Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-06
FOUR [ YNN WOMEN
Arrested for Extensive Shop
lifting and They Confess.
Detected Through the Thefts Of Mrs.
Clara Phillips Of WaterviIIe.
Hundred Of Dollars Worth Of Goods Recovered
BY the Police.

are under arrest in this city. charged
with shop lifting. They have confess
ed. and a large quantity of valuab bic
goods are now at police Headquarters.
City Marshal Burcke's room resembles
a dry goods, fur and bric-a- brac store
combined, as articles are piled high on
one another. all the desks and tables
are covered, and several trunks are
filed with the booty of the women.
A value of nearly $4,000 is placed on the
things already recovered
That there is more to come is certain
for the officers are positive that there
are other women implicated. and it is
hoped that they will be apprehended
before many hours.
Four homes have been made desolate.
and practically all the furnishings ie~
moved as consequence of the officers
visit to the houses occupied by the
women and their families.
The women are: Mrs. Clara Phil
lips. wife of Lincoln Phillips, a shoe
maker. her sister, Miss Lulu Cobb.
Miss Florence Manson and Mrs. G.. r..
NJ. Houston, wife of Alderman
Houston.
Mrs. Clara Phillips was the first ar
rested. and it was through her that the
police received the information upon
which the arrest of the others was
based, and resulted in the recovery OF
the vast amount of property.
Mrs. Phillips was arrested by Sergt
Fitzgerald. and Inspectors Colby and
Wells. assisted by City Marshal Cali
of Waterville, Me-, who first gave the
police of this city information in re-
gard to Mrs Phillips.
The operation of the woman extended
to the far away city in Maine, and City
Marshal Burckes is of the opinion that
other places have suffered besides
Waterville. Boston, Lynn. Salem and
Maiden. that the women have con.
fessed have been visited and goods
stolen.
In the opinion of the police this Is
one of the most important exposures
of crime that has ever been made in
this city. and they say they have infor-
nation that will yet lead to the arres;
of others and eventually break up the
entire gang.
1t is given out that even the secret
workings of the persons involved have
come to the attention of the police. and
that the exact time and meeting places
of the women are know and will soon be
made public.
Miss Manson appears to have been the
head of the crowd. The women tell diff
ferent stories as to why they engaged in
shoplifting and why they took thousands
of dollars worth of goods from the mer-
chants of this city and Salem in par
ticular.
Furs and broadcloth cloaks were taken
in large numbers. while there are also
hundreds of yards of laceS. numerous
pairs of stockings. hundreds of yards of
silk. silk waists and skirts, entire dresses
hric-a-brac of every nature. ribbons
clocks. shoes, perfumery. brushes. mir
rors. toilet articles. laces. underwear and
almost every article on sale in dry goods.
milliners and furriers' stores.
Trunks containing the articles were
brought to the police station. and the
officers and even the women themselves
carried large loads of goods into Marshal
Burckes office. There they were piled
on the floor. and as each article was held
up to the view of the women. they told
from where it was taken. They cried. but
did not converse together unless to argue
from where an article came. Miss Man
son was the most collected of all. and
answered the questions of the officers in
d frank manner.
1t was through the visit of Mrs. Phil
lips to her parents at Waterville. Me-.
that the police were able to recover this
very valuable property and probably to
break up gang which has cost the mer-
chants large sums of money.
Mrs. Phillips spent two months this
summer at her former home. and while
there visited the stores. After her de-
rarture hat was missed from Il mil
liners, and marshal Call of that place.
was given to understand that Mrs. Phil
lips was suspected. The marshal wrote
to City Marshal Burckes. and Sergeant
was detailed on the case
To find Mrs. Phillips was no easy task,
Of her husbands brother. 63 Laighton
street. While the officer knew that the
lived there. he was at a loss how
to proceed. but finally adopted a plan
that was successful. Armed with a COM
plete description of the hat missed, the
officer dressed himself in the height of
fashion and went to the residence of the
He was a drummer from Boston, he
said. and understood that she had some
articles that would be of value to him.
While engaged in conversation with the
the officer discovered the hat that
had been missed from the Watervilie
store.
Marshal Call was communicated with,
and. Saturday. arrived in this city. A
search warrant was secured and the
'ooms of Mrs. Phillips searched. Articles
Of every description We're found, and the
woman seemingly was willing to assist
he officers all she could Trunks of the
goods were packed and she was taken to
police headquarters. where. after consid-
cradle questioning. she told the whole
story. The officers were in possession of
sufficient information to enable them to
question Mrs. Phillips to advantage. They
lad been watching her for some time but
could not secure evidence to apprehend
her
Mrs. Phillips, good-looking. with a kind,
expression on her countenance.
broke down completely when charged
with wholesale robbery. She helped the
officers pack the stuff in a handy package
md went with them to the police station.
With tears in her eyes, and shaking
rom emotion, she told the whole story.
She was tempted in Waterville. she said.
md took the articles. When all had been
packed away. Marshal Call left for home.
with him two large valises of
goods of every description, including
sacks. table cloths linens. soap. bureau
'carfs, silks. lace towels, blankets. cut
glass; etc.
The articles were found in trunks and
around the rooms of Mrs. Phil
FPS but will now be returned TO the
,tOrekeeperS at Waterville