The Portland daily press., 1895-04-30
THAT POST OFFICE ROBBERY.
Evidence that the Wiscassett Robbers
Were Professionals.
Especial to the Press.l

Wiscasset, April 29.-Postmasters in Maine
towns would probably raise handsome re-
ward for a burglar alarm that would
frighten away robbers. Sunday. when Post
master Fred W. Clifford went into his tore
at North Edgecomb. two miles from this
village, he found that during Saturday
night he had had visitor. The broken lock
on the store door. which had been pried
open, and .he door to the safe which had
been blown from its fastenings. were
sufficient indications Of the midnight
callers. In the safe were about $50 worth of
stamps. and few dollars in change, which
were stolen. Tho goods were not disturbed.
People living in the vicinity heard strange
noise at about midnight. but paid no atten-
tion to it. Wlen MIR. Clifford made known
his loss, he found number of persons who
had seen two strangers in the vicinity.
Bert Lowell, who drives the Boothbay stage
says that early Saturday morning two rough
looking men asked him the way to Wiscas-
set. This was as Lowell was on his way to
feed his horses at Boothbay harbor where
he spent the night. Later he overlook and
passed the same two men on the road to
Wiscasset One was short. stout. dark
compile xioned man. The other was all, slim
and sandy and had light mustache. They
we're dressed in dark clothes and had no
oy ercoats. One wore a black stiff hat; the
other soft hat. They were soen By num-
ber of people, but nobody apparently knows
who they were or what was their business.
Now. to go back month. In the latter
part of March. as Warren Pushard. the
night watch in Wiscasset, was Eatrolling
I lie streets at about one O'clock one morn
ing, he heard strange noise as he neared
the post office. Then he saw three men run
from the building and as they did SO. one of
them wheeled about and tired revolver.
the ball passing over MIR. Pushard's head.
going through the window of his house.
which is opposite the post office. and bury
ing itself in the woodwork of one of the
rooms. The three burglars ran down the
hill towards the railroad tracks, and as
| they disappeared in the darkness, sent an
| other bullet flying in Pushard's direction.
| Pursuit in the blackest of the night was
out of the questen, and so Mr.. Pushard saw
| no more of the three, men. but, he saw
| enough to know that one WAS short man, /,
much shor ter than the other two. When the
| post Office was examined, it was found
that he burglars had gained an entrance
| by the use of tools stolen from a near by
blacksmith shop. They had made all their
pre- parations to blow the safe, when Mr..
Pushard' S approach frightened hem off.
Being unarmed. the watehman could not
raturn their fire This occurrence was only
a few days before he night when Rich
Inond policeman saw three men running
rom the post office which had been set on
fire by the explosion which opened the safe.
Within the past two years the railroad
| station at Wiscasset has been robbed, the
sa fe being blown and considerable amount
of money taken. People here are naturally
anxious to know whether they are SO popu-
lar that the same gang is making all these
visits to the vicinity or whether il has hap.
pened that a number of burglars have acci-
dentally committed OF attempted to commir,
these robberies iE this vicinity. People
would also like to know about the long and
| short man wandering about here on Satur.
day. Very likely they were respectable
citizens, andsin that case they are being
very unjustly judged III the minds of some
who saw them.