The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-07-31
TRACK THE THIEVES
At N0RR|DCEWOCK
Sheriff Mooers Has
Partial Description
NOrridgewOck SO Recently Fire Swept
is Visited by Burglars


No arrests have as yet been made
in the burglary at Norridgewock dur
ing Sunday night, although the off,
GERS have been alertly at work on the
case. At $40 a. m. Monday morning,
Sheriff Mooers was notified and at
once telephoned Deputies Crocker and
Tuscan and the three were in Nor
ridgewock in a very short time. They
made quick investigation and sue
ceeded in tracking two men, one and
one-half miles out of the village into
the Bigelow Hill road, and also dis
covered that the same set of tracks
had come toward the village and gone
back toward the woods. Following
these tracks up, the officers found
where an automobile had backed into
a wood road and into bushes about
ten rods from the road and that a
nearby farmer had heard the car
when it passed about seven-thirty p.
m. the night of the break; also saw it
leave the woods at 430 in the morn
ing but did not read the number plate
Here the officers got the imprints of
two tires, showing plainly the make
and followed this to the Waterville
road, half mile below where it turns
suddenly towards Waterville where
all trace was lost Waterville was
looked over very thoroughly with the
assistance of local police. also Oak
land and Fairfield, where hotels.
boarding houses and garages were
investigated. The car was a
Ford coupe, containing two men and
fairly good description is had of
one, also a perfect measurement of
the tracks of both men in the dusty
road, leading to the woods. the make
of the tires and the time of the rob
bers arriving at and leaving Norridge-
wock, likewise being determined.
The further fact that Daramiscotta
was visited the next night and SINH
lar robberies perpetrated. although
failing to open the safe. as was the
case at Norridgewock, convnces the
officers it was the same men whom
they tracked to Waterville. and there
fore but little hope is entertained by
them of an immediate capture of the
thieves While at least two other
clues are being investigated, neither
the sheriff, nor the other officers have
much faith in them. The postoffice
and evening in company with Sheriff
Mooers and his deputies and the
county officers expect also to cooper
ate with the Maine Central detective.
Norridgewock, July % Sometime
Sunday night burglars made Il thor
Ough job of entering nine business
places in town and trying to get in
TO safes without blowing them open.
The safes were all pried open and in
the case of the larger safes the in
side compartments were unopened
and as the outside combinations
were broken experts will have to be
employed to open them. Very little
money was stolen which proves that
our town patrOnizes the new bank
and does not keep large deposits on
hand. The places entered and the
amounts stolen were as follows: The
J. B. Hamm Company grain store on
Depot street, no cash taken; the NJ.
c. r. r. station entered by a window
and the safe pried open. The sta
tion agent. Ralph Whitney covered
the safe Immediately when he found
it had been opened and the sum stol-
en- will not be known until the proper
officials have investigated. The Bur-
CESS and Jones grocery store was en-
tered and about twenty dollars taken.
The Norridgewock Branch of the
Skowhegan Trust Company Temporal
rily located in the same building was
entered by prying open the door. The
safe was pried open but only the out
side compartment and nothing TAX
en-. The J. n. Hamm Company store
on Main street entered from the
basement and no cash taken; the post
office which is temporarily located in
a part of the building was then en-
tered and the safe pried open and
small compartment with twenty-five
dollars taken The strong box WAS
not opened The Bracket & Russell
Company store was entered through
the basement by cutting a piece out OF
the big door and lifting a pin which
locked the door from the inside. The
sum of about forty dollars was taken.
The safe was opened but not the
strong box At the James Hilton
building entrance was made to the
Folsom law office on the second story
by a ladder placed against the front
of the building and when they enter
ed the window they left plain hand
mark in a dusty chair which is being
carefully protected They took two
hundred dollars which belonged TO
!,