The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-31
Burglars Cries Aroused
Neighborhood.
Man Proved to Be Crook Well
Known to Police.

George W. Gray of 4s Ellsworth street
captured a burglar just before midn light
after an exciting chase and a fierce
struggle in the dark. The burglar was
Edward O. Boyce Of Ligonia and when he
attempted to break in Mr.. Gray's house
he made the greatest mistake IN S life.
Mr. Gray, who is the engineer at the
Maine General hospital, had been out of
the city last evening at one e the subur-
ban resorts. The family returned home
at a late hour and went to bed. Mr.. Gray
had been asleep about an hour and a half
when he was awakened by an unusual
noise about the house He listened for a
while and became convinced that some
one was trying to force open a window
on the ground floor. He quickly got out
Of bed and got into his clothes Then.
without stopping to arm himself he went
down stairs, the noise having been re-
peated several times while he was dress
ing. AS he started down stairs making
as little noise as possible he thought he
heard someone rummaging down stairs.
Locating the sound Mr.. Gray made dash
into the room where it seemed TO be and
by the dim light saw man make a
break for the window, which he had
forced open, and jump out into the
street. Mr.. Gray did not hesitate to
follow him. He unlocked the front do or
and as he got out into the street he saw
the figure OF q man running ahead of him
at full speed. The burglar soon took to
the vacant lot behind the Maine General
hospital and Mr.. q ray lost no time in
L. ISL
the danger OF chasing a desperate man
under these conditions was considerable,
but Mr.. Gray did not hesitate to do so.
The burglar showed himself to be
sprinter of no mean qualities but so was
Mr.. Gray. After a short but exciting
chase Mr.. Gray caught up with the man
and threw himself upon him. The bur-
glar was then very near the fence in front
of the hospital. Mr.. Gray grappled
with the man and after fierce struggle
threw him to the ground. Over and over
they rolled, the burglar fighting for his
liberty with all the strength of a man
with years OF confinement staring him
in the face and Mr.. Gray with the cOur-
age OF desperation But the burglar was
no match for the man who had captured
him. He could not shake off the man who
held him by the throat. After some
minutes of struggling without raising a
cry for assistance Mr. Gray got the bur
glar' arms behind his back and almost
twisted them out OF their sockets With
his weight resting on the man back Mr..
Gray held on like grim death and the
burglar howIed with pain as the firm
grasp frightened on his arms. The cries
o the man aroused the quiet neighbor-
hood. Men, women and children came
running out of doors in their night
clothes thinking that someone was being
murdered for the man s cries We're those
of one in great pain and fear.
fGhn fret eOr91arE Offerad tn Give Mr.
Gray assistance but he told them to go
and telephone for the police as he could
care for the burglar all right alone. And
he continued to rest his weight on the
mans s back, now and then giving the
arms a twist when the burglar became
little too aggressive, while the crowd
standing around looked on with grim ap-
prevail as Mr.. Gray calmly related what
had occurred.
Il Deputy Marshal FIRTH Officers Smith
and Phillips, who were at the police sta
tion, answered the telephone call in the
patrol wagon. They recognized the pris-
oner at once as Edward q. Boyce who
has long been known to the police as
desperate character. Boyce was ugly
and disposed to show fight but 1t was
all up with him and he finally subsidized
into suIIen silence. He is a man about
10 years old and the police say he has not
worked for a long time, but has drank a
good deal of rum. He viii probably be
arraigned in the police court this morn
ing.
Mr.. Gray was a little out of breath and
perspiring freely when the police otfi-
GERS arrived, but he was not at all in
iured. He had taken big chances in
tackling desperate man in the dark, but
modestIy said that what he had done was
nothing more than any other man
would have done under similar condi-
tions. But it is safe to say that there
are few men who would have been will
ing to risk an encounter with a burglar
in the dark as Mr.. Gray did last night
without a thought OF danger.
The burglar had evidently reckOned on
getting into a house which was unocou~
v1iad and having pIenty of time in steal