The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-01
WESTBROOK EXCITED.
A Serious Assault On a Daughter
Of MIR. Woodbury. K. Dana.
MILTON WORTHLEY WANTED TO
CARRY HER OFF TO SEA.

| The Assailant Drew a Revolver-The
Young Woman Imprisoned Three Hours
-She Escaped by Her Goodness and
Courage.
A bold attempt to kidnap Miss Louise
Dana, daughter of Mr.. Woodbury. K.
Dana, of Wesubrook, excited the people
| OF that city greatly Monday evening.
The particulars of the affair are these:
For four or five years a young man
| named Milton Worthiey, now aged about
% years, has lived about Westborok. He
was employed for some time in the mill
OF the Haskell Silk company, and also
acted as janitor Of the Congregational
church. He came from Brunswick where
his parents still reside. They are in every
way estimabie people, and SO are their
other children. Milton Worthley, him
self, has always been considered good
boy, although. some have thought him a
crank" At one time inventions were his
speciality, and he spent much time while
employed at the silk mills in devising
ingenious wheels and pulleys, which he
used for Tightening labor in the mill. He
has not worked in the silk mill for
several months. His services as janitor
of the church were also discontinued
some time ago. But it is reported that
he has been prowling about Westbrook::in
strange way, more OF less lately. One
night one of the mill watchmen saw a
strange acting man enter the Congrega-
itonal church about midnight He fol-
lowed him and found that be was
Worthley.
Some time.ago Worthley conceived a
great partiality to Miss Louise Dana,
daughter of Mr.. Woodbury. K. Dana,
owner of the Banner mills Miss Dana
is member of the Congregational
church, and active in religious work. In
many ways Worthley paid her attention,
and persisted in SO doing in spite of the
the fact that he received no encourage
ment whatever. Finally Miss Dana was
obliged to give him to understand plain
~ that there could be no acquaintance
between them. This occurred some time
last April or May. Miss Dana dismissed
the matter entirely from her mind.
Worthley was regarded as well mean
ing young man, inclined to be a harm
less crank, rather to be pitied than
blamed; and whose attentions were en-
barrassing but not serious.
The occurrence of Monday evening
shows that Worthley was more than a
harmless "crank"; that he was a . crankn
of romantic disposition, capable of
planning one of the widest and most
sensational undertakings that was ever
conceived in this region. AS nea- as can
be gathered from what fragmentary facts
of his proceedings have been learned, he
planned nothing less than to kidnap the
young lady with whom he was infa-
tuated, take her to Portland harbor and
then in boat which he has built over
into a yacht, and in which he has lived
the last summer, sail away with her like
a bold buccanneer of the Spanish Main.
During the past summer he has COM
pleted this ten OF twenty ton boat, and
Westbrook people say that he has OBJ
scurely limited several times that he in
tended to carry: some one off in it.
Nothing was thought of this, however.
until Mondays developments. These
were of such a nature as to give color to
the theory of forcible abduction.
About half past five o'clock Monday
evening, Miss Dana left her fathers
office at the Banner mills and started for
her home, which is on Mechanic street.
about a quarter of mile from the
office. On her way was the large build
ing known as the Quimby Shoe Factory.
1t is not now running and the premises
are now deserted. They..were, also, at
that hour, dark. The door from the
basement opens upon Mechanic street.
That basement, like the rest of the build
ing, is unoccupied, and was both dark
and cold. Miss Dana did not notice, as
she went along, that the door of this
basement was open. The first surprise
she had was when a man suddenly
stepped up to her. She Immediately
recognized him as Worthley, but before
she could divine or suspect what his
presence meant, he picked her up, and
with a threat to kill her if she made any
cutlery, dashed into tho basement with
her. She is slight and he is a strong
man, SO it was an easy task for him to
seize her as he did. As soon as he had
carried her in he closed the door, and
then began a most remarkable interview.
Worthley offered the young lady no
violence. His position was that of re-
jected lover who was determined to tell
to her his sentiments and then induce
her, by means of the display of loaded
revolver to agree to flee with him, pre-
sumably to the ten ton boat, and in that
to the stormy main The whole perform
ance was that of lunatic. He would
frequently draw the revolver, excitedly
explain to her that there were five shots
in it, and then threaten to shoot her if
She would not go with him.
OF course Miss Dana was terribly
frightened, but she realized that if she
gave way to her fears she would be more
in the power of Worthley than ever.
She managed to preserve calm exterior
and to try and reason with the youno