Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-21
A BOXED detective.
Sharp Work Which Caught Thief Of
Goods Coming to Augusta.

The interesting story of q Boston
officers work in catching a man in the
act of stealing leather which was in a
freight car being shipped to the c. A.
Eaton & Co. factory of this city is told
as follows in the Boston Post.
Like detective story from the
memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is the
exploit of special agent N. p. Sargent
of the Boston {. Maine railroad which
resulted in the arrest of William
Dohcrty, a freight handler employed in
the Charlestown freight yards Of the
company.
Doherty is suspected of many of the
thefts from freight cars which have an
nuyed the railroad officials for months.
Doherty was found guilty in the
Charlestown District Court yesterday
and sentenced by Judge Bragg to six
months in the house of correction. He
appealed.
SO many complaints had been made
to the officers of the road of small
thefts Of leather. bottled liquor, shirt
waists and other articles of wearing
apparel, and general merchandise of
every description, that it was decided
that something out of the ordinary must
be done.
Whenever a watch was placed on the
cars, the thieving suddenly stopped.
Finally Assistant Agent Sargent sug-
gested Z plan to Chief Special Agent
NJ j. George, which met with the lat
ter's approval.
Mr.. Sargent suggested that a large
box lie constructed within which he
would make the journey Fl, M Boston
to Augusta, Me. inside one of the
freight cars. Most OF the thcving was
from shipments 10 points on the Maine
Central road.
The big box WAS about six feet high.
five feet long and three feet vide. II
was nilled as :, case Of machinery and
on each side of the case were peep
holes, SO mat Sargent could see what
was going on, no matter where the box
was placed.
About S O'Clock Saturday morning.
Jan. II. Mr. Sargent went inside the
box, with "A Sufficient supply If food TO
last him two or three days. He was
also provided with saws. axes, etc.
with which be could cut his way out in
case Of accident.
Tenmster c. \. Whipplc of Brockton
called for the box and carried it t. the
freight car. in which was a large con-
signncnt OF leather from G. A. Eaton
& Co. OF i;rockton to his factory IN
Augusta Nc. A number of cut solcs
wcrr in the consignment. in lal &c bur
lap bags.
At Freight House Il, in the Charles
town yards. the gang Of freight
handlers of which William Doherty
WAS foreman. loaded the freight car.
Sargent and his box were placed in q
far corner OF the car. where through
che Of the peepho!es, he had 4 fine View
of the whole interior.
"They couldn't Rave placed ME in
better position If l had asked them
said Mr.. Sargent, yesterday. Doherty
and an assistant mad special charge OF
storing the car. While the work was
being done, Mr.. Sargent's eyes were
riveted upon the men.
Nothing happened until about .
o'clock Saturday afternoon, when l saw
Doherty enter the car alone,' said Mr..
Sargent to a Post. reporter yesterday.
take out a number OF cut soIes. He
placed them in his hip pockets. Be
tween . and O'Clock Doherty made
three trips to the car, taking out q
large number of the scles each time.
II did not leave the car. Thinking
that Doherty must have n confederate.
l hoped that l might find out who he
was -
HE must have disposed of the goods
to somebody, but we were unable to
find out who the man was who took
them.
Il remained in the box up to O'Clock
Sunday morning, when the car arrived
at Portland There they opened the
box and let me out. ] did not suffer at
all except a little from the cold Satur-
day night / had plenty to cat. but did
not Sleep
Doherty is IS years old. and for the
past nine years has been trusted en-
ployee Of the road. He was arrested
on warrant last Wednesday while at
work at Freight House Il. He has
been out on bail ever since his arrest.
and appeared in court promptly yester-
day morning when his case was called
Sargent is being congratulated by his
associates on the success Of his little
scheme