Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-03-06
Judicial Murder-A Case in Maine.


lowing particulars of the murder of a
little girl in Strong, Me-, u years ago,
which seems to be the case referred to
by the New Hampshire murderer Evans,
In his alleged confession of many atroci-
ties:
The girls name was Laura V. Libby.
She was nine years and five months old.
She was murdered on Sunday morning,
the 18th of September, 1862. She had
left her home just as the morning church
bells were ringing, and passed by Mrs.
Smiths, the next neighbor, by whom she
was seen, and thence down the road into
a piece of woods. She was never after
ward seen alive, except by her murderer.
By the road in the woods was a hovel,
used for storing hay, and here the MUIR
der was committed. It was but 1913 rods
from her fathers house. The girl was
missed In few hours afterward, and a
dlhgent search was made, but no clue
could be found either of the girl or the
murderer. The authorities of the town
of Strong offered 81 ZOO for the appre-
hension of the criminal The search
was pursued by hundreds of citizens, and
finally the remains of the little girl were
discovered by a mere accident in a grave
In the edge of the woods, nineteen rods
distant from the howell The grave was
very peculiar. The turf was cut and a
quantity of displaced earth was carried
away and hid. The girl was then put
INTO the grave and little sand sprinkled
over her. She was covered with her
clothes, and the turf was then turned
back over her, leaving no mark. Weeds
were stuck up in the crevices, and leaves
We're scattered carelessly about. When
found she was lying ON her back, having
nothing on but her under-clothes and
stockings, the rest of her garments being
placed in the grave about her. It APP
peared that her person had been shock
1ngly violated, and her throat cut with a
knife in some ten or twelve places.
Lawrence Doyle was arrested on sus-
picion of having done the deed. Several
years previously he had come from Cape
Breton, his birthplace, and located in
Strong, where he was engaged as hired
man for Mr.. Libby, the father of the
girl. He had accumulated SOME proper
ty, and was the owner of flock of
sheep. He was hunting for some of
them IN pasture in the neighborhood
of the murder, but there We're no other
well-established facts, either direct or
indirect, showing him to be the muir
derer. A portion of bloody shirt was
found near the scene, but this was in no
way traceable to him. Doyle had sus-
tanned good character, and, in fact,
was among those who turned out to hunt
for the little girl. He was defended in
the first trial by Hon. E. F. Pillsbury
and other counsel, Attorney-G General
Drummond appearing for the State. The
jury disagreed On the second trial.
before Judge Walton, Doyle was con-
victed of murder in the first degree. and
was taken to the State Prison. Mr..
Pillsbury appeared before the Governor
and Council and got his sentence COM
muted to Imprisonment for life. His
counsel believed Doyle innocent, and the
latter asserted the same to the last mo-
ment of his life. He died in prison two
years ago. One of the leading theories
of the defense was that the murder was
committed by a left-handed man, and it
is said that Evans is left-handed. The
confession of Evans as to the murder of
girl in Augusta in 1862, for which an
other man died in prison, can apply only
this case. Further developments as re-
CARDS the confession will be made soon.