Maine Notes

1916

With prospects of a big lumber cut this year, the Bangor operators are facing quite a serious problem in getting help enough, and good men are scarce at any price. Wages offered are now from $35 to $40 a month, with board and transportation, much higher than usual. The usual influx of Canadians is lacking.

The Recreation commission of Portland has taken steps to provide a toboggan slide on the slope of the Western promenade during the winter, a sport that has never been cultivated to much extent here. A slide has been maintained by the Portland Country club, but otherwise the general public has been forced to content itself with limited opportunities for old-fashioned coasting.

Lucius B. Swett of Sanford has been appointed Judge of the York county probate court by Governor Curtis to succeed the late Judge Nathaniel Hobbs of North Berwick.

Manager Hugh Duffy of Portland has been given permission to transfer his franchise to another city the choice to be ratified by the directors before becoming effective. It was reported that he would transfer his team to Lawrence or Haverhill next year.

In the Bangor strike, over 100 went out and only 12 have returned to work, the company having filled the places of the others.

Harry A. Dearie, alias Harry A. Devoe of Worchester, Mass., Albany, N. Y., and Oliphant, Pa., was freed of the charge of breaking in the United States District court Friday afternoon but was re-arrested on a charge which accused him of breaking into the post on Aug. 11.

—The Fryeburg Post, Fryeburg, Maine, Sept. 26, 1916, p. 8.

Prisoner Eats the Evidence

1916

Man Is Said to Have Swallowed Marked $10 Bill.

NEW YORK — Herman Horowitz, who said he was a delegate of the Painters' Union, was arrested by Detective Giery on a charge of extortion. On the way to the station it is alleged that Horowitz seized a marked ten dollar bill, which Giery was holding as evidence, and swallowed it.

The complainant against Horowitz, who is 30 years old and lives in Brooklyn, is Louis Wall, a boss painter. It is charged that Horowitz threatened to call a strike of painters employed by Wall unless Wall paid $10. Wall, it is said, told him to come back later.

Wall complained to the police and Detective Giery was assigned to the case. It is alleged Wall gave a marked $10 bill to Horowitz. Afterward, it is said, Giery arrested Horowitz and says that he found the bill in Horowitz's pocket.

As the detective and his prisoner were on the way to the police station, Horowitz engaged Giery in a fight and wrested the bill from the detective's hand. This done, Horowitz is said to have swallowed the evidence while the detective struggled to save it. Then Horowitz accompanied the detective to jail without further trouble.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Sept. 16, 1916, p. 7.

She Stops Traffic To Light Her "Fag"

March 1920

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Street car traffic on a busy street was tied up while a young woman smoked a cigarette. It wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't chosen to sit down on the street car track and light her "fag." She made matters worse when, after an argument with an angry motorman, she blandly asked him for a match to light a second cigarette.

Dick Allen, former policeman, removed the young woman from the track and escorted her to the police station.

"You're stewed," remarked the booking clerk.

"You tell 'em; I stutter," she said, as she was led away to the matron's room to sober up.


Inmates of Jail Escape

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Sheriff W. T. Baker woke on a recent morning to find the county jail empty. Some time after midnight the eight prisoners sawed and cut their way to liberty.


New Electric Dental Engine

A new electric dental engine runs on either direct or alternating current or on that supplied by dry batteries where no other supple of electricity is available.

Fake Beard Lands Gary Man in Cell

March 1920

Merchant-Sleuth Finally Released by Detroit Cops

DETROIT, Michigan — Wearing a false goatee and mustache, Isidor Vila, a well-to-do business man of Gary, Indiana, was arrested here.

Vila conducts a grocery store in Gary. During the strike there last summer a large number of the strikers opened charge accounts at his store. Many of them disappeared without paying their bills, some of them coming to Detroit. Vila decided to go on a collecting trip. He provided himself with false scenery, as he figured he would have a better opportunity of locating his debtors.

Detroit was the first city he visited, and five minutes after he left his hotel adorned with the camouflage he was spotted and arrested, despite his strenuous objections. The Gary authorities wired the Detroit police that Vila was a law abiding citizen and he was then released.


Weds Girl To Whom He Restored Beauty

PEORIA, Illinois — Two years ago Miss Ruth Wheeler, a Peoria school teacher, went to the offices here of Dr. Raymond C. Willett, orthodonist. An otherwise beautiful face was slightly marred by teeth which had grown crooked. She appealed to Dr. Willett to perform an operation to straighten them. Recently, in Chicago, the couple married. Miss Wheeler is the daughter of one of Peoria's prominent families. Dr. Willett is one of the best known practitioners in Peoria.

Taught Daughters To Rob, Is Charge

1920

Mother of Girls, 8 and 10, Is Alleged "Fagin"

Children Arrested for Shoplifting

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Indianapolis' most unusual shoplifting case came to light with the arrest of Mrs. Bella Goldfarb, 38, and the detention of her two oldest children, Minnie, 10, and Lillie, 8.

Mrs. Goldfarb is charged with child neglect, while the two little girls are confined in the juvenile home.

The woman was taken into custody after Minnie and Lillie were arrested in Pettis Dry Goods store. When questioned by woman Police Sergeant Clara Burnside and operatives of the Quigley-Hyland detective bureau, it is claimed they said their mother whipped them if they failed to bring home loot after a visit to the stores.

Police Find Stolen Goods

Investigation of the Goldfarb home, the detectives and Sergeant Burnside claim, reveals many articles supposed to have been taken from downtown stores.

Operatives of the Quigley-Hyland bureau picked up the two little girls in the Pettis store. After questioning, their case proved so interesting that Detective Martin Hyland visited the Goldfarb home with his operatives. The children then denied that their mother whipped them when they failed to bring home articles.

When they were found each child carried a bag. The children were taken in charge when Minnie, it is alleged, placed in her bag a piece of ribbon she had taken from a counter. In the bag were other articles. Lillie's bag contained a cap valued at $4,75 which, it is charged, was taken from the Pettis store, and a number of small dresses said to have come from another store.

At the home it is claimed there were many articles said to have been taken from different establishments. A number of pieces of silverware and boudoir caps were among these articles.

Mother Made Girls Thieves

Mrs. Goldfarb was not arrested at that time because she has three other small children. She was ordered to appear at police headquarters. When Sergeant Burnside brought the two children before her they again admitted that they were instructed to steal.

"Mamma whips us if we don't bring home something," one of them is alleged to have said.

Mrs. Goldfarb will appear in juvenile court soon. No charges have been preferred against the children, Sergeant Burnside being loath to arrest them because of their tender years.

Mrs. Goldfarb said her husband works as a shoemaker in Dayton, Ohio. She said he sent her from $20 to $30 weekly.

Is Insanity On The Increase?

1881

Either insanity is on the increase, or the freaks of insanity are brought more prominently before the public than ever before. Scarcely a daily paper but what contains the doings of some crank, and insanity is used as a cloak for all kinds of crime. Last week a man presented himself at the White House and asked to see President Arthur, presenting a letter of introduction which read:

"John Woling: You are hereby notified that Dr. John Noetling is lawfully elected President of the United States, and occupies the White House every day."
"(Signed.)" "ALMIGHTY GOD"

The man was immediately arrested but made a desperate resistance, drawing a revolver, but was overpowered before getting an opportunity to use it. He gave his name as Dr. John Noetling.


Jesse James Gang

The James boys are now reported to be in Kentucky, where several attempts have been made to capture them, but failed. It is also reported, on what claims to be good authority, that Jesse James shot and killed another member of the gang a week or two ago, something about a woman. We hope that he will keep on thinning them out.


Ingenious Swindle

North Carolina will have to be credited with originating the most ingenious swindle of this age of swindlers. Several years ago a man pretending to be half-witted went around the country instituting suits against the responsible men of the community for amounts ranging from twenty-five to seventy-five dollars.

Some parties defended their cases and he did not pretend that they really owed him anything, but acted like a partially demented man would naturally act in such a case, but most of the parties paid no attention to it and judgment was rendered against them by default.

The man never tried to collect any of the judgment and so the thing rested for a year or two, until time enough had elapsed to prevent an appeal. Then the man turned up again not near as crazy as was, and the people of that country found that those judgments were collectable and would have to be paid. While there was no great amount against any one man, yet the aggregate sum amounted to thousands of dollars.

That country is just a little too hot to hold him so he is doing his collecting by an agent.

—The Appanoose Times, Centerville, Iowa, Nov. 10, 1881, p. 2.