The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-24
NORTON'S LONG HUNT.
Deputy United States Marshal at Last
Found His Man.
@. d. BOOKER OF LEWISTON AR
RESTED AT WESTBRUOK.

Was Wanted ON a Charge of Illegal Use
| of the United States Mails-He Gave
the Officers a Long Chase.
| After a long hunt and several days of
very hard work, Deputy United States
Marshal Bernes o. Norton of Belfast sue
ceeded in arresting o. d. Booker, alias
G. D. Brooks of Lewiston, Lisbon Falls,
Auburn or Brunswick, who is charged
| with using the United States mails for
fraudulent purposes. Booker, as he is
generally called, proved to be very
shrewd and slippery individual and as
soon as he got wind of the fact that the
answer TO the charges made against him,
he proceeded to make himself scarce and
| 1t was only by the shrewdest kind OF
detective work and the able assistance ac-
| corded him by City Marshal Sylvester
and Officer Smith of the Portland police
force. that Deputy Marshal Norton was at
last able to land his man.
o. D. Booker, alias G. d. Brooks, lives
in Lewiston. He is young man about
28 years old, weighs 220 pounds and of
light complexion. The charge on which
he was arrested, according to the legal
phraseoIogy of the warrant is "usiug the
United States mail for illegal purposes.
That is, he devised at Auburn on the 23d
of October last certain scheme to de-
fraud by opening correspondence through
the postofice of the. United States under
| the name of G. ID. Brooks with certain
persons and causing them to open CORE
spondence with him; and that he unlaw
fully placed letter and packet in the
postoffice at Auburn in pursuance lof this
scheme for Louise Humphrey of Boston,
Mass.
| The complaint against Booker or
Brooks was made by Post Office Inspector
Charles Fl. Pendleton of Boston who, as
sisted by other inspectors. have been
working upon this case for some time.
Booker is said to have advertised in
several papers throughout Massachusetts,
to give work to women and girls at their
homes. 1t was one of those ADVERTISE
ments which, say that fortunes can be
made right at home if only the persons
replying to the advertisement will follow
instructions. When the first answer to
| this advertisement would be received
Booker, SO it is charged, would send the
| applicant some circulars and other read
| ing matter explaining his scheme. In
| this circular he stated that he was a
manufacturer of neck ties. If the appli-
Ia +xxyn dolI f,,,
outfit he would give them a chance to
make money very fast. Then, having re-
| ceived tho 50, Booker would return a
neclStie as a sample and with it some
material, and it is alleged that he would
promise work to the applicant as soon as
they showed an ability to make neckties
satisfactory to the company. This scheme
was operated from Brunswick, Auburn,
Lewiston and Lisbon Falls. The name
under which it was worked were G. D.
Brooks & Co.. Marshal & Brooks, and
some others.
It was December 10th when United
States Marshal Saunders received the war
with information that the man had left
Lewiston for parts unknown. Immedi-
ately the officials in the marshal's Office
began their search for the man first try
ing to locate him by means of letters. Or
Tuesday of this week they learned that
Booker had been seen in Brunswick on
Monday and Immediately warrant for
his arrest was sent to Deputy Marshal
Norton at Augusta Tuesday night Mr..
Norton went to Brunswick and after
hunting about that town for him learned
that Booker hao left for parts unknown.
Heffound out however, that before leaving
Brunswick he had left instructions with
certain people to secure his mail and what
ever express matter might come to him
and forward it to Lewiston. Mr.. Norton
went to lisbon Falls, then to Auburn
and finally to Lewiston and there found
out from certain people that Booker had
written from Portland to have his mail
and express matter sent to him to the
Portland office. Wednesday night Mr..
Norton came to Portland and Thursday
morning at nine o'clock took up his stand
in the Portland post Office to watch for
his man of whom he had an excellent de-
scription.
Mr.. Norton felt certain that Booker
would either come to the Portland office