The Portland daily press., 1893-11-08
OLIVER KNEELAND.
He Was Arrested Yesterday for the
Staples Robbery.
SEQUEL OF A BOLD AND DARING
CRIME.
Kneeland Has Lived in HoIlis-He Stoutly
Maintains His Innocence-Oficer Firth
With Deputy Sheriff Goldthwaite, of
Biddeford, Makes the Arrest.

Maintains Ills Innocence-O Officer Firth
Biddeford, Makes the Arrest.
A very important arrest was made
yesterday afternoon at South WATERFORD,
by Police Officer Willard F. Firth, of this
city, assisted by Deputy Sheriff Goldth-
waite of Biddeford. The man arrested
was Oliver Kneeland. and it is alleged
that he was connected with the famous
Staples robbery. The circumstances of
that robbery will be recalled readily.
Three brothers, Henry H., Humphrey and
Nathaniel Staples, all of them advanced
in years, live in the town of Limerick, in
York county. about two and half miles
from Limington village, just off the
main road from Limington to Limerick
Their farm is on portion of land set off
from Limington to Limerick about
twenty years ago. The Staples brothers
have been farmers all their lives. Several
years ago Humphrey sold out his share
of the farm to the brothers, but con-
tinued to live with them. They have all
their lives been Industrious and their in
come has always been larger than the
outgo. This financial condition pro-
longed for forty years, is supposed to
have made them very wealthy. Just how
much they were worth no one knows.
They We're very peculiar about money
matters. No money of theirs went to
any such risky institutions as bank. A
little black strong box, which they have
kept in a bedroom, never visited by any
one but themselves, was the repository of
the gold silver and.bills, which they had
saved. Few people knew Of the existence
of this black trunk, and fewer still had
any idea Of the amount of money which
it contained. 1t is by no means certain
that the brothers themselves knew how
much money they had. At any rate they
have not been able to fix accurately their
loss, which has been estimated from $4,000
to S10 goo.
1t was on the evening of Septem Der
18TH, that the house was entered and the
little black trunk rifed Henry Staples
was at that time sick in one room of the
house, while the other two brothers were
at the barn milking
No clue was at once apparent beyond
the evident fact that the burglar or bur-
glars were acquainted with the premises.
The clues which led up to yesterdays
arrest are not public. Oliver Kneeland
is man over forty years old, who has
recently moved with his wife to South
WATERFORD. There are no other members
of his family, an only daughter having
died some time ago. Before going to
South WATERFORD he lived at Hollis Cen
tire, and before that at Moderation and
4sridgton. He was living at Hollis Centre
at the time of the robbery. The home of
the Staples brothers is about twelve
miles from Kneeland's home at that
time.
Kneeland is man short in stature and
without any regular occupation. He has
been in the habit of ranging about a
great deal ON foot in the region around
his home and it has been one of his
peculiarities that he has generally done
the ranging by night.
AS soon as arrested Officer Firth took
his man before Trial Justice Moses A.
Drew of Alfred, where Kneeland waived
examination and was bound over in the
sum of $4,000 to the January term of the
Supreme court at Saco. In default of
bal he was committed to Alfret. Jail,
Kneeland stoutly asserted his innocence
of the robbery.