The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-19

town and then went to the sheriff's office
in quest of assistance.
From Mr.. Mason Of Bar Mills the Saco
officers had learned that he overlook the
tramp near the cid Harmon farm, two
miles this side of Bar Mills, about 7.30,
Thursday morning, and offered him a
ride The tramp said he was on his way
TO Portland to look for work, that he had
been numbering in Wakefield and North
Shapleigh and that he belonged in Can
ada. He was not talkatiye tramp. He
asked some questions about the Grand
Trunk railroad and about Portland ship
ping.
| To the officers Mr.. Mason described his
passenger as 25 to 80 years of age, 8 it,,
7 in, dark complexioned, with black
hair, small dark moustache and an un-
kempt appearance. Ke wore dark suit,
black SLOUGH hat, and pointed shoes. His
double breasted sack coat seemed sew
eral sizes too large for him. This is
practically the description several North
Saco people had given of the stranger
they had passed on the Watson mill
road short time after the murder.
Mr.. Mason and the tramp parted COM
pany at Legrow's livery stable on Preble
street. where Mr.. Mason put up the
horse. The passenger thanked him for
the ride, and started of leisurely up the
Preble street hill toward Congress street.
That was the last Mason saw of him.
Sheriff Plummer and Deputy Firth
stared out with the Saco marshal and
made a circuit of all the places about
town where it was thought there was
any possibility that the much wanted
tramp had stopped. Ths railroad yards,
the Grand Trunk station, cheap lodging
| houses and saloons were visited.
| The diligent search of the sheriff was
| rewarded by a single clue, which is of
no Importance except it shows that the
tramp whom Farmer Mason of Bar Mills
brought to Portland was still in this city
| Thursday afternoon. They learned
that man whose appearance correspond
ed exactly with the description of this
| tramp, visited saloon on Fore street and
bought glass of beer. That was in the
VI tuO olUClAiOShs AAO <A-s$S<S A4O
talk except to order the beer. He paid
for it in silver.
The keeper of this saloon says he par
ticularly noticed the sack coat, which
hung 50 loosely on the man. He also
noticed the black hair, dark complexion
and shabby appearance. His voice was
coarse. and the bar tender thought he de-
tected in it French Canadian accent.
The sheriffs heard that soldier was
missing from Portland Head, and that
he had left with some of his comrades a
somewhat suspicious message. The Off
GERS took no stock in this information,
| but to make assurance. doubly sure they
| drove out to Portland Head. They
| learned from the commanding officer that
there is nobody missing. The story was
| a hoax, pure and simple.
"There is no certainty said Deputy
Sheriff Firth to a reporter of the PRESS,
Saturday evening, "that the tramp who
came to Portland Thursday morning is
the murderer of Mr.. Boothby. but If he
is, it is not at all likely that he remained
here long. If we had known of 1T Thurs
day I think we could have rounded him
| in, but start of 43 hours in city
where there are SO many ways of leaving
! by train and boat Is sufficient to give
most any criminal his freedom. 1t looks
/ to me as if the case is practically ended,
so far as the hunting down OF the MUIR
derer is concerned"
| While the Portland ana Saco officers
were going the rounds PRESS reporter
called at The shipping commissioner RS
office to learn If anybody resembling the
tramp Farmer Mason had described had
been shipped from this port within the
last three days.
Commissioner TolEnan said he shipped
two seedy looking tramps this week, but
with that of Mr.. Nason's tramp. One
was shipped Monday on schooner Henry
F. Eaton, remained on board till We'd
nesday afternoon and, after inducing
Capt. Ashford to pay him So in advance,
disappeared. He would not have had
time to get as far away as North Saoo
at the time the murder is believed to have
been committed.
The other man Commissioner Tolman
shipped on the same vessel Saturday.
He claimed to be SO years of age. His
clothing was different from that worn
by the man for whom thu officers are
searching, and he was not as dark com.
plexioned.
sss"It may be-" said the commissioner
that the man for whom you are looking
shipped on some small packet without
having made application here. That
is often done. A sailor in search /, of
work will some times go aboard small
schooner and apply for chance to ship
onSa short voyage, The captain, being
able to employ him at less wages than
the ordinary sailor can command, will
sign him and we here in the office will
know nothing about it. The chances
are that if this tramp shipped at all, he
went off in that way"
One of the hostlers at Legrow's sta BILE
on Preble street. where MIR. Mason of