The Portland daily press., 1895-06-12
His Thrilling and Successful G hase
Of the Yacht Thieves.
HOW ONE OF THEM WAS CAPTURED
AND CONFESSED.
The Three Rough Men Were the Thieves
They Came Down from Roston OIL a
Spree-Were Drunk when They Stole
the Yacht-The Other Two and the
Yacht Not Yet Found.

Yesterday morning at about O'Clock
Mr. Chas. AS. Holland Of this city, who
is now residing at Little Diamond, went
down to the wharf with paint pot and
brush, to work upon his cat boat, the
Edith.
But the cat boat was not seen. He
rubbed his eyes in amazement. 1t was
there the night before, securely moored
and it could not have broken loose. 1t
didn't take him very long to make up
his mind that she had been stolen. He
saw also that a row-boat belonging to
Mr.. Charles L. Holland, the farmer on
the island, was missing. He took the
next boat for Portland intending to noti-
fly the police. The captain said that the
| evening before he had landed three
rough looking men at Little Diamond.
They were the same who had been going
back and forth good deal from Little
and Great Diamond and Chebeague and
| the city during the past few days. Be-
cause of their appearance and actions at
Great Diamond recently, cottagers there
had complained to Marshal Trickey, and
| uG 6CuU ull6T6 UO see dDOuC
| it.
On arrival in the city Mr.. Holland noti-
fed Deputy Hartnett who was ON duty
at the station, and telephoned to the life
saving station at Cape Elizabeth to see if
any boat answering the description of
the stolen craft had passed that point
during the night or early this morning.
Capt Trundy said that nothing of her
description had passed after daylight,
and owing to the fact that there was no
wind last night she could not have gone
out of the harbor under sail
The cat boat is painted white She is
about 25 feet long, has new sail with
brass hoops and patent hoist There are
two brass plates in the deck forward of
the mast, but there is no name on the
boat The row boat is new painted white
and has patent row locks
Having notified the police, Mr.. Holland
started on his own hook to search for his
lost yacht. He endeayored to hire some
steamboat to go down the harbor in
search of her, but not steamboat, from
a launch to a tug could be secured.
He went down to the end of Portland
Pier and the captain of the Merryconeag
told him that on the trip UP that morn
ing from Harpwell he had seen the Edith
near Chebeague island. He knew the
yacht and was sure that it was her
Mr.. Holland went across to Custom
House wharf to endeayor to secure the
Cadet to go after the yacht. A deckhand
on the Emita hailed him and said that
looking men that they had landed at
Little Diamond the night before. He had
just gone up the wharf. He was sure
that he had recognized him.
At Mr.. Hollands request the deckhand
accompanied him in a hurried pursuit of
the man. ION reaching Commercial street.
not a sign of him was to be seem The
deckhand started towards the Grand
Trunk depot, and Mr.. Holland went the
other way. The latter decided to hunt
up Policeman Oliver Skillings. He soon
found him on Fore street. They went
back down the wharf to the steamer
Emita again having seen no trace of the
deckhand.
Arrived at the Emita, the engineer told
them that the deckhand had found the
his man over on Franklin wharf. They
hurried over there and found the deck
hand at the head of the wharf. He de-
clared that he had seen the man going
down the wharf.
| Mr.. Holland went around one end of
the shed there and the dec ckhand the
other, and as they came around into
view of each other there was the man
they We're looking for, calmly smoking
a cigar He was short and stout and
about 30 years of age.
| Mr.. Holland went right up to him,
placed hand on his shoulder and said
''I want you"
The man looked around as if he con-
templated taking Mr.. Hollands life
Officer Skillings stepped up just then,
and Mr.. Holland said, "You take charge
of this man..
The latter said, "What does this mean?''
| "Where were you last night?' said
Mr. Holland.
| The man made some talk about it be-
ing nobody's business.
"Where are your two friends?' said
Mr.. Holland.
"They left me last night said the
man.
Chow did you get up from the island?''
asked Mr. Holland, meaning Little Dia-
mond, where the men had landed
''I got man to pull me up in a
dory," was the reply.
"Who were those fellows with you?'
| II don't know. They were q couple OF
fellows picked up"
At this point Officer Skillings took the
man to the police station, and Mr.. Hol-
land went in search of steamer. He
finally was able to hire the Fanny G. He
started down the harbor in her about
H. ~ a. M, and for six hours they
steamed all over the bay in search of the
missing yacht that the captain of the
Merryconeag declared he had seen that
morning near Chebeague island. But
their search was in vain