Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-28
SUPERIOR COURT.
John ID. Willis Found Not Guilty
of Charge of Breaking, En-
tering and Larceny at
Files Store in Clinton

A verdict of mot guilty" was rem
dered in favor of John D. Wills at the
superior court Saturday afternoon.
The result of the trial must lead Mr..
Wills, a man who was born under the
British flag on the island of Grand
Manan, to a strong sense of gratitude
for the protection which is afforded an
individual in the United States and the
justice which the courts of this
country maintain.
County Attorney Fisher represented
the State and Walter NJ. Sanborn the
respondent. The trial showed Mr.
Wills to be the victim of a most curl
Gus chain of circumstances. On Sun
day, June Z, he left Beverly, Mass,
and went to Boston and took the night
boat to Portland. His destination was
Jonesboro, Maine. He was well aware
that he did not have money enough
to pay his full fare to that point and
expected to work some and earn his
way. While in Portland he met a fell
low who was apparently in similar cir
cumstances and at this strangers
suggestion both men came to Water
Vile via freight car, thing which
Mr.. Wills testified he had never done
before An effort was made by Wills
to secure work and the following
Wednesday afternoon. while in Fair
field, to which place he walked. he
earned 81. Meanwhile he had been
living on lunches which he had pur
chased from bakeries and restaurants
eating his meals generally in some
out of the-way place Monday night
l. rIo t., TO- .,,,l
Wednesday nights he spent beside the
railroad near a pigeon roose" or hobo
camp between Waterville and Benton.
Upon rising Thursday morning he
took what remained of dozen dough-
nuts, loaf of bread and some cheese
and started to walk for Bangor This
was June IL, and it was this morning
that he discovered that his pocket
book containing four 81 bills had
either been. taken from his coat or
lost
His route lay through Clinton, Pitts
field, Newport Junction and Bangor.
He was however unable to remember
ever passing any station with "Clin-
ton" sign upon it. He arrived in Ban
gor Saturday morning and after an
unsuccessful search for work there
and in Brewer he resumed his walk
toward Jonesboro. He reached Wash
ington Junction Sunday and at about
2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon when
coming into Jonesboro was met on the
railroad track by his brother and some
of his friends. He was in a condition
of almost utter fatigue from his long
walk, and nearly starved from want
Of no
arrested a few days later by w. V.
Nash of Vassalboro, deputy sheriff of
Kennebec county, on the charge of
breaking and entering and larceny
from the store of E. P. Files in Clin-
ton.
The evidence produced was wholly
circumstantial but was remarkable in
the close fitting events which went far
to indicate the guilt of the respondent.
On the night of June II a man was
seen in the store of E. P. Files in Clin-
ton lighting matches and though he
made good his escape was nearly
caught leaving the store by Mr.. Pea
body, who lives nearby. Mr.. Peabody
noticed that the nrotheast corner of
the store was ablaze, probably set by
the burglar and fastened to notify the.
owner whose home was across the
road. Nobody with the exception of
firemen entered the building because
of the intensity of the blaze.
The following morning the ruins
were inspected and clear evidences
were present which indicated that
whoever had been in the store had
made his entrance by tearing up
cit
at the rear of the building The sec
ond door which separates the store
into two divisions had been broken
through and unlocked, giving access
for the intruder to the front of the
store. Many cigars, plugs of tobacco,
and pairs of eyeglasses which We're or
the kind that were sold in the store
were found scattered along over a
route leading from the store to the
On his return from the fire on the
night of the eleventh C. S. Clement
had found in front of the library sew
eral plugs of tobacco, several cigars,
and q black wallet, all lying very
closely together. Upon inspection, a |
baggage check of the Maine S. S. Co. |
was found in the wallet and the au- |
thorities in Portland were notified to |
give information of anyone calling for
the parcel which was covered by that |
check. 1t was not long before a let
ter was received from John D. Wills in
Jonesboro inquiring for his suit case |
which he had left in Portland, because |
he stated, of the inconvenience which |
It would cause him in his unhandy |
way of travelling. 1t was upon this |
clue that Wills was traced and found. |