The Portland daily press., 1895-09-18
THE HEARING TODAY.
Yesterdays Developments in the
Burglary Case.

Brothers Goods Found-More About
Hernandez.
There were no very startling develop
ments in the burglary case, yesterday.
The marshal and deputies we're very busy
all day on the case, especially in getting
ready for the hearing before Judge
Robinson this morning. Yesterday morn
ing John Mcdonald the hostler, was
arrested. He is the young man whose
remarks in Merrow's S stable on Chestnut
street..last Monday night led to this dis
closure of this extraordinary case OF
systematic burglary.
John Mcdonald was arrested because
he was wanted as a government Witnes
and it was thought that perhaps 1t would
be safest to have him under lock and
key. After a consultation late yesterday
afternoon, between Marshal Trickey,
County Attorney True and Mr.. Hawkes.
of Skillin. Hawkes. & Co., it was decided
to let Mcdonald go free. He will be on
hand when wanted to serve as witness.
This Mcdonald who is about nineteen
or twenty years of age was working in
the stable on Chestnut street a week ago
Monday evening when the conversation
between him and young Webster was
overheard, which led to the discovery OF
the burglary.
The young man who heard it was
sitting in a carriage in the stable, which
was but imperfectly lighted. He was in
the shadow and was not seen by Webster
and Mcdonald. Therefore he heard their
conversation about the key. After
Webster went out. Mcdonald turned to
another man, who works in the stable,
and said: "I believe he's a d-m thief !"
Then he told about driving young
Webster! in buggy as sent by Morrow,
one evening down to Skillin, Hawkes. &
Co. IS store. When they arrived there
| Webster said "I'm going to get out
here - He unlocked the door went in and
brought out several boxes of tobacco.
| Mcdonald said that it looked queer to
him. He didn't believe Webster worked
there and he did believe that he twas a
d-n thief !"
This is what the young man overheard
in the Chestnut street stable, while
sitting in the carriage in the dark a week
ago Monday night and this is what he
communicated to the police, and what
led to the disclosure of tho burglary.
Yesterday afternoon Deputy Sterling
located more Of the goods stolen from
Joyce Brothers There was about $45
worth of lace curtains, rugs, etc. They
were in private house, the owners of
which are at the present time out of
town. This makes, said Deputy Sterling
between $500 and 5000 worth Of Joyce
Brothers goods that are known to have
been stolen.
The hearing this morning will have to
be held in the police officers room, be-
cause of the repairing of the court room.
The space will therefore be very limited
and the public.cannot be accommodated.
There will not be more than room for a
score of spectators outside of those whose
business it is to be present. 1t was stated
last night from the best of authority that
Judge Savage of Auburn had been re-
tained to assist Calvin E. Woodside,
ESQ.,, as counsel for George B, Morrow.
Carroll W. Morrill, will defend D. E.
Hamlin and Dennis Meagher is Arthur
Webster's counsel.
/ A glimpse at the storeroom of the
police department. yesterday was interest
ing. There were the piles of boxes of
tobacco, big packing box full to over
flowing with rugs, package of lace
curtain and several boxes of the albums.
etc.. that were stolen from Joyce
Brothers. 1t was a significant spectacle
to see these heaps of valuable goods and
to realize that they were but very
small portion of the quantity that this
enterprising youth has been taking from
these two stores in such a bold man
ner.
| This stealing of tobacco from whole
sale store, without the discovery of its
loss till a long time afterwards, suggests
a similar and even more remarkable
burglary that occurred in this city in the
year '66 or '67. The store of John
Dennis on Commercial street at the
corner of Pearl, was burglar lied of 5000
worth of tobacco. There were two tiers
Of boxes near the rear wall of the store.
When they had occasion to remove this
tobacco they found, to their intense
astonishment, that the rear tier wasn't
there, and hadn't been for some time, as
there was dust ana cobwebs that must
have been accumlating for some months.
| They got no trace of the burglars till
several years afterward, when a man in
the Charlestown State prison confessed
that he stole that tobacco He got into
the store removed the boxes of the rear
tier, at time several months before the
discovery Of the loss, and handed them
out. of u rear window to a confederate
outside.
The late John Hernandez had led a
troubled life in this city. He had been
very quiet and depressed Of late. 1t was
last Monday or Tuesday that he was
standing on one of the Grand Trunk
wharves, and to another man, as he
waved his hand out towards the ocean,
said:
"I wonder what's over there2"