The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-02-10
MATTERS In MAINE.
Trial of Rufus N. Higgins for the
Murder of James Barlow.
FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS
Brief Review of the Case.
ISnecial to PreSS.l

Especial to PreSS.I
LEWISTON, Feb. 9.-The murder trial which
began this morning at the court room in Au-
burn, lacks entirely the elements of mystery
and circumstance which gave to the Lowell
trial of just year ago such absorbing interest.
This case isIthe outgrowth of a wanton and
causeless assault and derives its chief impor-
lance from the fact that any member OF the
community is liable to just such treatment at
the hands OF casual roughs as that which re-
suited in the death Of James Barlow and this
trial of his alleged assailant
At ten clock on the night of the 18th OF last
September, James Barlow started from his
boarding place with the intention OF seeing
home partially intoxicated friend of his nam
ed Craig Barlow himself was quiet, peacea'
BILE Englishman of IS, Lancashire mule
spinner, employed in the Lewiston Mills in this
city. He was temperate man who devoted
his spare time to a cultivation of newspaper
literature, and, although he lived on Lincoln
street, consorted but little with the roughs who
infest that somewhat disreputable locality
Barlow and Craig proceeded up the street and
were met by two ruffians -errant, one of whom
accosted them with the preremptory and high
wayman-like challenge, Give me two dollars F"
Craig was not so drunk but that he saw the
Injustice of the demand and returned, Earn
YOUR two dollars as do" The only answer
to this unquestionably sound fragment of po-
litical economy, was blow in the face which
knocked him senseless. Barlow interposed and
was also knocked down and kicked in the face.
Both of the injured men managed to get home
half an hour later, to James Hudsons, where
Barlow boarded. Craig felt sore the next
morning, but suffered no further inconven-
fence, but Barlow found that he was seriously
injured He was sick for a week or ten days,
when lockjaw ensued, resulting from cut I'M
der his eye, and on the last day of September
he died. A post mortem revealed the fact that
the cheek bone had been fractured and spln-
ter of it driven against the canalof one of the
facial nerves, thus producing inflammation of
the brain, lockjaw and death.
The investigations of the police threw sus-
picion on two roughs named Rufus Higgins
and Thomas Lawler. Higgins had left town
Immediately after the assault, and went to
Portland, where he was arrested for drunken
ness and spent night at the police station.
He went next to Gray Corner and hired HIM
self to farmer named McConkey. At Nc
Conkeys the Lewiston police, who had easily
tracked Higgins by means of the circumstance
of his having lost one finger of his left hand,
fonnd him in bed one night and arrested him.
The preliminary examination OF Higgins ana
LAWYER, who was arrested in Lewiston. resulted
in their committal for trial at the January
term of the Supreme Court.
Tho caca pao hafora he court this morning,
Judge Danforth presiding. A jury was en-
pannelled and the indictment aginst Higgins
for the two men are to have separate trials
was read, he having previously plead not
guilty. The prosecution is conducted by At
torney General FL. NJ Plaisted, assisted by
County Attorney Wing. Higgins is defended
| by L. Fl. Hutchinson, Esq, of this city. The
attendance on the trial so far has been large,
as the mills are on short time, the mill hands
idle, and the parties concerned in the case all