The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-23
LETTING A FURNISHED HOUSE.
If Captain Must Do 1t He Prefers to
Select His Tenants.
Strange Doings in His Honse at Cumber-
land Foreside-Irresponsible Strangers
Camped in the Rooms, Ate the Pre-
serves and Drank the Medicine.

land Foreside-Irresponsible Strangers
Camped in the Rooms, Ate the Pre-
serves and Drank the Medicine.
Captain Edmund R. Norton is justly
disturbed at the way he has been treated
by certain parties unknown. Captain
Norton owns a fine house at Cumber-
land Foreside, next the summer nome OF
A. A. Strout, Esq. He resides there with
his family during the summer months,
coming into the city in October or No
vember. When the house was shut up
last fall it was left in the neatest of or
der, the bedding, dishes, clothing. coal
and remnants of provisions being al
ready for the return of the family in the
spring. There were in the oupboards an
abundant stock of canned goods and
preserves, and a small demijon of fine
old rum, aged 25 years, which had been
kept in the house for many years for use
in sickness The bolts of the valves to
the force pump in the cellar had been
taken out to prevent freezing, but other
wise the esta blishment was in order for
housekeeping. A neignbor, who lives
across the road, has charge of the house,
but in many years has never had occa-
sion to do more than give an occasional
glance at the premises.
Some time last week, Mrs. Norton's
sister went to the Foreside, and attempt
ed to enter the house, but she found a
key put into the lock from the INSIDE,
which prevented her unlocking the door.
This fact she reported, and Captain
Norton, suspecting something wrong.
decided to investigate, and in few days
drove out to the house.
AS soon as they entered they knew
that something was wrong, but were not
prepared for the disheartening spectacle
that greeted their eyes when they entered
the kitchen. In the middle of the floor
was feather bed that had been dragged
down from chamber, on the table
were dirty dishes and cooking utensils
of every variety, encum bered with the
remains of various kinds of food; A sill
yer ice pitcher, once bright, but now
dingy, stood on the stove, where it had
been used as coffee pot, and the floor
was Uttered with sawdust and debris of
all kinds.
1t was quite evident thai two or more
people had been living in the house for
quite a length Of time, long enough to
use up the fuel and food which had been
left in 9 the house. The strangers had
used two rooms. the kitchen and a
chambe Blankets and quilts pinned
to the windows had kept the neighbors
from suspecting anything wrong. 1t
was evident that the kitchen had been
occupied during the nights, when smoke
from the chimney would be less danger
ous. During the days the visitors evil
IDENTIFY stayed in the chamber, very like
ly sleeping. In order to keep warm dur
ing the cold weather they had carried
into the room an oil stove, and all the
lamps in the house.
An eight day clock on the mantel was
found running. 1t was not found that
anything was missing except revolver
and the wood saw. The silver was left
very dirty, but it was left. On one piece,
which was engraved with letter IN"
one of the strangers had scratched below
this another N, = doing the thing very
neatly. They had replaced the bolts in
the cellar pump, and had used it until
it froze up. Then they had apparently
melted snow in the kitchen, thus adding
to the disorder. Wood also had been
sawed in the kitchen. Pies and pud-
dings had been baked, and these had
been eaten with the preserves cholcely
put away in the fall by Mrs. Norton.
That fine old rum had also disappeared
entirely, tie strangers having had, ap-
parently, much sickness to contend
With.
Appearances seemed to indicate that
there was a woman in the party. They
had entered the house by breaking a
window and turning the catch. Whence
they came or whittier they went is not