The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-10
FOR SHOP LIFTING.
Mrs. Annie e. Spear Fined Ten Dollars
and Costs.

Sometime ago, the Rines Brothers COM
pary had their suspicious aroused by
the actions of Mrs. Annie E. Spear and
had reason to believe that she had been
guilty of shoplifting. They accordingly
had the woman watched and Tuesday
she was caught in the act of stealing q
piece of goods. She took a piece OF crash
worth twenty -four cents and it cost he1
$40 and costs in the munioial court. Mrs.
Spear was seen to take the crash by Mr..
ported the matter to the firm and Mrs.
Spear was arrested. She appeared in
court yesterday morning accompanied by
her husband. Mrs. Spear is woman OF
middle age and seemed overcome by
the situation IN which she found herself,
leaning against her husband with her
head on his shoulder. When she took the
stand, however, she spoke clearly enough.
MIR. Marshall testified that he had been
instructed to watch Mrs. Spear and was
doing so when he saw her take piece OF
crash from pile on the counter. fold 1t
twice and put it into her handbag.
While she was in the act of taking the
crash, her eyes were fixed ON MIR. Brad
bury, the clerk at the counter, who was
waiting pom customer some little dis
tance away. Mr.. Marshall accused her OF
taking the crash and she said she
Thought it was a piece she had bought.
MIR. H enry j. Bradbury the salesman
at the counter. testified that he sold
Mrs. Spear two pieces of crash, which
were done up in paper. These she paid
for. He then waited upon another Gus
toner and did not see the woman take
the crash from the counter, but when
she was accused of doing so he saw a
piece of the crash protruding from Mrs.
Spears satche1l. Mr.. Bradbury identi-
fed the piece Of, crash produced in court,
by means of the price mark on it. as the
one he saw in the satchel.
Mrs. Spear took the stand in her own
behalf and told of the purchase of the two
pieces of crash. Then she explained how
the other piece got into her satchel, by
accident as it were. This is the way,
according to Mrs. Spear, the crash trans
ferred itself to the satcbel. After she
had purchased the two pieces described,
which were bought at the request OF her
brother-in-law and consequently taken
AS a separate urchase. she selected some
of the crash for herself. This piece was
living on her satchel which was half open
on the counter by the pile of crash. Mrs.
Spear was standing by waiting for Mr..
Brad bury to come back, and holding a
fifty cent piece In her hand to pay for the
crash. She had been accompanied to the
atore by several ladies and one of these
ladies had a little child with her. The
mother had left that part OF the store,
but the child remained with Mrs.
Spear. Then the child began to cry for
its mother and Mrs. Spear turned from
the counter to look for her. 1t was then.
she said. that Mr.. Marshall stepped up
and accused her of theft. She was too
frightened to remember what she said to
him. A corner of the crash might have
dropped into the bag.
This two sales men were asked by Judge
r obinson whether in view OF Mrs.
Spears statement they desired to change
their testimony. Neither had any change
to make, Mr.. Marshall repeating his
statement of the way in which Mrs.
Spear folded the crash and put it into
The bag. Mr.. Bradbury described how
the crash lay unfolded ON the confer.
Marshal Tricky and Deputy Marshal
Sterling testified to statements made te
them by Mrs. Spear in regard to the
crash. statements which variedssomewhat
from those she made on the stand.
Judge Robinson in announcing h1f
decision, said that he could not reconcile
the presence Of the crash folded in Mrs.
Spear's hand bag with her explanation,
as the crash as it lay On the counter wat
not folded. Knowing the two witnesses
TO be reliable men, he concluded that
an intent to commit larceny had beer
shown on tine part of Mrs. Spear. He
accordingly found her guilty and I'M
posed fine of ten dollars and costs.
These additional cases were disposed Of
in the court:
Francis g. Cussic, John j. kaler, as
sault; continued to December 10.
John Murphy, John Smith, william
Thompson. Resisting officer; fined $3l
and costs.