The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-13

day and Heard Stories of Highwaymen
and Tramps-Young Robert Anderson
Used n Ratchet to Good Purpose-How
Evaded the Gentry of the Road-The
Telegraph Road is a Highway for
Tramps.
Martins Point Bridge, the long pile
supported driveway which extends from
East Deering across the arm of the sea
to the Falmouth shore, is reviying it's
old reputation of being resort for I'M
desirable characters. 1t is very lonely
place, even by day. The Marine Hospital
is the only habitation near; and that is
too far from the bridge to afford any
protection to the wayfarer.
All summer there have been frequent
rumors that people have been held up on
the bridge. Not long ago young man
living in East Deering was brought home
with severe wound in his back, which
had been inflicted on the bridge. But
it was believed at the time that the
wound was the result of row, and not
of a highwayman's knife. Others have
reported encounters on this bridge with
mysterious men who acted like highway
men. Recently these rumors have taken
more definite and tangible shape, and
yesterday a reporter of the PRESS made
the tour of Falmouth for the purpose of
ascertaining the truth of these rumors.
The result of these investigations
shows that highwaymen have been fire.
quenting the bridge very recently, and
also that the people of Falmouth have
experienced for some time before that a
feeling of insecurity on account of the
number OF suspicious characters about.
Before detailing the reason for this
feeling of insecurity the specific instances
of attempted highway robbery which
have occurred recently, will be first in
order. They occurred quite early in the
evening of Tuesday of last week, and
have apparently remained SO long unre-
ported because of the natural disinclina-
tion of the interested parties to be
brought into publicity.
1.-The first team to be attacked contained
Mr.. Herbert Brooks of Falmouth Fore
side, land his daughter Mabel Mr..
Brooks, who drove quite spirited horse,
was returning home from Portland. 1t
was early in the evening but quite dark,
especially at the foot OF the hospital hill
and on the hither entrance of the bridge.
As they drove onto the bridge their
horse stopped and manifested evidences
Of great fright. Mr.. Brooks got out of
the sleigh to quiet the horse, but was
Immediately recalled by the startled ex-
clamation of his daughter.
"There is man by the bridge rail,
fatherl"
Mr.. Brooks jumped hastily into his
sleigh and put the whip onto his horse.
AS he did SO two men sprang for the
team.
But they were too late and their shout
to stop only FASTENED the speed of the
horse.
It seems that the highwaymen were
not discouraged by this failure. For soon
after, on the same evening Mr.. Albert
Waite, who works as a sailmaker in
Portland, and drives home to Falmouth
every evening came along in his team ac-
companied by Mr.. William Waite. On
this particular evening they had just
descended the slight hill and were
driving onto the bridge, when two men
appeared at their horses head, while one
of them shouted:
Stop until we get what you have!"
Mr.. Albert Waite was driving, and
happened to have.his whip in his hand.
He dashed his horse, and dashed by the
men with the plucky remark: ct guess I
won't give up as long as have a horse
ahead of me-"
These are the only cases that are entire
ly corroborated; but there seems to be
stopped on the bridge, and perhaps with
better success for the highwaymen. The
people of Falmouth report that on the
same evening the attempts were made on
Messrs. Brooks and Waite, more success
full raid was made on a teamster coming
towards this city. The story is that the
two highwaymen stopped the team and
took the transfers money, watch, jack
knife, cap and overcoat, leaving him to
get to the city as best he could in his
dismantled condition. The impression
in Falmouth seems to be that this I'M
fortunate man was one of II. Browns
teamsters, in Portland, but Mr.. Brown
told the PRESS last evening that he
thought this could not be SO, as the only
teamster he knew of being held up in
that region was Tony CULVER, who was
stopped some time ago.
The highwaymen are supposed to be
tramps. These gentry have been very
thick along the Foreside this fall, and
have given the residents there no little
trouble and alarm. The Foreside road is
the telegraph road from Portland east
ward and therefore the highway that
tramps are most likely to take. During
the fall they were very thick there, and
this winter few pass along every week.
1t was about Thanksgiving time that
their performances gave the most