The Worcester spy., 1899-07-25
Police Drag Net Put
Out and the Build.
ing Recovered.
A SLICK PARTY FROM MILLBURY.
Four Sets of Dump Cart
Wheels Transported
the Structure.


for the people Of VVproestep. Yesterday
hundreds of residents of this city, who
had read the story about the theft OF
the house from NJ. " B. Jeneersonas
land on Belmont street, Friday, visited
South Harding street to get look at
tpe structure, which was picked up an
the night and safely moved ovep two
miles and again planted.
The matter has been in the hands
'of the police now since Friday, aud
several officers who saw the house
moved from its first location on Bel
mont street to its present resting place
on South Harding street, did not have
the slightest idea what had become OF
1t until they read yesterday mornings
Spy.
officer Benjamin Franklin Brown.
who saw the structure mounted on
-FOUR sets OF dump cart wheels, disap-
pear down summer street Friday morn
ing, gave description of the building
70 his brother officers, who were or
dered to look it up. Yesterday he deoid.
ed, after reading The Spy, that 1t was
his duty to go down and see the strange
structure on Harding street and make
sure 1t was the same one. He rods
down with Officer O'Marrah on the po@
lice team, and gave the house a. care,
N|~A~htA9
identified it as the one he saw eoinS
on Summer street, and is willing to
swear to it.
Othcer Porter, who was standing near
the corner when the men came after
the building, has also looked into the
matter and has discovered who took the
structure and who ordered it taken.
The four men who came after the
house, all hail from Millbury. One of
them, Charles Horne, had charge of
one pair Of the horses which assisted
IN moving it, and John Wilmot. a mo-
torman on the Millbury division Of the
Worcester and Suburban Street rail-
way, also bad a hand in the midnight
moving. They were accompanied by
two friends and a young woman from
Springfield, who attended the Butchers
and Grocers' excursion the day before
and wished to see "a real house
moved
They received their orders to move
the building from Mrs. Mary Comtoise,
who resides at Fox street. She de-
clded to have it moved only after con-
sulting a wellknown local lawyer.
she says that she had a bill of sale
for the building which she got three
years ago, when 1t was purchased, and
she let it stand on Mr.. Jefferson's land.
with the understanding that it was all
right. She wanted to move it, but a
question arose about the legality, and
she consulted a lawyer.
-Four horses owned by Mr. Harris OF
M1llbury were secured and also four
sets of dump cart wheels with a pole
attached to each set. The procession
formed in Millbury with the young wo-
man from Springfield as the guest Of
the evening, and slowly it wended it's
way towards this city There were no
mlshaps on the way, and the party
reached the house without having to
answer single question.
OfncerS Porter and Donahue We're at
the corner when the caravan arrived.
and after a few questions as to what
they were going to do. and how they
were going to do 1t, were asked. the
men were allowed to get down to work,
and In short time the house was load
ed on to the wheels with pair Of horses
httched to each of the tow poles in
front The other tow poles protruded
from the rear Of the house, and two
men looked after these and saw that
the load was steered all right.
When they turned a corner, it was
necessary to unhiteh the horses from
the tow poles in front and attach them
to the poles In the rear. 1t took TX
minutes to do this trick. and it was
done five times while the house was in
transit.
When they reached the new location
..
Hemmenway was on hand to greet
them He gave few suggestions as
to how the house should be steered into
its resting place.
A piece of the fence had to be torn
off before the house could be towed
IN from the street, but this was done
without any trouble, and finally it was
safely deposited on the ground on two
rollers, where it now rests.
Officer Hemmenway asked the men
II they had permit to move the house.
and they replied that they did not need
any.
A number Of signs adorned the out.
side of the building, and these were
carefully torn off. Other marks Of iden-
uhcation were also removed, but in
spite of the disguise, the members az
the Worcester police department who
have seen 1t, are willing to swear that
1t is the same house which was form
erly on Mr.. Jefferson's land.
Mr.. Jefferson heard OF the loss op
the house the next morning. Several
residents of that neighborhood after
getting up, looked out Of their windows
and could hardly believe they We're
awake, They were all willing to bet
money that the house was there the
night before.
Mr.. Jefferson reported the matter to
Chief of Police James NJ. brennan.
The chief thought he was the victim
of q practical joke for a minute. but
soon realized that 1t was nothing in
the joke line. He detailed men to look
after it. Some of the sleuths visited
the spot where the house once stood
and thought Of doing as Sherlock
Holmes would have done under the
same conditions-loolS for footprints or
see IL they could get a splinter from
the missing structure. Pawn shops
were in line for a thorough search,
and mysterious individuals with wood
piles recently replenished were in dam
ger of being called on for an explana-
tion.
The members Of the license board falj
to see what they have been appointed
for and feel badly because they were
not consulted in the matter.
Mrs. Comtoise has her house down on
South Harding street, where she thinks
it looks much better than 1t did up on
Belmont street, and M. " B. Jefferson.
1t Is said, threatens a civil suit to de-
eide the ownership.
Police officers are in a quandary and