Portland Press Herald Glass Negative Collection

The fire at the Libby Building on 570-572 Congress Street started around 9 a.m. August, 21st, probably as an electrical fire in the basement. According to the August 22nd issue of the "Portland Evening Express," the Portland firefighters poured up to ten feet of water into the basement trying to contain the swiftly moving fire. Several floors above collapsed, almost trapping fire fighters in the basement.

Firefighters battled a blaze from what appears to be an oil tank railway car. The "Tydol" gas sign, from the Standard Oil of NY station at 157 Kennebec Street, and the General Tires CE Noyes billboard, at 195 Forest Avenue, locates this scene near the intersection of Kennebec and Forest.

This area of Portland housed a number of automotive, tire, and filling station businesses as well as residential units.

Arthur Butts of Portland, 17, was arrested by State Police Sergeant George O'Donnell after allegedly robbing a filling station of $30 with his accomplice Donald Stanley. Butts was also charged with assault on an officer with a dangerous weapon. The two were apprehended, after being identified by the filling station attendant.

This photograph appeared on the front page of the October 22nd, 1936 issue of the Portland Evening Express.

George Catlin was the proprietor of Catlin Brothers Potato Chips, located at 101 Oxford Street from about 1898 to 1939. George lived upstairs at the address with his wife. His brother William was the delivery driver. Police were potentially investigating a crime at the store.

During the 1920's, the United States Postal Service, and the mail, came under attack from enterprising criminals. In 1921, after several high profile robberies, President Warren G. Harding sent 2,200 Marines to guard mail delivery across the nation. The "Devil Dogs" were assigned to high priority certified mail, items such as cash and negotiable bonds. While the Marines were on guard, not one robbery was attempted. They withdrew in 1922.

By 1926, the postal service was once again a prime target for robberies, which prompted President Coolidge to assign 2,500 Marines to guard duty across the nation. Union Station was one of the biggest economic and transportation hubs in the region.

In November of 1924 police investigators searched the Cote property in North Gorham for the bodies of William Sandborn and Alphonso Cote.

Sandborn, the first husband of Lottie Cote, went missing June 20, 1910. The search for Sandborn stopped when Lottie explained he ran away because he had forged her signature on notes that were due.

On August 7, 1924 Lottie's second husband Alphonso Cote was murdered by Charles H. Fielding. Fielding was staying on the Cote property with his wife who was Lottie's half sister. Fielding conspired with Lottie the night before the murder. He was reportedly in love with Lottie and wanted to protect her from "bad tempered" Alphonso.

In light of the recent murder of Alphonso, investigators decided to continue the search for Sandborn. After searching the Cote property, no body was found.

Ralph Sandborn (Lottie's son from her first marriage) buried his stepfather, Alphonso, in a plot he knew was scheduled to be plowed the next day. His brother, Roland Sandborn, unknowingly plowed over the body of Alphonso, removing all trace of ground disturbance.

Eventually Ralph Sandborn confessed to police the whole story, and he showed investigators where the body was buried. Ralph's accessory charges were dropped because police thought he "acted under his mother's evil influence."

Charles H. Fielding confessed to murder and was sentenced to life at Thomaston State Prison. Lottie was acquitted as an accessory beforehand, but was tried again as an accessory afterwords. She died of pneumonia before a verdict was reached.