Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-08
Town Of Pittston Has a
Mystery On Its Hands,
Strange Visitor Who Quickly
Dropped Out Of Sight.
Many Theories But No Sherlock Holmes al
Hand 10 Solve the Mystery.

Gardiner. Me, August 1.-(SpeciaD.-
4 For a whole week past, the people who
f live in Pittston in the vicinity of
= Joyce's Pond. have been deeply agi-
tated over Il mystery that has en-
) veloped the peaceful community. n
rumor of this mystery. for the affair
has now assumed proportions that
would require the genius of "A Sherlock
Holmes to solve, WAS circulated in this
i city, this morning, and a representative
of the Journal drove out to the pond,
some seven miles from The city. and
found the Joyce's Pond ro'ks in Il state
of considerable excitement. The story
hinges entirely on the mysterious APP
pearance, ana subsequent disappear
ance of an unknown man, and the best
version of the affair was the Journal
man furnished by Harry Grant.
On Tuesday morning of last week.
Mr.. Grant was walking near the old
grant place, unoccupied for year.,
which is situated back from the road,
and but d few rods from JOyce's Pond.
OF a sudden, his attention WAS attrac-
ted to one of the barns on the property.
and he was just in time to see Il
strange man dart behind the barn.
Mr. Grant ran over to the place and
hurried around the building. but the
stranger was nowhere IN sight. 1mme-
dlately, Mr.. Grant heard cracking
and disturbance in a clump of raspber-
~ bushes Il few feet from the barn. He
ran over to the spot, from whence is
.5ued the sounds, but the man had again
disappeared as if swallowed up by the
earth. These bushes StaEd apart by
themselves, AS was found on exami-
nation. today, and are completely sur
rounded by open field. Where the man
could have gone, is one of the most per-
picking features of the affair.
: Mr.. Grant gave up the search, and
returned to the barn. Inside, on the
main floor he found a straw hat, a pair
OF russell highcut shoes, black hose, a
toothbrush. and a pint earthern-warc
> bowl and silver spoon. An examination
of one of the hay-mows showed that
some person had tramplcd down the
, hay, and had evidently passed one or
: more nights there. The shoes, hose and
hat were drenched with water. and Mr..
. Grant carried them from the barn and
placed them on rock. n few feet from
: the main door of the barn. on the north
4 end, which he had found open, and re-
p tired to another barn, which faces the
s bigger one, and which is situated few
4 yards away.
c Mr. Grant remained in the old
e barn nearly two hours. and never
y for q moment did he remove his eyes
from the big barn. AS noon ap-
S preached, Mr.. Grant came from his
hiding place and, finding that the shoes,
: hose and hat had driel, carried them
back into the barn. The bowl and
spoon had disappeared! N"twithstand-
4 ing the fact that the bowl and spoon
were left. as they had beer found. in
the middle of the barn floor, and that
Y both doors we're under strict sur
vcllence during the two hours that Mr..
Grant remained in hiding in the other
barn the mysterious stranger had evil
: IDENTIFY returned, regaia"d possession Of
his bowl and spoon, and again disap-
peared.
Mr.. Grant was much perpcXed
, ahd returned to his home. about
| a mile up the road from tho old home
stead. He returned again that day, but
, found the shoes, and other property as
he had left them. Other people living
, in that vicinity reported seeing The
. | strange fellow. bare Of foot and with
| out a head-coverinG during the week.
| and 1t is said that he WAS seen on the
road near the old Grant place, last
| | Friday.
r The mystery has been talked over
: and over again, in the little country
: store which is run by +, p. Morrill,.
The folks are much concerned, and
several theories We're advanced Nester-
day. when the Journal man talked with
farmers living 'in the vicinity. Many
believe that the man was one of the
many summer bOarders that visit the
farm houses near the pond, others that
that he was the Unity man who re-
;. Gently made his escape from the State
, Hospital Cor the Insane, and others
think that the fellow may have been a
Gardiner or Augusta resident. suddenly
gone insane. The latter theory is sup
!. rorted by the property that the man
left behind. The straw hat was pur-
chased at the Augusta establishment
4 of the H. G. Barker Co. 1t is sailor
shape. imitation manila straw, size I
and the price tag is marked "355-s1 So
The shoes are high-cut blucher last
~ tans. and of "W. l.. Douglass" make
]. The shoes have been worn a great
deal. and the heels have been REIN
forced by steel heel-plates. The hose
are of cheap material and black in
color. This property. together with 4
tooth brush. furnishes the only clue ia
: the identity of the man of mystery
Y. The consistent opinion of the Pittstor
peODla who arc in OoScocciop of Oh.
above facts. appears to turn toward
the suicide theory. The pond is loca-
IN ted very conveniently to the old Grant
homestead. and the fact that the mar
- has not been seen in the vicinity since
last Friday. has influenced the Pitts.
I'd ION toIks IN the belief that his body