The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-02-19


Nesro-sickening Particulars Of His Hof-
rible Crimes--Account Of the Efforts TO save
| Him from the Scafold.
AUGUSTA, Feb. Is, 1859.
| The matter OF doing away with capital punisii'
ment has been the absorbing topic Of interest III tns
| State during the past two months. me discus
sions and considerations OF the subject in Its various
| commendable and Objectionable features have not
| been confined to the executive and legislative de-
| partments, but the press, the pulpit the lyceums
and the whole community have manifested the deep
| est interest in tho matter. For several years In
succession there have been efforts made IN the
Legislature TO do away with hanging and to pun
ish murderers only by Imprisonment for life. This
year, however the attempt has been more than usu-
ally vigorous the chief reason beng that there Is
| now confined IN the Tnomaston jail negro muir
derer, under sentence OF death, and few tender
hearted philanthropists are anxious that he should
escape the penalty the law has prescribed for him.
| The crime OF which the meerschauin-colored can
| ddate for the scalf0d las been convicted was one
Of the most savage atrocious and heart-sckening OF
| any ever committed III civilized community; and
after the horrible particulars Of it have been Pc
rused the reader viii wonder If there Is sane law
| abiding citizen on the globe who could cOnsccn-
tiousy say that the community ought not to protest
against the existence OF such unsafe and dlsreputa
bic characters. Chiffon harrlS ID Lnc name VI Tie
atrocious murderer, and he s az line and healthy
looking specimen OF darky as any thai ever de-
| scended from The ancient Ham.
Tne murder was committed IN lS67-0ne or the
| most bitter aud terrible days OF New England
winter, and keen aud severe WIS the tempest,
deep the and 50 badly drilted all tue roads that
II was nearly week before the fact OF his
| discovered. The two old and tnOnensve women
| who were his victims were MRS. Susannah KinsIey,
widow aged about sixty four years, and Miss Polly
Caswell aged about siXty-Seven years. and both
sided alone in secluded house ABOUT TWO miles
from the town OF Auburn at o place called foung's
| Cottage Both OF the women earned an ample i've
lihood by binding shoes Tor the firm or Keith Berry
| Il Co., OF Auburn and their absence from WORK for
| several days having been noticed by Mr.. Keith he
to the house to ascertain tine cause, and 1t was
then that the murder was first discovered. me scene
which presented itself was proDaoy one Of the most
sickenlng and rev0ltig thai he Imagined On the
oOr, near the door OF her sleeping apartment, was
stretched the eless body Polly Uaswell, her mead
and shoulders in one room and her body and lower
| limbs III another. the body was partially covered
with night dress, aud OH proceeding TO take nod
OF it it frozen sun and seemed 10 nave been In
that condition for several days. A broken CHAIR,
covered with blood, lay near by, affordIng evidence
IN itself that 1t mad been used In the murder OF Old
Poly. Hardly had this ter, ole scene been realized
before another sui more terrible met their gaze. In
tho bed, In small room say ten leet square, was
the lfeess and ghastly body OF the widow hnsley,
frozen sti and lying, with her night clothes on,
In pool oil concealed blood. me Deiclotnes were
also matted with blood the q9iit and feather tick
torn the feathers scattered about and everything
indicating that terrible struggle Tor Ire had taken
place the body q Mrs kinsley was terribly cut
deep gasn on the side OF the throat, and
there were also cuts on tne lett jawbone
six inches in length iii tue left leg, and severe
bruises on the lett shoulder, not TO mention many
minor cuts and bruises and there was also concu-
sive evidence that an Indecent outrage had been
committed or attempted. Hiss Caswell had re-
ceyed severe blows On ner head aud face. her skull
was fractured, her left wrist broken, her waist and
left shoulder bruised. There was wound
her right eye, a cut on her lett arm above the
elbow and cut ON her leit kaacKles A more hor-
murder cannot oe surn sed. The bodies, cut,
bruised and manglei IN almost every part covered
with blood, the lair dishcvelled and bloody, the
painful expressions or the countenances Indicating
even IN death the fearful struggle lille, and then
the bodies and limbs frozen stir, all combined 10
form scene IRON which the most hardened and In
human wretch would recon with terror, and all OF
this the work OF the negro Harris whom many Ia the
State of Maine would now DC pleased to have receive
executive cemency or escape Just punishment by
an act OF the Legislature.
The commission OF slch Il crime in O locality I'M
used TO horrors OF course created the widest ex-
element, and officers and citizens united together
In their efforts discover the perperator. several
arrests swerc inadc before Harris was stlspected
The first man taken into custody was a drunken
vagabond named johnson, VINO was seen IN the
neghborhood Of the tragedy under suspicious CIR
cumstances, but nothing could be proved against
him and he was discharged. Afterwards weak
minded Frenchman was apprehended, aud he, TOO
was soon found TO De innocent. few weeks later
the negro Harris and White man named Luther j.
vedr me re. arres r aa %nen .eg Wee az
guilty and the white man declared his innocence.
The former subsequently made confession, the sub
stance of which was that the plan MAS preached
TO him by Nerrili and the lndncement o1ered was
that Mrs. Kinsley had large amount OF money III
the house Il was not intended first TO commit
murder but simply TO obtain the money, but by force
II necessary. Having INDUCED plenutuily IN
whiskey they ~ once proceeded o the house OF Mrs.
kinSey, p. TIE negro tore OH o loose board from
the clubhouse. aud with difficulty forced himself
through the opening. lie then opened door and
admitted his esnpaaion te Latter having natcnes
Ing 70 The room o. hlrs. kinsiey, the accomplIce
seized her by the hand ana struck her the head
with q chair, demanding TO know where tine money
was TO which sue replied that it was with her
daughter In Lewiston. The negro then appeared,
when she indicated 1t was in a closet u the head
OF the bed. POLY Caswe, who was In an adjoin-
Ing room, now appeared AMI endeav0red
TO light lamp, when tae acSomplice came up be-
then struck Mrs. Kins!ey with q char AMI knocked
her senseess afterwards searching her clothing and
q cupboard for her money. Miss Casewell mad dur
ing this time recovered sufficiently 70 get up and
crawl away, when the negro gave her deatnblow
with chair Meantime the accompice lad STABBED
Mrs. kinsiey ~ the neck, giving mortal wound.
Then, according 10 the Negroes story, having endea
v0red without success 10 ind the money or to light
lamp, they sat down on o lounge aud talked the
matter over. Amer sitting there a short time the
negro said, 'it ~ OF no TO stay here, and they
both lett The house by the back doyr. The negro
asserts that when ne entered the house he had
idea OF murder, but when the work was commenced
he DID has part. lie persisted thai verrili was Inn
piicated Win him as ne described but on the trial
there evidence whale, or against aim, ana he
was acquitted. The evidence against haTris, aside
cOIlleHslop was strong ana COnCilHsc, anu
he was convicted and sentenced to he hanged ON
such day as the Governor might appoint.
Then catne me eaoIt 70 do away VITA capital pun
ishment Governor CnanDeraiB declined 10 coIn-
mute his sentence but very sensiby issued war
rant for his execution INC sherin 10 whom the
rant was directed stepped c9t before the day as
signed for the hanging arrived, but a successor
Immediately appointed aud new warrant issued
directing that Harris executed IN the rhomaston
jail yesterday As Tue day faai 10 his earthly
approached the Legislature, having debaecd the mat
YER 10Y several weeks, adopted resolution request
ing tue Governor 70 reprleye the coadenncd for q
month"; The majority Ia ily0r OF the resolve
was so large ilat tie Governor felt that
must waive bis own opinions of justice, Gnd Harris
was accordingly reprieve,l unLl the 3Uth Of March.
The purpose OF the resolve 10 reprieve was
that time might bc obtained W enact Il law dong
away with the death penalty, and that would
include fhe case Of Harms Amer sundry hearings
the judiciary Committee reported a oil changing
the present law la respect 70 capital punishment by
establishing three degrees OF murder. In extreme
cases tie 6il provided punishment by death; while
In the second degree, n the offender recommended
10 mercy W tue Jury. tue prcsidinx Judge concur
ring. the Governor Cuulmttfd luurf sonupnt far