting Experience
Last Evening-A Burglar in the Office
of Southworth Brothers, Printers, Was
at Work on the Safe when One of the
Firm, Accompanied by His Wife,
Walked In.
Last evening one of the members of
the firm of Southworth Brothers. printers
and machinists, accompanied by his
wife, went into the firms building at los
Middle street. Mr.. Southworth had been
to the post Office to mail some letters
and finding that he had no stamps with
him, went to the building to procure
them. He noticed as he unlocked the
counting room door stool standing in
front OF it, but pushed it aside without
thinking that man might have stood on
1t in order to crawl through the tran
som. Mr.. Southworth pushed the door
open, holding lighted match in his
hand. AS the door swung back. he felt
another PERSONS hand touch his and the
light was extinguished. Mr.. Southworth
was naturally startled, but he pluckily
held his ground. lit another match and
then lighted the gas. Then he found
that the person in the room was a Young
man who had evidently tried to hide be-
hlnd the door when it was opened, and
hndlng that he could not do that had
put out the match hoping, perhaps, to
escape in the darkness. The young man
Gid not offer any very vigorous resistance
and was kept.a prisoner by Mr.. South-
worth while his brother was summoned
by Mrs. Southworth. Then
the police were notified and
the burglar was taken to the station
There he was recognized as young man
to whom the Messrs. Southworth had ra-
Gently given several days employment
lie says his name is Fred Wiggin, and
that he belongs in Sanford. He is an.
parently about % years DID, and accord
ing to his own story he has lived in the
West. His residence for the next few
years is likely to be behind bars down
East, for when Deputy Marshal Sterling
made an examination of the Southworth
building it was found that young Mr..
Wiggin had made considerable progress
N an effort to open the safe. He had en-
tered the building by breaking a window
presumably with small stone dropped
on the stairs after his capture, reaching
through the broken pane and turning the
catch. Then from the basement he had
taken large wrench, a monkey wrench
small saw such as is used for cutt;nu
metal and steel awl. These tools were
found on the floor in front of the safe.
except the monkey wrench, which was
behind the door. The nuts had been re-
moved from the top and bottom of the
hinges on the safe door, and the handle
had been bent, but the combination lock
had not been tempered with. 1t is Den
uty Ster1ing's belief that Wiggin, hold
ing the monkey wrench in his hand, had
placed himself close to the door when he
heard Mr.. Southworth enter the build
ing, intending to make dash for liberty
using the wrench as weapon if necessa-
ry. But as Mr.. and Mrs. Southworth
came up stairs, Wiggin discovered that
there were two persons, and not knowing
one was woman, lacked the courage to
carry out his plan. Why he took the
trouble to put out the match is not clear.
but he evidently did uot dare to assault
Mr.. Southworth while another person.
whom he supposed was a man, was out
side. While waiting for the patrol wag-
on, Wiggin attempted to break away and
run, but was unsuccessful. At the police
station he was searched, but no stolen
property or tools were found on him, at
which he remarked, 'You didn't get
anything on me, did you.'
iu;r O.,