Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-13
TEN DOLLARS BAIL
For Man 10 Charged With Crime
Of Breaking and Entering.
Hatten Claims Alexander Was at His
House Day Of Break.
Brown Says Crime Was Committed
Fast Day, Warrant Says April 20. !

Wnlle William F. Alexander may no'
De the seventh son of seventh son, ne
mas mad, for the past half year, ire
mendous run of good lnck, which fit on
ly holds out ought to do some wonder
ful things for him. Twice in that length
OF time has this god luck pulled MN
out OF Jail cell and now it looks as
though 1t might keep him from filling
down one in the States prison at
Ihomaston. Since the later days OF
April. last, William has been languish-
in one of the cells of the kennebec
county Jail, charged with the serious
offence of breaking and entering, but
on Saturday afternoon, he was made
! free, being released on the surprisingly
low bail of $40, by reason of the pro-
ducing of information which tends 10
establish very substantial alibi for
him.
| In April, last. the residence Of Asa
| Townsend at North Augusta, was
| broken into and some things stolen
! therefrom. The case was reported to
| the officials and they began work.
About the same time there were three
breaks in the town of Litchfield, and
after they had worked some time on
the case the officers We're convinced
that they had evidence to warrant the
arrest of one Charles Brown, Which
they did. Brown confessed to the
crime, was given a hearing and re-
manded to Jail to await the action OF
the grand jury in September.
Not long after this, City Marshal
Breen visited Brown in Jail for the pur-
pose of questioning him as to what had
become of a certain pockethook con-
talning papers, taken from the Town.
send house.
1t was here that Alexander appeared
in the case.
Brown, having made a confession,
had no reason for being reticent and
so talked very freely. The sum total
of what he said was that William Alex
an0er of Litchfield had been associat-
ed with him in the job and had taken
the book and the papers which it con-
tanned and, for all he knew, still re-
tanned possession of them.
Information of that kind, coming
from the confessed criminal, seemed to
be pretty conclusive and the officers at
once started out to locate Alexander.
Both Sheriff Ham and Marshal Breen
took hand in the work and 1t was on
ly a few days when they had the young
man in custody. He was brought to
Augusta and given a hearing before
Judge Andrews of the municipal court.
on the charge of breaking and entering
the Townsend house, on April 20, the
hearing being held in the Jail office.
He would say nothing, neither plead
ing guilty or innocence, so that, after
the hearing what evidence the officers
saw fit to introduce, Judge Andrews
felt warranted in finding probable
cause and holding him for the Septem-
Der grand jury in the sum of $1,000
The limit was too much for William
and his friends so he tossed up his
cards and retired behind the big iron
door which separates the jail office
from the cell door.
1t was supposed that this was the end
of the case until September, but there
was another factor in it which had not
appeared at the time and which no one
considered would appear.
This factor was the alibi.
At the time of his arrest, Alexander
was working for a farmer namd Hat
ten in Litchfield and Mr.. Hatten took
an interest in the young mans case.
So great was this interest that he be-
gan Investigating the story of Brown
and others. He learned that on the
day which the warrant alleged as the
date of the crime, Alexander was at
work at his place, being there all day
and all that night. If such was the
case then it was very evident that
Alexander could not have had any con-
nection with the break. He saw Mr..
Townsend and that gentleman stated
positively tht the break occurred on
Fast day and not on the goth of April.
Brown was seen and he didn't know
the date of the break other than that 1t
was on the day that the caucus was
held at North Augusta, last spring.
Reference to the records of the city
clerk showed that the caucus was held
on Fast day. bearing out the state
ment of Townsend.
With this information, Mr.. Hatten
saw Judge Andrews and Saturday af
ternoon a second hearing was held in
the Jail office in the young mans case,
with the result that Judge Andrews re-
duCed the amount OF pail exactly S3Ju
Mr. Hatten furnished the surities of $40
and he and William departed.
But while Brown said that the job
was done on Fast day he did not re-
tract and say that Alexander was not
connected with him in it.
In connection with this case 1t IS in
teresting to note that on March 20, last,
| the cigar store of c. Fred Clement, 80
| Water street, Hallowell, was broken in
| to and that the crime was traced to
| Brown, who, upon being arrested.
weakened and said it was he who did
| the lob He wasn't content to stop
! there. for he added that he was aided
and abbetted by one William f. Alex
ander; said William F. being the one
and the same who was released from
iaiI. Saturday. William, so Brown as
serted, helped him to force an entrance,
! went in, took the cigars and tobacco
| and passed them out to him. William
| was arrested and both were held for
| the grand jury in April. That body
failed to return an indictment against
them and they were released.