Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-06-04
CAPTURED BURGLARS.
TWO WHO WILL CRACK NO MORE
SAFES FOR A SEASON.
SAFE BLOWN IN ANDOvER POST OFFICE
AND NEARLY NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS
sEcURED.-BURGLARs cAUGHL AFTER
HOT CHASE.

ANDOvER, May %.
After being followed for more thar
six miles by a score of citizens, TIVE
burglars who entered this post Office ant
wrecked the safe and injured the build
ing at l 80 this morning escaped into thu
woods with their plumber, which includ
ed money and stamps to the amount o.
$SS6.00. But they were captured later
The building in which the post Office
is kept is small one-story building sit
uated very near the residence of Post.
master Harry NJ. Thomas. The sound OF
the explosion was heard by several resi-
dents of the village. Mr.. Thomas and
family were not awakened and knew
nothing of the occurrence until arovsed
by the neighbors.
A hasty examination of the post office
was made, and several started in pursuit
of the burglars. In the mean time
Sheriffs Porter and Elliott of the Falls
were telephoned to, and came at once.
There was no trouble in following, as
the tracks could be easily followed, lead
ing in the direction of Rumford Falls.
The robbers kept the road till they
reached Roxbury Notch. Then they
took to the woods.
Some of the party abandoned the
chase, but the officers kept at it, and
when near the notch they met one Nc
Innis, who being questioned said he saw
two men only a few rods back in the
woods, who started off upon the run as
he approached them. This gave the
officers courage, and they turned back
upon the run and soon found the tracks
leading off into back pasture. Without
stopping for mud or water they soon
came in sight of the burglars, who on
seeing the officers, threw away their
grip and started on the dead run for the
woods, but the crack of the pistol
brought them to a halt, and they were
soon in the hands of the law. Upon
their persons was found the most of the
money, only about $4,000 missing. They
were chained together and taken to the
Falls.
At the time of the capture there were
in the pursuing party F. p. Thomas and
+. NJ. Thomas and others from Andover,
Deputy Sheriffs Porter and Elliott and
others from Rumford, and number of
volunteers who had come to the scene,
making party of about forty in all.
They were we'll armed, some of them
having Winchester rifles, and two or
three shots were fired before the burg
lars surrendered. The men were first
seen by son of Hugh McInnes while he
was in the pasture after horse, and he
informed the officers where the men
were.
The robbers gained entrance to the
post office building by forcing window
with tools stolen from Keith's black
smith shop. In blowing the safe nitro
glycerine was used, and the job was
done in an effectual manner. The safe
was literally blown to pieces, the door
being blown through an adjoining parti-
ton, while the windows were shattered
and the furniture broken.
The citizens were greatly relieved
when the news came that the thieves
were in safe keeping, as they are sup
posed to be part of the gang that are do
ing the same thing in different parts of
the state.
The men gave their names as Robert
McLain and John jenkins, and said they
belonged in Detroit, Mich. In the
Falls Municipal Court Wednes-
day they were arraigned and pleaded
not guilty. Judge Johnson, however,
bound them over in the sum of $1,000
each to the United States court which
meets at Bangor Tuesday. They were
LODGED in Jail in Auburn and later were
taken to Bangor.
The property not recovered was $500
in money, which the men said was in
coppers and they threw it away, and
$50. 90 in stamps.