The New York herald., 1869-03-13
THE GALLONS.


CcnyIctiou-statement Of the Prlsoner-His
Behavior in Prisou-A Conicssi0n-The Exc
THoMAsroN, Me-. March II 1859.
To-day Clifton Harris the negro convicted In July
last Of the murder OF Mrs. Kinsley and Polly Cas-
well, at Auburn, Androscoggin county, was exc
cuted at this place.
THE LOCATION OF THE CRIME
Auburn, in Androscoggin county, Maine, just
across the river from the large manufacturing city
OF Lewiston, one OF those nea', thrifty towns SO
often to be met with by the traveller in New Eng
land. 1t Is largely engaged In the manufacture Of
boots aud Shoes not as IN cases, by the estab-
lshme OF large organized factories but by Dealers
who parcel out the WORK among partly rural popu-
latlon, who employ upon it their spare hours. These
New England communities, OF which the one de-
scribed may be taken as type, where industry love
Of gain and mechanical skill are associated, some
times surprise the world by becoming theatres OF the
most horrible and startling crimes, like the Coolidge
tragedy In Watervllle, the Hersey murder In Hing
ham, or the recent taking or OF the old man George
In Penobscot COMMISSIONING that the moral atmos-
phere Of these populations is after all, not much
better than that Of the hotbeds OF vice., as large
cities are called.
The crime Of which we here give sketch, and the
expiatlon Of which took place yesterday In the
PRISON yard at Thomaston, was one brlmrul OF h0r-
rors combin ing murder, rape, robbery and perjury
Among tine persons gaining their subsistence by
labor ut sh0enaking were TWO women-Susannah
Kinsley, widow, aged sxty-four and Polly Caswell,
spinster aged slxty-seyen. Living In an humble
home remote frog tho village, they labored hard at
binding shoes for firm In Auburn. In that INDUS
try Mrs Kinsey had not only made living, but had
accumulated little property, winch, invested IN
sp S
enemy nor an Ill wlsher IN all the wide world.
THE GREAT STORM.
Thursday, January II, 1857, will be long remem-
bered as the date Of or the most terrific storms
that visited the State Of Maine All day and all
night the snow was driven in pllndng sheets
lne country. Travel and business were suspended.
1he boldest and hardest did not care TO face the
,vas WHO Clements but kept within doors. The coast
wrecks. The fierce storm that beat upon the hum
bic Knsley house and piled the drifts high towards
mates. The early passers along the highway, break
Ing the road, sign OF life Nor all that winter
dow, or smoke above the ROOF. For stiii another
day the gloom and stiffness OF the tomb reigned
about the premises, seen and marked OF all
THE MURDER DISCOVERED.
At length neighbor, towards nightfall. impelled
was no answer. little a0prehensve, he proceeded
to the house OF Mr.. Keith, Ieother OF Mrs kinsey,
and stated his fears. Together they went to tis
house. Looking in ut the window OF the kitchen taey
remarked the cherries and cnniiug aspect OF the
room the floor covered with patches oi snow that
the gale had driven ia at the crevces of the doors
and window. They entered, and in the winter twi-
ligat groped from room to room. At length they
that, dmy seen, bore The outlines OF human form
thing tnat IN its ghastness tney feared 10 look upon
aud paraiyze them. Hastily leaving the house they
alarmed the neghbors and procured lights.
APPEARANCE OF THE BODIES.
The form that they had seen proved to be the body
OF Polly Caswel, lying III pool 0i blood, and frozen
stin and hard. Her skull was driven la ~ the top,
as by y blow from club. She lay across tine door
her bed In another room, lay The dead body or Mrs.
kinsley most horribly mutllated. Her hands and
lace were covered Win blood. Inere were stabs on
her face, on her hands, on ner body, and horrible
gasles on her less. The bed was saturated with
revolving and lnhuman OF al, the lower portlon OF
the body aud thighs bore the distinct marks bloody
OF the brother OF the outraged and murdered wo-
man. The money and bonus OF Mrs. kIn5ley were
not disturbed, showing that the motive OF the
derer was not money. or else that lie had not ln-
formed himself OF the place where II was Kept.
EXCITEMENT IN THE CuMMUSITy.
or course the commission Of o crime SO atrocious
aroused the utmost horror and Indignation. Conjec-
ture exhausted Itself IN tine endeav0r 70 nnd
pctrator OF the crllne poor wandering vagrant
was arrested upon no other ground tnan that no
was vagrant: out ne sooa proved an aliD ana was
repusiye and nltny lii person. was charged with the
crime and imprisonci; but he, LOO, was proved to
have been Ill another locality at the uute OF the
crime.
TEE MURDERER DETECTED
At length clue was found winch pointed to q
negro named Clifton H-.rrls - the perpelrator OF
the crime Harris was aoout twenty years Old, one
OF those black waits brought back by the rendx OF
the army surge that rolled over the south. lie
had found pace rs servant IN q mousse
hold, and was known as prowler BY nlgnt
about the neIghbornood, associated with q gang OF
low whites. he was also noted Tor his Lbid.nous
propensites. ON several occasions he had been
known 10 ciimD into the rooms vi females and there
conceal himself, but he had hot been suspected OF
darker crime.
HE C0sFEssEs AND IMPLICArEs WHITE MAN.
Alter being imprisoned the negro confessed his
guilt to tine detective County Attorney, and il.
plcated white man named Nerrii MS accom-.
plice. verrl Is shoemaker, bachelor OF about
health, and, physically, the very 0l the per-
sou nkeiy TO commit the crime. the only ground Of
suspicion against verri, aside from the neros con-
1esslon was the fact tnat he had associated some
what with Harris.
THE TaIAL AND CONVICTION OF BOTH
The trial TOOK place ut Auburn, In July following
Judge walton presding. HARRIS, alter coAIessing
tue crime o. 10 open court was used as y witness
against Verril. lie detailed clr.umstantIaliT tne
murders, stating that they met by agreement Ia the
road at mIunlgnL went together To the house aud
stated that ne Killed Miss Caswel by striking her on
the head with cnalr as she came from her room, q
separate apartment from tnat occupied by Mrs.
staDnlng her with snoe KNIFE, Us veil conniiJted
another and nanieess crime upon her person. fne
defence for verriI was solely an attei1pt TO prove
alioi, which was successful only lar As TO show
tnat he went to boarding aud to bed ut an
early hour. The theory OF the government was tnat
he arose when all was st and went 70 the rendez.
vous. Tne jury found them both guilty OF muruer.
Verrifs counsel hied exceptions aud motion ior
trial, winch were overrued by the iull bench OF
the Supreme Court
HAgkls RAcAsrs HIS CONFESSION AS TO vERRIL.
Meantime Lile negro had been sentenced To death
and conveyed 10 the state Prison 70 await the war
rant lor execution Tnls the laws oil Maine requlre
slaii be issued at the end vI oie years lmprison-
ment. II the Govern0r snail 80 determine. II no
warrant Is Issued The cOnvcg remains la the prison
during life. soon after nis connllstai TO prison
negro confessed " the Warden add others that ne
had falsely accused verri AMI tnlt he was In fact
Innocent OF any part III the crime or knowledge
or II.
vERRIL Is DISCHARGED
Armed with this confession the counsel for verrl
moved for "a new triai on the ground Of newly dis
covered evidence la resisting claim tie Attorney
General declared that new IRA. should be granted
lie would enter q ys0.is Dsvosqtt ana abandon the
case. After iu hearing Judge DlcAerson delivered
an eiaboEfle and learned opinion upon the points
raised, Which Is incorporated INTO the Name Reports
granting the motion lOr a new trial ThereapOn the
case was abandoned by the government, anu kerr
went Iorta irce man. Since that time narrs has
again reversed nis statement and declared That Ner
ri IA gully HIS plcyarlcaLI0n aad peryury nave
Teen sucn lnat tue community Is certaa only ms