The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-05
THE POST OFFICE ROBBERS
Are Tried and Found Guilty in the United
States Court.


The trial of James Lamb, James Coleman
and John Powers, the alleged Baringspost
once robbers, was begun before Judge Put
nam in the United States court yester-
day morning. William H. Looney. Esq. ZAP
peared for the prisoners and Col. Bradbury
for the government he Indictment charged
the prisoners with breaking land entering
the post office at Barring during sthe. night
of August 9th last. The prisoners chad
pleaded guilty Ito another break but denied
any..knowIedge of this affair. Eight wines
SEES were sworn and a varied assortment
of drills. powder, revolvers, etc., was shown
to the jury.
Col. Bradbury said that he would show to
the jury that. the rear doorsto the post office
had been forced.a hole bored down through
the top of tn safe and the door was blown
off. A large quantity of postage stamps
and about $40 in bills were taken. Stamps
drills, etc. were found onsthc prisoners and
Postmaster Granville Chase identified the
stamps as the ones taken from his safe.
Some of the stamps were defaced and he
could positively identify the postage due
.tamps'' which had been in the office for
four years, he having never sold any.ssWhen
cross examined by Mr.. Looney the postmas-
ter could not positively swear that the
stamps exhibited in court were the ones
stolen from him.He knew the due" stamps
that he had were faded and worn the same
as those found on the prisoner.
Sheriff Arey G. White of Washington
county who arrested the prisoners said that
the burglary took place. the night follow
ing the Danforth burglary. Mr.. White
learned that three strange men had been
seen on the road leading towards, Bancroft.
He found the three men in farm house.
Some of, the stamps were in corner of the
room where the .men were eating supper.
After arresting the men Mr.. White with
his assistants took them to hotel in DAN
forth. He said he took about $780, ON the
men while Mr.. Looney charges that $552
was taken from the men. The men asked
the sheriff to count it and he refused. He
did not count it until two days later. While
in Danforth he said he drank in the bar
room in the hotel.
Mr.. Looney upon his cross examination
proceeded to make the sheriff feel uncom-
Portable.
''You say you are the high sheriff of
Washington countyY' asked Mr.. Looney.
II am,'' replied White.
''And Danforth is in Washington county,
1T isl
''And yet you an. officer to enforce the
law went into that bar room and drank
liquor?''
81 didn't drink liquor"
ssOhl You didn't? What did you drink?''
II drank beer,'' said the sheriff.
swell wasn't that liquor2'' rs
'sThat will do Mr.. Looney,n interposed
Judge Putnam and the witness stepped
down.
The Lee brothers who aided in the capt
ure said that they took no money from the
prisoners.
Ellis McAllister of Orient. testified that
he passed the prisoners on the road about
ten miles from Danforth.sThey were travel
ling together.
James Hamel of Brooklyn, which is situa-
ted on the way from Barring to Danforth.
saw the prisoners on the morning of August
30th. They pure hased breakfast at his house.
They asked him if the Eaton and Dan forth
mills were running. Hamel asked them if
they were looking for work. They replied
eyasively that they were going to Danforth.
Clerk Davis was called and testified that
on October Sd these prisoners pleaded gull
ty to breaking and entering tie Danforth
post Office August 30th.
The government rested here and Mr..
Looney addressed the jury. He said that
at his suggestion the prisoners pleaded
guilty to the Danforth burglary and he
asked the jury to give the prisoners the
benefit of any reasonable doubt. He thought
the governments case rested upon the
identity of the stamps.
Postmaster Chase said Mr.. Looney,
"swore that he could not positively identify
the stamps
Col. Bradbury briefly rehearsed the evil
dence and the case was given to the jury in
the afternoon.
The jury found the prisoners guilty.
Postmaster Berry of Danforth, has at
tached the money belonging to the burg
lars to satisfy claim for damages done
to his store.