The Portland daily press., 1895-08-08
THAT ANDOVER FORGER.
More Facts In Regard to His SkiIlful
Rascality.
Aud Sheriff Porter's skillfnl Can+,rs-He
Picked Out the Right Man Because
Bigelow Couldn't Meet His Eye.

And Sherltf Porter's SIlillful Capture-He
Picked Out the Right Man Because
Bigelow Couldn't Meet His Eye.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l
Rumford Falls, Aug. 6.-The capture
of the forger Bigelow by Sheriff L. A.
Porter last Saturday, as mentioned in
Tuesdays PRESS, was such clever
piece of work and the criminal was such
clever rascal that further facts in re-
gard to it are of interest.
1t seems that this Arthur H. Bigelow
IS young man, who says that he is "a
years of age and that his home is in
Methuen, Mass. The woman who was
with him told Sheriff Potter that she was
| Il ears of age, that her home was in
| Methuen, but that she ran away from
home when 16 years of age, because her
parents kept her in evenings. She hadn't
been home since. Whether she and Bige-
low were married or not isn't clear.
Sheriff Porter is inclined to think not
AT all events about two weeks ago they
came from Boston to Andover, where the
woman had an uncle whose name is
Olney Burgess, and who is much re-
pected citizen. The woman said her
name was Mary H. Burgess. They went
to the house of her uncle, where they
stayed nearly two weeks 1t was last
Friday that BigeloW began to get in his
work. He had made himself we'll ac-
quainted in the town, and the fact that
his supposed wife was the niece of q re-
| spected citizen helped him in his evil de-
sign. He had planned to execute the
forgery before coming from Boston, be-
cause when in that city he mailed the fol-
lowing letter addressed to himself in An
dover
"Boston, July 23d
| Friend Bigelow Enclosed please find
check for two weeks salary, and hope you
are enjoying yourself. expect you will
have to be in Boston in the course of
Weerrkor two at the least.
Yours truly
JULIUS DAY.
| Armed with this letter and with the
forged check for $50 on a Providencs
bank, Bigelow Went to Mr.. Barnes's
store and bought 100 Blackstone cigar.
for 81. so, offering in payment the check.
Mr.. Barnes took it and gave him back
the change.
Sheriff Porter has discovered among
Bigelow's papers real signature of one
Julius 6. Day. who is treasurer of the
Whitlock Machine Company, of Connec-
ticut Bigelow evidently had it to copy
from.
The next day, last Saturday, Bigelow
passed the second worthless check on Mr.
Melcher, another merchant In Andoyer.
He made out this check for $50 on the
Blackstone National Bank of Boston. He
purchased of Mr.. Melcher fishing rod
and a book of flies to the value of S16 and
gave the check in payment, receiving
back the change.
Then he and the woman took the stage
for Rumford Falls, where they arrived
at about noon, Mr. Melcher soon began to
to get nervous about the check and tele-
graphed to the bank in Boston. He
found that Bigelow had no money there.
He Immediately telegraphed to Rumford
Falls to Sheriff Porter too hold BigeloW.
He spoke of it to his neighbor Barnes and
then learned for the first time that the
latter had been cheated in the same way.
Luckily Sheriff Porter was at the
station saying goodby to friends when
the telegram reached him. 1t gave no
description whatever, of the man wanted
but he jumped on the train. There were
It's passengers. The sheriff took the only
chance, rather desperate one, that OF
trying to find his man by the appearance
of his countenanoe. He went along the
aisle, carefully scanning the faces of the
passengers and he soon noticed a young
man ana woman.
The former was looking down and
about him and the Sheriff could not
catch his eye. He made up his mind that
that was his man. He stepped up and
asked him if his name was Bigelow
The man said No. My name is Howard. J"
The sheriff said that he guessed he was
the man hewas looking for and he wanted
him to get off with him at Canton. The
fellow said that he supposed he'd have to
go with him, but he'd make it hot for
him, on charge Of false imprisonment.
The sheriff took the risk and the
sequel proved that his Judgment of
the mans face was correct one. He
locked Bigelow and the woman up in
room in the hotel and when he got ready
to take them back to Rumford Falls con
cluded, very wisely, to search the room,
lest Bigelow should leave anything of an
discriminating nature behind him.
He took off the cap from the funnel
that leads into the chimney and fou nd
just inside the book of flies that had been
purchased from Mr.. Melcher. He went
down cellar, and in the bottom of the
chimney found a number of forged notes
that Bigelow had dropped down there
Then he was sure that he had got the
right man. When all this crushing evil
dence was shown to Bigelow he con-
fessed, and Tuesday was locked up in
Paris jail. The woman was allowed to
go free.
The controversy between the Rumford
Falls Power Company and the Rumford
Falls Paper Company that was partially
argued before Judge Foster at Bethel and
then postponed in hope of settlement
has resulted in the agreement that the
Power Company shall change the loca-
ton of the track on Canal street so as to
widen the street and widen the bridge
over the canal The log haul-up into the
great paper mill will of course have to be
changed, but it will be lowered at much
The Rumford Falls Railway Company
are now replacing their three largest