The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-26
Terrible Tragedy.


The good people of the adjacent town of
Falmouth were terribly shocked at a tragedy
which occurred in that town on Sunday, the
particulars OF which are as follows:
Ebenezer F. Williams, son of the late Ezra
Williams, of this city, and owner of considera-
BILE property, young man not twenty-one
years of age, having lost some of his property
by the great fire, has since appeared to be af-
fected in his mind. On the 22d of February
he went out to Falmouth to the residence of
his uncle, John Williams. He was threatened
with typhoid fever after arriving there, but, by
careful nursing, got over it and remained with
with the family until Monday of last week,
when he left. Search was made for him and
he was found in an old house near the wool
factory in Falmouth, which he had entered by
breaking through the window. When his
uncle found him he demonstrated with him
and urged him to go back, but Eben refused
and threatened to shoot any one that came
into his premises. He secured the service
of a halfwitted man named George Rolf who
was, formerly, a pauper in this city, and the
two seemed to live.together.on amicable terms.
Williams never would allow any of his neigh
tCtCA uio uuCkt W -SlItcI Ills nuuSt.-
He kept two guns loaded besides other in
struments of defence. On one occasion when
his uncle called, Williams met him at the
door with gun and ordered him to 'stand off
at speaking distance
Sunday morning the neighbors of Williams
heard the explosion of firearms in his house,
but were afraid to 60 near it. In the afternoon,
towards night, Eben made his appearance at
his uncles, stating that he had killed Rolf and
cut off his head and placed it in soak, and at
the same time requested them to 60 over
to his house and see it. AT first the
family supposed it was a wild story of his,
but subsequently they went to the house and
found that his story was too true.
In one room lay the body of Rolf nicely
dressed, save the coat, but without the head
There was no blood upon the floor and the
body was dressed with scrupulous cleanliness.
In the adjoining room they found the head Of
Rolf in a pail filed with water. There were a
few drops of blood around the pail. 81 t
1t was found that two shots were fired
when Williams killed Rolf the bullets
that Rolf was sitting in a rocking chair at the
time, as the balls passed diagonally downwards
through the rocking chair and into the side OF
the house Three metallic cartridges were
found upon the floor. The gun used was a
breech-loading rife; another gun, loaded and
capped was also found in the room. The axe
with which he cut off the head was also found,
clOtted with blood and hair. -&T
q 1t is supposed that the murder was commit
ted at the time the explosion of firearms was
heard, about ten o'clock Sunday morning,
and that from that time up to the period when
he went to his uncles, he was engaged in
dressing and laying out the body, and clean
ing up the room. r Ea.ari2
Williams was secured, and Coroners Gould
and Hall were sent for to go out and hold an
inquest. Coroner Hall went out yesterday,
and an inquest was held. The jurors returned
a verdict that the deceased came to his death
from wounds received from gunshots and that
said shots were fired by Eben #. Williams
while in state of insanity. Coroner Hall
took Williams and brought him to the city and
had him locked up. Ha - .5,fa raa
At the time Eben left the house of his uncle,
last Monday, and took possession of the old
house, notice was given his guardian, Mr. Will
liam Williams of this city, that his ward was
insane and must be taken care of. But it ap-
pears, according to the testimony of Mr.. John
Williams that no notice was taken of it, and
Eben was allowed to remain in the howell
which was not furnished in any decent man
ner.
The father of Eben, Mr.. Levi Williams, COM
mitted suicide some years ago by falling upon
a sword cane, killing himself at once. 1t would
seem from this that insanity is hereditary in
that branch of the family. 7ia'f ~a'