Daily Kennebec Journal

Horse Thief Arrested.

The Lewiston Journal gives the following account of Clark the horse thief who is wanted in several places in Maine. Charles Clark alias Brown, was arrested in Boston Wednesday, as a fugitive from justice. Clark, who is an old and notorious horse thief, is wanted, it is said, in nearly every county in Maine, where he has operated extensively. He has already served 14 years in Maine State prison for horse stealing. Clark went to Auburn, Me., October 10th, and after putting up in a hotel, hired a team of John Chamberlain. He represented to Mr. Chamberlain that he was a runner for a carriage supply firm, and that he wanted the team to go to Gray and Windham and other places, promising to return it October 16th. This length of time enabled him to take the team to Boston and dispose of it before his scheme was discovered. He accordingly shipped the team to Boston by the way of the steamboat line and it has never been recovered. He then went to Augusta, and in that city also put up at a hotel, and under the same pretence hired a horse and team from a Mr. Coombs. This he also shipped to Boston, and had it sold at auction for $300 by Moses Coleman on Portland street. Mr. Coleman besides paying Clark for the horse, had afterwards to pay Mr. Coombs, the owner of the team. Tuesday P. M. Clark again visited Coleman's sale stable and informed him that he had a horse that he did not like and wanted to dispose of, saying he would send it in that day to be sold at auction. During his conversation with Mr. Coleman, he told him that he had him sell a horse for him before. On being asked his name, he said it was Brown. Mr. Coleman remembered his last experience with him, and notified Inspectors Gerraughty and Mahoney, who had the case in hand. Wednesday the officers went to Mr. Coleman's stable and laid in wait for Clark. He, however, sent another party in with the team instead of going himself. When he thought that the sale was made Clark came to the stable to see how it came off, when he was taken into custody. It has since been learned that he stole a pair of horses from Bath, and disposed of them in Lewiston; but they were afterwards recovered. In 1874 he stole a team from Charles L. Libby of Bangor, Me., and he was arrested in this city by Inspector Gerraughty, after disposing of the team. He confessed to having received the stolen goods, and while waiting in the dock in the municipal court he jumped over the dock and made his escape. He was afterward captured and sentenced to three years in the house of correction. The horse which he attempted to sell Wednesday morning, and for which an owner is wanted, is a bay horse, weighing about nine hundred pounds, fifteen hands high and about seven years old. He is considered a very good roader. From the appearance of his shoes, he is probably owned in some country town.