Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-04
STARTLING
OF OFFICER BROWN.
Admits Robbing Many Portland Stores
and Says: IAN Not Crazy but at
Times lam Just Simply Bad"

Portland, Me, March 3-(SpeciaD.-
One OF the most remarkable and dram
attic stories OF crime ever told iii this
city was listened to by County Attor-
ney Joseph E. F. Connolly at the Jail
here this afternoon, when Police Officer
George II. Brown confessed to robbing
nearly every place of business on his
route during the four years just past.
The confession was made in the pres
cnce of the prisoners counsel, Frank
f. Moore, and was a free and volun-
tary statement. Brown has been ar
rested three times and is now in Jail
on the third complaint, having failed to
obtain bail.
During his confession he mentioned
the name Of another person, whose ar
rest is expected tonight, but whose
name has not been given out by the
police.
Since Browns first arrest several
quarts of keys and many articles since
identified as having been stolen from
retail stores, We're found in the waters
of Back bay, where he confessed yes
entering 16 stores on his route but
Chief OF Police Dresser believes that he
entered and stole from many more to
which he did not confess.
County Attorney Connolly has given
out the following statement: This
confession was obtained by me as
result Cf representing to Brown that
in many stores goods had been missed
and suspicion directed against many
clerks and while no promise of i'm
munity was offered yet | felt that as
we would be unable to secure evidence
of the breaks it would be better all
around if the story was tod and sus-
picion removed from many innocent
clerks.
1.-The state has presented Brown on
three cases in which it has conclusive
proof ana it is doubtful if he be pre-
scented on any more"
The confession reads as follows:
Il suppose | will feel better if | tell
the whole story; it might drive away
the CHESTS that haunted me last night;
the faces OF the men from whom L
took things, that were appearing be-
fore me IN my sleep and pointing at
me as the one who stole them, and
keeping me awake. | am glad that l
was caught and l knew 1 would be at
some time. / haven't been bad all the
time, and | haven't stolen every time
[ had a chance. any times l have
found doors open and l could have
got away with good but didn't. At
other times, something kept telling me
to take the stuff, that it belonged to
me as much as it did to anyone, that
| never had anything and to take it
and be comfortable.
Il have had hard life, Mr.. Connolly,
my father died when l was two years
old and my mother died when L was
10 and since then l had to look out for
myself. | sold candy for - cents a
week and part of the time slept in Il
shed. l have knocked around since
then, worning in the Eastern Forge
and on the Street Railroad. | had
few friends and except my wife no one
ever helped me. Perhaps | could have
| been better and I know now l might
be- but il is too late.
Same times / would leave the house
feeling fine and go to work and after
awhile my head would ache here in
front where YOU see that mark. 1t
would burn there and 1 had to steal.
| got that mark when | was a boy.
They say fractured my skull l don't
know if | did. | only know that when
it ached | had to do the things that
did. | tried to fight it, but after awhile
gave III and then felt better l don't
know why | wasn't caught before. |
never tried to hide much but went
right in and helped myself.
MY first stealing in the police de-
partment happened some four years
ago, when in company with another
person, l got some stuff. Since then
I have been into a large number of
places. in many once, in some very
often. I have been into City Hall mar