The Portland daily press., 1896-02-17
BURGLARS ATT WORK.
Several Breaks in Portland and
Vicinity.

Several Breaks in Portland and
Vicinity.
Experience of Ira Stockbridge- Whole
sale Work in Observation-Disclosures
Made In OakdaIe.
The Light Fingered Brigade made a
raid in and around Portland Friday
night. Mr.. Ira c. Stock bridge was
nearly knocked down by two of them
who were in hurry to leave as Mr.
Stockbridge came in. In Westbrook. the
thieves, there is reason to believe, rode
around in n team into which they loaded
! their booty. An attempt at robbary was
made in Deering and man seen there
| is suspected to be the man who fired sew
eral pistol bullets into the Westbrook
electric Gear. The robberies in Deerine
and Westbrook supply plausible theory
to account for the firing into the car. Ii
| is suggested that the man with the pistol
| may have been one of the burglars and
| had mistaken the niotorman's friendly
salutation for a request for him to stop
| and tell who he was.
| The store occupied by the M. Steinert
g. Sons company and the Stockbridgs
Music company on Congress street, was
entered by burglars Friday night be-
tween the hours of ana Ii O'Clock, and
but for the timely arrival of Mr.. Ira
Stockbridge the thieves would have made
quite haul.
Entrance was gained by climbing to
the top OF a fence in the rear of the store,
breaking out pane of glass and turning
the catch on the window. The thieves
then entered the store and found a bag of
tools belonging to Mr.. George Foster,
piano tuner, employed by the manager,
Mr.. McGouldrio. With some of these
tools they pried open every desk and
drawer In the store, and after ransaokino
them thoroughly. threw the contents on
the floor; scatter ing them in every direc-
tion. The thieves secured about SIS in
silver from Mr.. Stockbridge's money
drawer, and about S. worth of valuable
tools belonging to Mr.. Foster. They also
took bunch of keys from Mr.. MoGoul-
dries desk, one of which was the key to
the front door.
A valuable guitar and several high
priced musical Instruments had been
gathered together, evidently to pass out
through the window, when the burglars
were ready to go, and If they had not
been scared away there is no telling what
they would have got away with, as it
seemed their intention to make clean
sweep of everything portable. Mr.
tockbridge. who was at the Maine Can
trail ball at City hall, came out about
II. 80 O'Clock and thought he would go
to his store and see that everything was
all right before going to his rooms. He
opened the Casoo street door of the store
when two men suddenly few past
him, almost knocking him over in their
hurried rush to escape. The electric light
at the corner shines fully on this door
and Mr.. Stockbridge got fairly good
look at the thieves. He describes them
as being young men, we'll dressed. one
being about Is years of age and the other
about IS. Mr.. Stockbridge Immediately
notified the police station Of the bun glary
and the officers are on the watch for the
men.
The thieves are believed to be part of
the gang who have made the breaks in
this city and Vicinity within the past few
days.
Westbrook came in Friday night for
Its visit from the burglars, who have
been making themselves so conspicuous
in different parts of the state the past
lew months. The work was done in a
wholesale manner and the amount of
porpeIty carried off was considerable
K. s. Raymond's drug store and Kim
ball Eastman's and G. H. Kelsen's gro
Gerry stores were the objective points.
An entrance was effected into Ray
mond's drug store by cutting out large
piece of the plate glass window. His
place was relieved of the entire stock of
cutlery, including knives, razors, etc.,
number of boxes of cigars, and his en-
tire line of leather goods. Mr.. Raymond
estimated his loss to be $780, At about
LIB a. M, the proprietor, who resides
over his place of business. heard noise
below but supposing it to lie his clerk.
who is often called out in the night to
supply the wants of the doctors or Gus
toner. did not investigate.
The next place entered was Kelsen's
grocery store on Brown street. An en-
trance was gained by cutting the glass in
the door and turning back the bolts.
There was evidence that they backed
vehicle up to the door and then proceeded
to load it, The booty secured here was
quantity of tobacco, cigars and groceries
and a slot machine that Mr.. Kelsen had
purchased the day previous.
Saturday morning Mr.. Kimball East
man found that an attempt had besn
made to enter his place Of business. He
found that they had gained an entrance
to his stable in the rear of his store and