Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-20
BURGLARY CASE.
One Being Considered by the
Federal Grand Jury.
Man and Woman Implicated in Maine
Postoffce Robberies.
That Is at Present Claim Of the Gov.
eminent.

Portland, Me, April 19.-One OF the
most important matters brought to the
attention of tine United States circuit
court grand jury. which began its de-
,iberations in this city, Tuesday. is the
Southwest Harbor post office burglary
case.
This case has a very interesting local
feature. 1t was in Portland that tn.
two Of whose members are now in the
Cumberland county Jail. made head
quarters. planned operations and dis
posed of the "swag." Members of the
Portland police department had a
prominent part in the round up.
Several months ago Post Office In
spector ChaS. T.. Jennings was assigned
by federal authorities to an investiga-
ton Of the rural post Office burglary
epidemic in Maine. He had not been
long in his quest when he became con-
WINGED that the jobs were all being
committed by one gang, and that its
headquarters must be somewhere in or
near Portland. 1t was then that the
assistance of the Portland police de-
partment was solicited. Deputy Firth
worked quietly in conjunction with In
spector Jennings. with the result that
two arrests were made.
William Huddle was the first to be
arrested. When he was taken into
| camp he was entered on the police sta
ton list as simply detained under sus-
picion." AS it was believed that the
publication of his arrest would operate
| against locating the other members of
his supposed gang, the officers at work
| on the case requested that no mention
| be made of the matter by the local
papers, and their request was complied
| with.
One other arrest was made in this
city, but the third member of the COM
bine has not yet been located. Mrs.
Minnie ORourke was located at 4 Stet-
son place. off Park street. She and her
husband. WE. O'Rourke, the much
wanted man. had been keeping house
there and their home is said to have
been the banding place Of the post
office breakers. Her part In the crime
is said to have been that of an accom-
plice and disposcr of the stolen STAMPS.
In the arrest of IIuddle Mr. Jennings,
| Deputy Marshal Firth. Police Inspector
Pickett and Policeman Long figured.
| The house was surrounded. and when
the young man saw the strength of the
combination against him he submitte
and peacefully accompanied the officers
to the police station
| The prisoner was put through sew
| erll courses of sprouts" at the police
station and some interesting clues OBJ
tained. though he stoutly denied the
accusation against him. He was taken
TO the county Jail and ON arraignment
was bound over to the circuit court.
Bail was fixed at $1,000 and no one came
forward to furnish his surety
Shortly after Huddle's arrest Mrs,
O'Rourke WAS taken into custody on
n charge of receiving stolen goods and
she. too. went to jail TO await the grand
jury's action.
Post Office burglaries committed. last
year i'm Brewer. Van Duran and South
west Harbor are believed to have been
committed by O'Rourke and Huddle
but only the Southwest Harbor job is
mentioned in the warrant on which he
was bound over. Inspector Jennings
has succeeded i'm infinitely tracing the
movement Of the burglars in that job
which was committed. July 81. The
parties are believed to have left here
by steamer for Mount Desert and
worked up the line to the field of oper-
atoms The inspector says he has found
that they kept under cover of the
woods much of the time by day.
Heavy implements with which the
safe in the post office was drilled were
procured in the store and a neighbOr-
ing blacksmith shop. From a stable
blankets weer obtained for use in COW
ering the store windows and deaden-
ing the noise of the explosion. The
burglars obtained about $500 in money
and postage stamps. They carried off n
bundle of papers which were of no use
to them. and were discarded along the
railroad track. To deceive pursuers
the burglars doubled their course.
Making their way to Bangor, the
burglars with their booty returned tC
Portland. Some of the fruits Of that
Job have been gathered by the officers
at this end of the line.
1t is claimed by the federal officer
THAT explosives used by this gang in
its work were manufactured in the
house at Stetson place. Some OF the
ingredients for the manufacture Of ex-
plosives were found when the officers
searched the house.
! Huddle is 81 years of age and it is
claimed that IA years of his life have
been passed in Canadian prisons. The
iO'Rourkes are also said to have jail
records, Mrs. O'Rourke having served
time in Bangor They are said to have
come here from Canada.
The grand jury of the circuit court
went into session at 10 o'clock, after
lbeinr addressed by Judge Hale i'm re.