Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-31
HOMICIDE IN WINTHROP /!
A Man Killed i'm the Heat
of Passion.
THE coRoNER's INQUEST.
PARTICULARS OF THE ARRAY.

|
homicide which occurred in Winthrop on
Thursday morning. A colored man named
George Page lost his life in the ARRAY, at the
hands of Increase L. Watson. The scene of
the occurrence was at the agricultural works
of Luther Whitman, in Winthrop village
Both parties were employed at the works, in
different departments, and no previous diff
Guilty Of any kind had ever transpred between
them. Page, who was killed, was 20 years of
age. He came to Winthrop several years
since as freed slave from the South, and has
always borne good character as a peaceable
and law abiding citizen. Mr.. Watson, who
struck the fatal blow, is well known in Win
throp, and has always been esteemed and re-
spected.
William II. Libby, Esq, of this city, was
notified of the homicide, and proceeded yes
terday afternoon to Winthrop, where a jury
was organized and an examination proceeded
with. Three or four witnesses were exam
ined. Through the kindness of Mr.. Libby
and the facts elected at this preliminary ex-
animation, we gather the following particu-
lars Of this sad ARRAY:
About & O'Clock Thursday morning, Page
came into the part of the shop where Watson
was at work. and where he had an overs sight
of the work, after some frewood for the
| foundry. He threw out some wood towards
the machine saw where he intended to saw it
into the proper lengths. He took up piece
of wood that Watson had saved out for wheel
barrow hubs. and said that would he good
piece to saw. Watson told him rot 10 saw it,
rs he had saved it for wheelbarrows. Page
said, II will saw il up if I've mind to-"
Watson was then engaged in saving Up some
wheeibarrow stock, and Page ordered him to
remove it from the saw. Watson told him
repeatedly that he should not saw it up, clos
| ing with the expression-"G-d d-n you,
you shant saw it ."--shpped the belt, and
started of from the saw in another direction.
On returning to the saw Page followed him
and struck him with his fist in the back, and
kicked him. Watson turned round and Page
clinched him and threw him on to the saw
table, both falling side by side and came of
on to the floor, rage uppermost. Page was
choaking Watson when Mr. James Nickles,
| a workman in the shop, took him off. Page
said, ''G-dd--n him, will give him some !"
The anger Of both parties then seemed to
subside for few moments, when converse
ton again commenced between them Watson
picked up hard wood stick, the handle or
part of the side frame Of a wheelharrow, and
advanced towards Page, who seized steel
cut bar and swung it over his shoulder as
| though he was going TO strike Watson.
Mr.. Wood took it out of his hands and Page
| turned and struck Mr.. Wood in the eye with
his fist. Just as Page was turning Watson
| struck him with the piece Of hard wood,
knocked him down, left him and returned to
the saw. Testimony conflicts as to whether
| the blow was given on the top or side of the
head. The workmen took hold of Page and
| shook him, and noticed that he breathed.
| They supposed he would come to again. As
he did not, the other workmen in the shop
were told what had happened. He lay in an
unconscious state about half an hour, when
he was taken to house and DIR. A. P. Snow
called. He did not speak in the shop after he
was struck. A confusion was found on one
side of his left arm, about three inches from
the wrist joint also little scratch on the
angle of the lower jaw on the left side of the
! face, a slight scratch on the lobe of the ear,
| same side, and little blood which came from
the internal rim of the ear. These were all
| the wounds or Commissions that were found
| about him. He came to in the course of an
| hour and conversed. He commenced to sink
again about noon, and continued to sink dur
| ing the afternoon, and breathed his last be-
tween 6 and o'clock
| There is good deal of uncertainty as to the
cause of Pages death. His head has been
closely shaved to the scalp, but there is no
scar or anything to lead to the opinion that he
received a blow on the head at all. Coroner
Libby has ordered post mo,fem examination
to be made of the body by Drs. Snow and Dun
ham, and the jury will sit again this forenoon
at Q O'Clock.
Mr.. Watson was not arrested, but gave
himself up voluntarily to the authorities, and
is not yet under arrest. He has engaged for his
counsel, +. o. Bean, Esq. Of Readfield. We
shall give the result of the examination to-
day in Mondays paper.
| 1t seems that the goodly town of Winthrop
is becoming somewhat notorious for deadly
aArays. Several months since, blood was
flowing in the streets in consequence of
deadly and disgraceful ARRAY. We hope the
occurrence of Thursday may he the last of
the kind in this beautiful village, which has
always borne good reputation for sobriety
and good morals.
marrir0.