The Portland daily press., 1867-01-29
The West Auburn Murder.
THE SUSPICIOUS FRENcHMAN PROVES An
AIIBI. ..


After all the circumstances shown against
Charles Freitche, the Frenchman arrested ON
Thursday last, on suspicion of being the MUIR
derer of Mrs. Susannah Kinsley and Miss Pol
ly Caswell at West Auburn, on the morning
of Jan. 18th last, it now seems probable that he
is really innocent. We mentioned Yesterday
the fact that man answering to the descrip-
ton of the prisoner had been selling paints in
this city, his clothes being much stained, with
red. 1t seems that the Frenchman's move
ments have been traced by the officer back to
Tuesday, the day preceding the murder, and it
is clearly shown that he could not have been
in the vicinity at the time the deed was COM
mitted. The Lewiston Journal of Monday
contains the following: #.I so
The murdered women were alive and well as
usual, Wednesday evening, 10th, as a neighbor
who called there says. Hence we have to in
Rod.
The whereabouts of the prisoner on Thurs
day from noon and thence every night through
the week, were explained several days SINCE
Thursday night he stopped at Mr.. Atkinson's
in West MinOt leaving there Friday morning
Friday his movements are equally well defined
and Friday night he stopped at Mr.. Watson
at West Minot; Saturday the prisoner travel
led from Mr.. WatsOn's at West Minot, IL or IA
miles, to Ezra Tobies in New Gloucester, and
Saturday p. NJ, the murdered bodies were dis
covered. teif
Officers Laughlin and Collins on Sunday
proceeded to West Minot and there took the
track Of the prisoner and followed him plainly
from Friday night (18th) at Mr.. Watson's in
West Minot, to Thursday night 18th at Mr..
at Nathan Maxim's in Buckfield, 10 miles
from the scene of the murder. They found
that the prisoners whereabouts day and night
were fully explained up to Thursday P. M,
and on reaching Mr.. Maxim's, in Buckfeld,
much to their surprise, found that a straggler
whom the family described, almost perfectly
resembling the prisoner, came to Mr. Ms
house at about o'clock in the evening and
stopped all night leaving there after breakfast
Thursday morning. Mr.. M. will probably reach
here this A. NJ, to identify the prisoner. If he
does it, absolutely the prisoner must be inno-
cent of the crime for which he is arrested
Officer Laughton satisfied himself of the
whereabouts of this prisoner from the night
before the murder to the close of the week of
the murder, and every day is satisfactorily
Tuesday (15th), before the murder, the
prisoner stopped near Shows Falls, in Paris.
1t cannot be shown that the prisoner has ever
been in Auburn, or nearer the place of the
murder than Mr.. Faunce at West Minot.
Friday. Q8th), day after the murder, a
butcher knife covered with blood, was found
in Minot ON a road leading to Mechanic
Falls. This knife appears to be such as is
used by butchers. 1t is much worn, the end
being pointed and the blade worn down by
the grindstone, but now sharp, This knife is
now in the hands of Deputy Littlefeld 1t
may or may not have any connection
with the murder. tits said that the physicians
who examined the wounds of the murdered
Suced bV ponteS Ins bp
the fact, the knife found could not have been
the weapon used on the persons of Mrs.
Kinsley and Miss. Caswell.