Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-07-07
,s--~-- --..s.l.|.,
SHORT LIBERTY.
Continued from page j.

letter with your money until I gel
back
with that he reached across thu
counter and took up the money which
was laying there, threw down the let
ter, and hurried out of the store Civ
ing me no time to remonstrate.
waited about 30 minutes and ther
opened the letter. which contained only
a few sheets of blank paper"
Mrs Leighton, in answer to inquire.
Of a reporter as to how he went about
his work, related the following very
graphic story of her experience with
the man:
THE man came to my store about II
minutes of /, should think. He was a
we'll dressed young man of good ad-
dress. He held an unsealed letter in
one hand, and roll of bills in the
other. He came to the rear of the store
and asked me if I could give him two
$40 bills for 20 ones, as he desired to
enclose them in a letter to his wife.
handed him the bills. and counted those
he handed me, finding only $40. While
l was doing this he apparently put the
envelope. l called his attention to the
fact that he had given me but $40
.sIya ran1;al .rrbara ebn,ly} ~. on,l
asked Arn't there two twos there?'
| said. No there is only one He said,
There should be two. They have made
a mistake in giving me my change. l
will so right back to the City hotel
where | got this and have it corrected.
Il said, We'll, what have l got?
He replied. I will give you your two
tens here in the letter to hold until l
get back.
He handed me the letter, which had
a special delivery stamp on it,and went
out.
He had scarcely gone when l be-
came suspicious. l went to the door
and looked up the street. but was I'M
able to see him. returned to the store
and opened the letter, which contained
only wad of white paper. / immed-
lately had one of my clerks telephone
City Marshal Morse, who rode over to
my store at once. ] got in the wagon
with him. and told him / wanted him
to get me to Gardiner as soon as posi-
BILE, for I felt that the fellow would go
there to take either the train or boat
Mr.. Morse stopped long enough at the
Augusta House to telephone my des-
cription of the man to Marshal Drake
at Gardiner. When we arrived at Gar
diner Marshal Drake had found the
man and he was at the police station.
II went there and identified him.
One of the officers asked him, DO
you recognize this LADY,
He replied. NO. l have never seen
her before
wen ttllfeIllptI you per
feetly we'll, If you have forgotten me- :
He replied Madam, you are mis-
taken in the man.
i suggested that he be searched then
and there. but the officers did not see
fit to act upon my suggestion Marshal
Morse hand-cufed him. took him in
his team, and started for Augusta
returned on the Electric car. On the
way l passed the marshal and had
them stop the car / cautioned the
marshal not to let his prisoner get
away. and dispose of his money as
then we should have no proof
The man then. it seems. called at
C. b. Murphy's drug store on Water
street and asked the clerk for quar-
ter's worth of cigars, Offering for pay
SO bill. The clerk gave him the
cigars. returning him a s., two 81 and
one 81 bills, with IS cents in change.
The man took it.
hold on there. have silver
enough. III give you this quarter
and he handed over coin. The clerk
gave him back the $40 bill. kept the
quarter, and took what he thought
to be 1913 change. This proved to be
just $6.25 short, when the man had
gone.
1t was much the same racket that
was played on the clerk at the store
of John Coughlin. The mistakes. from
some mysterious reason, We're not dis
covered until after the man had
cleared cut.
All the afternoon long they hunted
for the man. high and low, but no
traces could they find. They say he
had a pal, and for him also are they
hunting.