The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-04
CHIP OFTHE OLD b. OCk.
Young VIM. A. Roberts of Biddeford .
Picturesque Individual.
fRiddeford Record.)

(Biddeford Record
Biddeford has representative in the
ranks of the insurgents who are fighting
for Cuba's freedom.
This representative is William A.
Roberts, Jr., and he has been gone from
home nearly three weeks. He went
away without letting his family or any Of
his friends know that he intended to do
battle on the little island. and it is high
ly probable that when he left he did not
know himself what his destination was
to be. He has passion for adventure,
and is very fond of travelling. and his
friends are Of the opinion that he left
Biddeford impelled by desire to seek
adventure, and after he got away he took
1t into his head to go to Cuba and join
the tnsurgent army.
Young Roberts left Biddeford two
week ago last Monday without telling
even his most intimate friends that he
was going away. He had been gone sew
eral days before his absence was noticed
by his associates and then inquiries were
made as to his whereabouts at the law
office of ex-Mayor Charles S. Hamilton,
where he was student Mr.. Hamilton
was unable to throw any light on the
question and the members of young Rob-
srts family were equally in the dark.
One day an associate of the young man
named Guptill, who is a student at Bliss's
Business College, received letter bear
ing an Atlanta. Ca, postmark. The let
ter WAS from young Roberts and it was
very brief. In it the writer simply stated
that he was about to engage in most
hazardous undertaking and that the
chances were about even that he would
never be seen alive in Biddeford again.
He did not state what this undertaking
was, nor did he say anything, upon
which anyone could base as a conclusion:
The letter was shown to young Roberts
father and he Immediately began an in
vestigation. He traced the young man
from Atlanta to Key West and there lost
track of him, but he secured information
at Key West that convinced him that MS
son had sailed for Cuba and enlisted in
the insurgent army. That was the last
heard from the young law student, but
his friends are of the opinion that IL he
escapes death he will tire after awhile of
campaigning on the island and will re-
turn to his home.
Last June the young man took fancy
that he would like to attend the Queen S
. Jubilee in London, and he took a sudden
departure for the other side of the water.
One morning he came down stairs dressed
in his best suit of clothes and bid the
members of his family goodby. His father
asked him where he was going, and he
ranlied that he was going to the Queen S
Jubilee. His father Thought he was jo-
Alls but he was ro5. He was in dead
earnest. He shook hands all round, and
putting on his hat left the house. That
morning he took a train for Boston,
where he shipped aboard cattle steamer
as deck hand, and in due time landed in
Liverpool From there he travelled TO
London, and witnessed the glorles of the
Queens jubilee. His father learned of
his whereabouts and cabled Tor him to
come ho're. Young Roberts had evident
ly got his fill of touring abroad for he
quickly responded TO the cablegram, and
in the course of week or SO was again
in Biddefcrd.