The Portland daily press., 1896-02-06
BOOKER DOUGLASS.
The Queer Bowdoinham Merchant
Back to Maine.

He thinks His Trouble Was Caused bv His
Sunday Trading-Public sympathy
in His Favor at Island Pond-No Books
to Refer To.
deputy Marshal Hartnett returned
from Island Pond yesterday with Benja-
min Booker Douglass the Bowdoinham
man, whose remarkable business career
was described in the PRESS of Tuesday.
When Deputy Hartnett got to Island
Pond he found Douglass in the custody
OF local constable. There is no iail
at Island Pond, and so the constable had
to take his prisoner over to one of the
hotels and was forced to sit I'D with
him through Monday night. Douglass
was very excited and apparently could
not sleep, and at any rate did not
through the night.
Deputy Hartnett found that there was
a very decided public sentiment at Island
Pond in favor of the prisoner, who is
bright, sharp, active man. His general
appearances was very much in his favor,
and the deputy found that some people
were saving: "He's only held because
he got one petBsr OF some Portland peo-
ple.n Under such circumstances and
fully convinced that Douglass had NJ ade
friends who might be disposed to help
him, the deputy decided not to take
chances, and so went with the prisoner
to another hotel.
AT first Douglass was inclined to think
that he was willing to go back to
Maine, but later he changed his mind
and said: 'If I must go to Jail I'd rath-
er it should be here" Later on, ihe'again
changed his mind and was largely inf1ll-
enced in deciding to go back to Maine.
by the conviction that it would be i'm
possible for him to get bail in Vermont
He said that he left home with the idea
of going to Ohio where he has wealthy
brother and to make an attempt to get
money. He said he had another brother
who lives near Mon treal Apparently
he left home somewhat suddenly, for he
took but little money, probably not more
than 500 with him.
Deputy Hartnett found that his prison
er was queer character. Douglass said
he had no books to refer to, that he had
never tried to keep bucks, but that he
had kept all his somewhat extensive
| business affairs in his head. He strongly
denied that he had deposited money OF
his own in the name of any other per-
son, and also denied that he had trans
ferred any property to defraud his oredi-
| tors.
He was inclined to believe that his bad
luck was due to the fact that he had
sold goods on sunday. He said he had
sold goods and "dickered' seven days in
the week, but last July at the suggestion
of his wife, he stopped his Sunday trad
| ing and after that positively refused to
do any business on Sunday. He thought
that people must have stolen great
many goods from his barn.
He did not sleep Tuesday night and of
course Deputy Hartnett had to keep
awake. On the way down he talked but
little. and only replied to questions. 1T
is understood that he decided to go west
after he received letter telling him
that Mr.. Woodman had been investigat-
ing his transfers of property recorded in
the Sagadahoc records, and that some
statements had been made By certain
parties under pressure. He had previ-
ously denied to Mr.. Cox and Mr.. Smith
that he made the transfers in question
Deputy Hartnett is inclined to think
that had Douglass gone to Ohio he
would have later OIL returned and tried
to effect settlement with his creditors.