The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-01
is FESSENDEN, PROCTOR.
Singular Resemblance Between the
BowdOinham Burglar and
Former Portland Mau.
The Portland Man Used to Work for the
Portland Co. he Built steamer Here
and Sailed Her On CascO Bay.

Portland Co.EHe Built a steamer mere
and Sailed Her On Casco Bay.
A special to the PRESS from Augusta,
published in last Saturdays edition, gave
az account of man WHO registered IN
Bowdolnham as n. Z. Fessenden of Fort
land, and who appeared to be in the last
stages of consumption. On the thursday
evening, previous to the dispatch to the
PRESS, the man was arrested charged with
ordering $500 worth of furs from fur deal
er in Buffalo, N. Y, and signing the order
as N. E. Fessenden. secretary of state. The
prisoner declared he was innocent, but, the
next night, escaped from his keeper and at
last accounts had not been re-arIested.
Among his baggage complete Kit OF
burglars tools was found.
Wednesday morning Of this week Mr..
Joseph II. Webster. the well known inurance
man. in tho First National bank building.
in this city, became struck with the colncl-
denotes existing between the man who
called himself Fessenden, as stated in the
despatch to the PRESS, and a man who had
been in his Office and gave the name of Geo.
H. Proctor. The tenth of last December
man, who answered perfectly the desc1ip-
ton of Fessenden, came into his office. He
was very sick looking man. He wanted to
become the agent for the sale of type writ
ing machines, and the young lady in Mr..
Webster's office has had good deal TO do
with them. 1t happened that he met in Mr..
Webster's Office the Boston representative
of Yost's tpye writer, and made an arrange
ment with him to become an agent. AT
least he told the lady later that he had pur-
chased machine giving his check in pay
ment, although agents are given thirty
days in which to settle for machines. he
received permissin to put tho machine in
Webster's Office, and the young lady offered
to assist him in learning how to use it.
Down to the office he brought one day
quantity of his own paper. Oh which he sald
he was going to get up petition to the
legislature. 1t was noticed that MS paper
was not such as is used for petitions, ana
that it had a very heavy printed heading
but he always kept the heading turned SO
that no one could read it. One day he ace1-
dentally left piece of the paper with Its
heading and it was then seen that the head
ing read State of Maine. Secretary of
States Office, and had been printed in the
eighties.
The man stopped at Swett's hotel on
Temple street. A few weeks ago he said he
wanted to secure a good chance to use the
type writer in some store, where he could
set forth its merits. He said Mr.. ii. l.
Plummer was an old friend of his and that
he could get him chance in Loflng, Short
& Harmon's. Somehow. he said later, that
plan failed and he induced Mr.. Webster to
try, and get him chance at Stevens
Jones's. The firm agreed to give him good
place close by the front door, but Proctor
preferred place close by the counting room
desk where the safe is located. Mr.. Jones
told him he couldn't allow any one there.
but he might have place in the middle OF
the store. The offer he declined.
Monday, January 3lst, Proctor went out
of town, but returned the following day.
Wednesday he went off again. and this man
he resembles SO strongly was arrested
Thursday at Bowdoinham. Friday night
when the late train gets in from Augusta,
Proctor turned up cold and terribly worn,
and after warming himself at tho office
stove at Swett's hotel, went to bed. The
next day, despite the storm and terrible
condition of the sidewalks, he went to Mr..
Webster's and secured his type writer, and
since then no one has seen him here.
One Incident that also seems to help
identify Proctor as Fessendcn is this: The
adjoining office to Mr.. Webster's is occupied
by George C. Cannell, the insurance man.
His safe has two ways of opening, and there
has never been any trouble caused to any
one who, had a right to open it. One morn
ing when an effort was made by one OF
these persons to open the safe the combina-
ton wouldn't work at first, and 1T was evil
dent that some one had been tampering
| .<1z L. 81 q
time in the other office that connects with
Mr.. Cannell's by door. If the safe had
been opened no money would have been
found 1t will be remembered that among
Fessenden's effects burglars kit of tools
was discovered.
Inquiry reveals the fact that Proctor used
| TO live in Portland about twenty-five or
thirty years ago. He was employed by the
Portland company and was a smart work
man. He worked for time for Fl. I. & G..
! NJ. PIumner, and built little steamer that
| he named the II. 7. Plummer. and that
piled in the harbor. He went Vest and it
is said, got into trouble there and was sent
to prison. The nature of his offence We did
not learn. 1t is also said that he was in the
army in the war and draws pension of
eighteen dollars month.
Whether he and Fessenden are one ana
the same man, of course no one here can
surely say, but the resemblance between
the two is remarkable. There is one singu-
lar thing about tile case. Fessenden ordered
the goods from Buffalo. G. o. D.. so that if
they had been sent he wouldn't have got
them without paying their cost. And if
Fessenden is Proctor no one has apparently
suffered loss by him in this city unless 1T
may be the hotel people at whose house he
stopped.
The A. p, A. and the Roman Hierarchy.