Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-09-23
local ann State Nems.
The HOswell-Laflin Tragedy.

in the railroad companys paint-shop In tins
city, about eleven months. It seems that he
has not been highly esteemed by his fellow
workmen on account of his peculiar DISPOSE
ton, and the foreman of the department, Mr..
Hill, had given him notice to leave his SER
vice, betore the murder had been committed.
Roswell came to Augusta from Amesbury,
Mass. and is a workman of no great skill.
He at one time resided in New Jersey; SUISSE
quently for longer period in New York State
and afterwards purchased farm in Iermon,
Maine, on which he resided, we have been in
formed, about year. He and his wife quar-
relied concerning the title to this farm. The
farm was subsequently let, and Hoswell re-
sumed his trade. His wife has friends in Ban
gor, of which city she, is anative; her neither,
for whom she still retains a lively affection,
resides in Carmel. Hoswells parents are both
dead, and his marriage has been barren of off
spring.
We have been informed that the character.
acquired by the wife of IIoswell, since her
residence in Augusta and Hallowell, has been
the reverse of enviable. Her husband has
upbraided her many times, and reciprocated
her conduct by what she terms cruelty, &c.
He once threw a burning Kerosene lamp at
her. he has been known to lock her into
room where she was obliged to stay until his
return from labor in the evening. He has
threatened her life, and on the Monday he
met her in a car at the depot in Augusta, he
told her that in certain event the next time
she saw him would be between iron CRATES.
She states that she kept lamp burning all
night in room adjacent to her sleeping apart
ment, since her quarrel with her husband some
months ago, when they separated and he ad-
vertised that lie would not be responsible for
bills of her contracting She testifies that at
the time of the murder this lamp was burning
dimly, it being ''turned down.
Consequently the room in which she and
Mr.. Latin were at the moment the assassin
struck Mr. Latin and then turned upon her.
must have been quite dark. 1t appears that
Mr. Latin must have been stunned by the first
blow of his assailant, or he would have es-
capped while tho woman was having her life
and death struggle. ~ - = j
small room. To this are two doors,-one
opening into a larger room, where the little
boy slept and where on . table stood the diny
burning lamp; the other opens into the back
yard, and is the one through which Mr.. Latin
entered the room and at the entrance of which,
as Latin was emerging, the assassin met him.
The womans sleeping room, the morning
after her affray with her enraged husband,
was completely spattered with blood, showing
that her wounds had bled fearfully.
The outside of the door opening into the
back yard, Showed proof that a terrible stream
of blood had spurted against it, and while
shut the blood ran down to the Threshold and
gathered in little pools under the door, show
ing that the door must have been closed at the
moment the crimson stream struck it. The
track of the victim from this door to his own,
could betraced the morning after the murder,
by the blood which fell from his wound or
wounds. On the outside of his own door,
where the assassin, after having failed in his
desperate attempt to take the life of his wife,
closed the second time upon his victim, was a
CHASTITY show of blood; it must have been at
this place that the fatal thrust was made which
severed the jueular vein and carotid arteries.
After the fatal blow had been given and the
assassin felt murderer's exultation at the
torrent of blood which fell about him his VIC
tim dropped the roll Of carpeting, which fell
upon the Threshold, and with his feeble
strength endeavored to still keep off his muir
derer by grasping both his hands within his
own; but the strength of the assailant was too
much and he tottered backward few steps,
and fell only to breath his last.
But at this moment the dying man and his
assassin we're in presence of officers OF the
law. Had young Knight, who CHANGED to be
in the shop, only known of the terrible TRACE
dy which was being enacted few feet from
him, few moments earlier, the fatal blow
might have been averted.
The intelligence of the violent death of MIR.
Latin was conveyed to his wife by Hon II.
X. Baker. 1t fell upon her with crushing
weight Many hours elapsed before she
manifested any degree of composure.
Capt Archibald Clark Register of Deeds
for Kennebec county, died at his residence in
this city, yesterday afternoon, at the age of
81 years. He has been confined to his house
for about five months, suffering from affection
of the lungs, and during the most of that time
has been in a very low condition. Capt Clark
served as Lieutenant in Company F. In one
of the battles in which his regiment was en-
gagged, he lost a leg and was an invalid in the
hospital for nearly q year. He was a man
generally respected by all who knew him.
Among the contributions to the Floral De-
partment of the State Fair, which came in
late Wednesday, were fine wreath and cross
of cut flowers, forwarded by Mrs. w. S.
Whitman of Bangor, lady well known in that
city and eastern Maine for her fine taste,
practical love of horticulture and generous
gifts to all benevolent enterprises. They