The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-31

ARRESTED FOR MURDER IN YON.
KERS, NEW YORK.
He Has Had a Very Peculiar and Eccentric
Career and is Considerable of Crank,
but His Neighbors Take no Stock in the
Charge that he Would be Guilty of
Murder.
ESPECIAL TO THE PRESS I

Dexter. January 30.-Thomas Lancas-
ter, who has been arrested at Yonkers,
N. Y, has had his home in this town
since 1884, when he and his father moved
here from Massachusetts. He was born
in Kendalworth, England, in 1876, is 81
years Of age, and has eccentricities that
would naturally lead strangers to sus-
pect him of most anything but he is,
according to the statements of people
who have known him for years, perfectly
harmless. He worked in the carding
room of factory in Dedham, Mass.
when about 10 years old. and has fol-
lowed factory work ever since. He has
worked here in the factory at East
Dover, and when Appleyard's mill
burned at Guilford, he was sleeping in
6he attic and had very narrow escape,
being obliged to hang out of the fourth
story window and drop several feet to
catch a ladder which was not long
enough to reach him. He is grsat
talker and runs his words together, and
when he gets excited, it is difficult to un-
derstand him. He is undoubtedly u little
off mentally and has been for years. Peo-
pie here say he always was but his faith
er informs the writer that when he was
boy he did not have those peculiar
ways, but it gradually grew on him after
he was 30 years Of age. There is sus-
picion that he was disappointed in love
at about that age. He then lived in
Leeds, N. Y, and one Kate Leslie was
probably the girl on whom he was dis
appointed. His father, John Lancaster,
lives four miles out of Dexter, and three
years ago Thomas became the victim of
an acquisition of a disreputable woman
in the neighborhood, and this SO fright
ened Thomas that he consented to have
a guardian appointed to whom he paid
what money he had accumulated. some
$3.50. Mr.. George A. Dustin of this town
is the guardia ian of this Thomas Lancas-
ter, who is suspected of murt Or, and Dus-
tin says that Thomas some months ago
started for York state and before he went
he got $50. which be said be would send
back when he got to work, and this
money found on hi.n probably was what
ne had saved. He never drank nor never
WAS known to spend his money very free
ly. He seldom ever rode on the cars, but
walked all distances. He would think
nothing of walking journey of 200
miles and has walked to New York stale
barns on his tramps, for he was always
afraid some one would suspect him of
some crime, and has great abhorren nee
| of officers of the law. When on these
| journeys he stops but very little for rest
Speaking of his walking his guardian
| informs the writer that before he was
under guardian mis- father used to take
care of his money aud when he worked
at Guilford every pay night he would
walk over to his fathers and give him
what morey heswould not want to use.
and walk back to Guilford the same
night, a trip OF about 25 miles, and be
on hand the next morning to do his davis
work. His guardian has sent word TO
YonKers. N. T., that they had better
not give up looking for the murderer
for the people here believe that Thomas
is perfectly innocent.
The murder referred to in the above
despatch was committed at Tuokerhos.
a village few miles from Yonkers. N
Y. The victim was a Mrs. Edmund
Tucker. She was alone in her house
with her little boy when man called
and demanded admittance.