Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-19
LOCAL MATTERS.
LONG HUNT ENDED.
Joseph LefeWe Located in a
Canadian Jail.
Wanted Here for Assault With Intent
to Kill and Robbery.
His Victim was Michael Burns of the
Riverside Hotel.

There is now every reason to believe
that a few weeks will see Joseph Lee
fevre. who has been wanted in Au-
gusta, since March last, in cell in
the county Jail awaiting trial. Le-
fevre is under Indictment for an as
sault with intent to kill upon Michael
Burns lin March, and for the larceny
of $500 from him. The search for
him has been a long one, and has taken
the officer, who was engaged in the
Investigation, over many thousand
miles of the United States and Canada.
AT times it has seemed to be a hope
less chase, but, last week, it bore fruit
and the man was located in a Cana
dian Jail, where he is serving sentence
for pocket picking.
One cold raw night in March, boys
reported to the police that a drunken
man was laid out in what is locally
known as 1.-THE pit" back of the Farm
er's hotel. The officers went there and
found that the man was not only
drunk, but that he was terribly beaten
and in an unconscious condition. He
was Michael Burns, proprietor of the
Riverside hotel.
He was removed to the station and
physicians called. The examination by
the medical men showed that he was
in very serious condition. They We're
of the opinion that had thefinding been
delayed much longersdeatf1 would cer-
tainly have resulted frem the combined'
effects of the beating and exposure.
e AS it was, there were grave fears,
as to his recovering but being of IA
tn ~
time, recovered his usual health. III
That night so soon as he was ables
to talk, he told the officers that he shajf
been at a place in the north. end drink
ing with some men and they had as
saulted him and stolen $500, which he
on his person at the time and then talk
en- him to the place where he was
found. He gave. the best DESCRIPTION
that he could of the men and the local
officers went to work upon the. case.
In the time whchsh ehPsed be-
tween the assault and Robbery and the
finding of Burns the cardinals had
made their escape. They.had so COM
plctely disappeared that IT was some
time before any trace of them was
secured. Two men were arrested 'Sesr
suspicion but, as the case develonfI
they were released. 1t was aboGN. tfffs
time that the police connected Nefkere
with the assault. They spaeaeaed in
securing what they considered very
good evidence against him, but were
unable to find the man.
At the April session of the grand
jury an indictment was found against
him.
Ci,,f.f nrtt IF
Portland. investigator of criminal cases,
who was put at work upon the case by
County Attorney Leigh, the county at
toruey and Sheriff Ham have been con-
atantly engaged in looking up Informal
ton which would lead to the capture
of the man.
1t certainly seemed like n hopeless
case until a few weeks ago, when in
formation was received. which stated
that the man was in Winnipeg. Inquiries
by wire and letter appeared to confirm
the report. capt Hartnctt at once left
for Winnipeg. He found that the man
there was not the Lefevre that the Au-
gusta officers wanted. Further invcs-
tiGations lead hi.n TO come east to the
Province of Quebec and there he got
upon track of his man, eventually To-
eating him in Jail there, as above stat
ed. He interviewed LefeVre, who
first denied ever having been in Maine,
but eventually admitted that he had
been down here. and was so Saucy as
to ask the captain how much he was
going to get for catching him.
County Attorney Leigh has begun
proceedings to secure the extradition
.-of Lcfcvre and have him brought here
for trial.