The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-12-04
ADVENTUROUS CAREER
Of bARTLEYS FATHER
Recent Murder OF Nelson w. BARLEY
Recalls Incidents of the Life OF
George W. BARLEY

nected with the late Nelson w. Bart
ley, whose tragic murder at Jackman
will long be an absorbing topic among
Somerset County people, are much in
the limelight nowadays. The adyen-
turous career of George w. BARLEY,
the father OF Nelson is again recalled
with vivid interest. Isaac Bean, a
well known resident of northern Som
erset County first remembers Mr.
BARLEY senior. when his father,
Jonathan Bean moved to Parlin Pond
as proprietor of the Parlin Pond
House.
Rumor has it that George BARLEY
was among those engaged in the
transferring of goods from Canada to
the United States and possibly vice
versa. One of the most exciting in
cidents and probably the most serious
in George w Bartley's history is re
lated as follows: BARLEY had been
keeping a so-called putting up place"
in the vicinity of St. Come, Canada
The story goes that he and his wife
were asked to go as best man and
bridesmaid to the wedding of a neigh
Dor They did so and sometime on
the way the newly married neighbor
and BARLEY changed horses. 1t
seems that BARLEY got the best of the
trade and a few days later the neigh
Dor came and wanted to swap back.
BARLEY was satisfied with his bargain
and refused. Later, it seems, Bart
ley was arrested for violation of the
Canadian laws at the instigation of
the aggrieved neighbor who evidently
was trying to get back at him on ac-
count of the horse trade. In the
evening after the arrest or any rate
very shortly thereafter, the neighbor
was shot the bullet passing through
the head but not killing him. A war
rant was sworn for Bartley's arrest
but he left the premises and came to
the Parlin Pond section. After the
shooting of the neighbor in the at
tempt to arrest BARLEY, his house was
surrounded and set on fire by the Of
fcers thinking he would surrender if
as they supposed he was inside. He
was not in the building and the Of
fcers contented themselves in taking
his family and starting down the riy
err, probably to st. George or ST.
Joseph Their idea may have been to
retain them as hostages but probably
they were taking his family away to
prevent them from getting food to
BARLEY. AS they were proceeding
along the highway, a child suddenly
dropped into the bottom of the wagon
and a shot rang out from the ada
cent woods. The officer fell, killed
Immediately. Of course, it was not
conclusive that George w BARLEY
fired this shot but it was supposed
that he did. At any rate efforts were
redoubled to capture him.
1t seems that BARLEY fled across the
lines to Parlin Pond where he made
his headquarters at the Parlin Pond
house quite to the alarm and dissat-
isfaction of its owner and inmates. He
is reported as having been a we'll be-
haved man enough, however and they
doubtless thought it their best course
to use him kindly and they did so. He
used to come and go spending good
part of his time in the nearby for
est which was in those days more
of an utter wilderness than at pres
ent. BARLEY chose his own room
with due reference to a convenient
d
across the shed roof. After he had
been there about five weeks. a pedler
William Benjamin. called late one
night to secure lodging BARLEY,
some way got the notion that Benia-
min was an officer and he according
ly left very quietly and this time for
good. The officers had been search
ing on both sides of the line but had
never located BARLEY at the Parlin
Pond house and probably never knew
that he was there BARLEY left Par
lin Pond as above referred to in early
November and the officers continued
their search arresting him sometime
during the following winter in Los
Angeles. California. He was brought
to st. Joseph, Canada, and placed o.
trial where he was either acquitted
or finally gained his liberty through
the disagreement of the iury. At an
rate he was liberated and finally came
to Jackman where he took Up the sa
loon business an occupation in which
he was engaged for the most of his
life.
There are living after these many
years, many people who took part IL
these adventurous incidents of George
BARLEY. There are however. few
or none who are residents in this
part of Maine. Joseph F. Pooler,
Skowhegan grocer, recalls that hi
father, Francois Pooler a member or
the jury at the time BARLEY was tried
The trial was held at st. Joseph. The
case was considered so important that
the jury was kept in careful seclu-
sion. No one was allowed to see or
speak with any one after the opening
of the case The trial lasted for
eleven days Mr.. Pooler recalls driv
ing from St Francis about fifteen
miles, to ascertain if the jury had
been discharged and recollects that
he conveyed his father home at the
termination of the trial. Mr.. Pooler
was about twelve years old at the
time.
The George BARLEY home was three
miles beyond the Canadian line. The
house is still standing on the right
hand side as one nears St. Come. The
barn is on the left hand side of the
road. Travellers of last summer re-
port that the buildings looked as
though they were unoccupied. The
shooting of the Canadian officer was