Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-03
THE Lone PIRATE
ONCE WORKED FOR
B|DDEFoRD FIRM
Well-knOwn in Salem as Robin
son and Was under Sur
veilance by Police

Boston, April ERNEST p Schiller.
now detained in New York, who single
handed captured the British freight
steamship Matoppo and her crew of 81.
compelled the captain to put in at Lewes.
Del, and was arrested there by officers
on a coast guard cutter Thursday. mas
queraded in Salem recently under the
name of Clarence Robinson.
Had French Chum
He went to that city three months ago
as an accredited employee of the Saco &
as an assemblage man to collect and ac-
count for the parts of card machines
used in the Naumkeag mills. In Salem
he roomed with Napoleon Levesque, at
II Harbor street. near the mills plant
Levesque, who talked freely of his acco'
ciate last night, said that Schiller, OF
Robinson, declared that he had come tc
Salem to learn the textile business. in
which his father was engaged in Russia
Statements Inconsistent :.
Schiller as he may be called
said that he came from England. he
seemed to be about % years old, was ar
agreeable conversationalist, spoke with
an English accent, and boosted that he
was master of seven languages He was
of sociable instincts, played the piano
we'll and was fair singer. He affirmed
according to Levesque, that he had beer
a soldier in England which is inconsis-
tent with his statement made in New
York after his arrest that he was dis.
charged from a submarine construction
plant in Cumberland, Eng. after he was
detected with prints which he had plan
ned to send to Germany
To his companions in Salem the mar
repeatedly indicated his intense interest
of the German cause, and made no con-
cealment of his hope that it would wiz
ultimately. Levesque, in time, became
suspicious, and even went so far as tc
search the fellows room in his absence
thinking that possibly he might fine
bombs or other incendiary material hid
den there. The search, however, proved
futile
Liked Feminine Society
That Schiller Robinson had fond
ness for feminine society was demon
strated by the fact that soon after he
became domiciled in Salem he became
very friendly with a young woman
named Rose Gaboriault, about 20
years old. employed as a bookkeeper by
the Pitman & Brown Co., makers OF
sashes and blinds. She was a fellow
ledger, and through their mutual in
tercst in music the acquaintance rip
ened quickly into an intimate friend
ship.
The young woman. when interview
c6 loc CT piob t1-hil lnpyinU on,
easement. which had been limited at
admitted keen interest in the young
| man and professed q strong belief ir
his innocence of the serious crime now
charged against him. She admitted
also. that she had written to him since
his departure from Salem.
A Spy or Oeransed
Chief Marshal Cornelius F. Harring
ton expressed the belief that Schil.
Ter, alias Robinson. was either a Ger
man spy or man mentally derang
ed. He said the police became suspi
cious of the man because, when under
the influence of liquor, as seemed to b.
a frequent occurrence, he became
boastful At such times he asserted
that while he had been driven out OF
England he would get square. Once
after the steamship Appam was cap
tured Schiller declared that he would
show them something which would
make the Appam case look like
! joke
Inspector Gideon Pelletier of the Sa
lem police identified pictures of Schil
Ter, shown in New York papers, a!
those of the men whom the Salem po
lice had had under surveillance, ant
| yesterday he telegraphed the New
York police that no doubt existed il
his mind that Schiller and Robinson
| We're the same
In fact Inspector Pelletier was in toucl
with the United States district attorne.
in New York all day, and he probabl
will be called to New York early mex
week to complete the identification.
A Dangerous Man
! Chief Harrington, speaking further o
his knowledge of the man, declared tina
! in his belief he would be a dangerou
F, person to handle in an attempt to arres
| him. and he thought it feasible tina
! Schiller armed with two revolvers, an
making threats to explode Hypothetical
/ UOIlDS Hl.tteu vi snip, easily COUi
| have terrorized the captain and GREY
| of the Matoppo, even though they to
tailed the formidable number of 81 H
| added that he knew Schiller had trie
| to purchase revolvers in Salem. Anoth
err peculiar feature in the mans routin
of behavior. he said, was that he Away
showed gold, never bills, in making pur
| chases or payments.
! He said also that the police of Saler
had Swallowed the man for three weeks
after once becoming suspicious of him
and that in that period he had mad
several trips to Hoboken. He declare
/ that the New York officers had bee
| furnished sufficient reason and time t
apprehend Schiller before he commtte
! the extraordinary crime of which he nov
| stands accused.