Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-02
ROUNDED UP.
Officer White Takes in a Gang
of Sneak Thieves.
They Show Fight, but He Lands Three
in the Station.
3
i arse Amount of Stolen Goods Found
= s-onc Man Escapes.

OLiCt-Es w Illle IOullueu up lIlIcC VI a
ganG of four sneak thieves at the north
end, Saturday night, and in doing so
| mad for few minutes one of the live
| lest times of his life. During the even
! ing he received complaints that several
houses had been entered, and articles
stolen therefrom, and at once started
out to look for the thieves.
There had been four men in town,
Friday. which the police had considered
suspicious characters, and had had I'M
der surveillance, and when Mr.. White
ran across the four near the watering
trough at the upper end of Water
street, he did not hesitate in starting
in to arrest them.
But when he took the first man, who
gave the name of John Thompson, the
other three started down the street on
the run, disappearing in the boarding
house kept by Jerry Doyon, and known
as the London house.
Mr.. White quickly turned his prison.
e." over to John Cormier, who was near,
and started for the fugitives, finding
them in the house above mentioned.
One of them, Geo. Anderson, showed
fight, but when the officer gave him a
fact George at once forgot that he ever
had any pugilistic propensities, and
was as gentle as a lamb.
The third man was working the Grip
pie dodge, and carried a crutch, so of
course it would not be good form for
him to put up any fight, but the fourth,
light colored mulatto, had more
courage, and made a rush at the officer
to do him up.
Hhere, however, was where he erred
for he got a blow on the point of the
jaw which landed him out in the
street. and almost put him out of the
business. The officer could not leave
the other two which he had on his
hands. SO the cream colored gentleman
started on the run down street. and
was not seen again. AS train No. 2 was
just crossing the bridge at the time, it
is supposed that he boarded it and got
out of town.
When Messrs White and Cormier
had landed the prisoners at the station
they were searched, and enough goods
were found upon them to stock bar
gain counter. There were hats, caps,
pair of ladies' shoes which had never
been Worn, shoestrings, neckties, a
jackknife, one of a pair of mems kan
CARGO shoes, pair of shears, a shay
ing brush and several other articles.
On the lame man, who was pleased
to call himself John Mullen, was found
a begging card such as is generally
used by professional "cripples,'' but as
Johns lameness completely left him
when he first saw the officer, it is sus-
"a:
termittent nature.
After being searched, the three were
locked up to await their hearing, which
will take place at the municipal court
room, this morning.
Sunday night Officer White made a
search for a number of articles which
had been reported missing, and found
them, including the mate to the shoe
which was found in the possession of
the thieves when searched at the sta
ton, where they had been dropped ac-
cidentally, or thrown away.
Another incident occurred, Saturday
evening, on train No. %, which may or
may not nave some connection With the
case above mentioned. When the train
left South Gardiner station eight men
jumped it, boarding the forward end
of the express car. When discovered
they were rounded up in the car by the
train men, and on the arrival of the
train at Augusta, the services of Officer
Ward were enlisted, with the result
that seven of the eight paid their fare
without a murmur. The eighth, how
ever refused to contribute the neces-
sary collateral, and things were grow
no fnr him Uhan tho nt bprs
paid for him, and he was allowed to go.
1t is the opinion of the police that
these men were a part of the gang
which officer White arrested, later in
the evening, and that the four had been
sent ahead to get the lay of the land,
with view to making a general haul.
1t is also thought that the mulatto who
escaped, warned the rest of the gang,
and that they got out of town as soon
as possible.