The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-16
BY TELEGRAPH.
MATTERS IN MAINE
Terrible Tragedy at Bucksport.
A FAMILY MURDERED AND THEIR
BODIES BURNED,
Arrest of the Suspected Murderer.

BANGOR, oct. 14.-News of a supposed terri
BILE murder comes from Bucksport. A man
named Trim, aged 70, his daughter, Mrs.
Thayer, aud little girl years old are the
supposed victims. Mr.. Trims house and other
buildings were burned last evening. Mr.
Trims charred body was found in the debris of
the carriage house. The daughter went out to
a neighbor's, and started to return about nine
o'clock, but has not been seen since. Blood
was found about ten rods from Mr., Trims
house, and the trail followed tn the rear of the
barn where it Is supposed the woman's dead
body was placed, and the buildings fired, Mr..
Trim and his little grandchild having been
previously murdered. The murdered woman
was widow, and had about 500 or $500, the
proceeds of the sale of her farm, and the fami-
ly had been inquiring about investing it, 1t is
Supposed that the triple murder was committed
for this money. There is no clue to the perpe-
traitors.
BANGOR, Oct. 15.-The previous report of
horrible tragedy at farm house on the country
road four miles from Bucksport, is fully con-
frmed. Edwin M. Smith of Bucksport was
arrested Saturday on suspicion, and secret iu-
quest was held by the coroner near the ruins.
The examination of witnesses will be resumed
Monday at Bucksport village
Yesterday on receipt of the news of the hor-
rible murder in East Bucksport, representa-
tive of the Wing and Courier visited the scene
and gives the following account:
the three persons murdered were Robert T.
Trim, aged IA, his daughter, Melissa Thayer,
aged "a, and her child Josie, aged d. The OBJ
5aof Of ba or;,, 10 -
gain possession of some $3.50 which it was
known in the neighborhood the family kept in
the house. Mrs. Thayers husband died last
February and this money was the proceeds of
his estate. She had sold the farm on viii ch
she lived in Hampden and gone to her fathers
who was widower, to keep his house for
him. On the evening of the murder Mrs.
Thayer went out to call at Charles Hartman
and on her way was joined by Miss Ada Snow.
The two women went to Harrimans and the
postofice, returning to Mics Shows step-fa-
theirs, Andrew Hartman, where the murdered
woman remained but few moments, starting
at halt-past for her home, distant about 40 or
more rods. This was the last known of her
alive.
During her absence two young fellows, Ben
ner Emerton and Rufus Moore, were in the
house with Mr.. Trim, and the little girl having
called after the mother, went out They re-
manned till o'clock and on going out the old
man asked them to see where Melissa was but
they thinking she was in some neighbors went
to their homes.
About a. m. Saturday Mrs. Emerton, who
lives directly opposite where Trims buildings
of M aua Inv a brio oh
ing up saw those buildings wrapped in flames.
She aroused her husband and boys who went
over to the place, but the buildings were too far
gone to enter Neighbors were aroused and
they concluded as none of the family were seen
that they must have persisted in the flames. A
horse and cow in the "tie-up' of the barn were
gotten out, but nothing else was saved. The
horse was partly harnessed and the carriage
was burned outside the carriage house, but
nothing was thought of this till the horrible
developments which the morning light brough,
out were knswn. At daylight, in looking about
the premises party discovered about ten rods
from Trims house, on the side of the road
which Mrs. Thayer must have travelled after
leaving Harriman's, spot of blood and
bloody stone. At the fence was found cloud,
comb and pair of rubbers worn by the murder
ed woman. The body, as shown by the grass
trampled down and occasional spots of blood
on stones, logs, etc was dragged from this
place to the barn.
Starting thus the theory of the murder is
this: Some parties familiar with all the facts,
above given, laid in wait for Mrs. Thayer,
killed her, and leaving her body in little hol-
low over the fence awaited the departure of
the young men from Trims honse when they
completed their deed of blood by killing the
old man and perhaps the little girl, ransackng
robbing and firing the buildings. After the
discovery of the bloody trail, the people waited
the dying out of the smouldering fires, when
their search revealed in the ashes of the barn
where the trail stopped few human bones
and number of hair pins, which are supposed
to be all that remains of the woman, Melissa
Thayer. In the ruins of the carriage house
the charred trunk of Mr. Trims body was
found, and in the cellar of the house a few
small bones, supposed to be those of the little
girl Josie. The finding of these remains leads
to the sup2osition that the murderer or murder
ers, after depositing the body of the murdered
woman behind the fence, and as soon as the
boys had left the old man, run cut the carriage
which was ruse to attract the old man to the
carriage house, which he could enter from the
ling, and here he was killed. Some think
/, little girl was asleep and perhaps was not
awakened by the robbers but left to perish in
the flames.
It is probable that the murderers spent the
time from 10 to IL in searching the house. but
whether they found the money is not known,
and then fred the building to obliterate traces
of their crime.
The partial Harvesting of the horse and leav-
Ing in thestable is supposed to be a ruse of the
robbers to give the idea that the buildings were
fired by tramps trying to steal the animsl Two
officers from this city were sent for and went
to the scene of the horror. Suspicion rested on
Frank Saunders and one Edward NJ Smith
Saunders was found across the river in Hamp-
den, Saturday morning, where he told parties
he had come to inform the friends of Trim of
the burning of the buildings He was taken to
Bucksport by a deputy sheriff, but disclaims
all knowledge of the murder, and his mother
s1a sister aver that ne was at home that night
Smith, it is said worked for Andrew Harri.
man Friday and left the house few minutes
before Mrs. Thayer, and the Snow girl returned
but he did not return. He lived at Bucksport
four miles distant, and was found at home
asleep Saturday Some Of the neighbors state
that Smith had tried to borrow the money of
Mrs. Thayer but had failed. The scene of the
murder is laid on little travelled road, about
four miles northeast from Bucksport village
and fourteen miles from this city. Sanders was
subsequently released by the officers as suspi
cion pointed more strongly to Smith, who was
arrested Saturday night, and yesterday coro-
ner held an inquest at the scene of the murder,
allowing no particulars to be given out. 1t will
be continued at Bucksport village tomorrow.
Smith is described as about 40 years old, and as
a hard, bad looking man. He has followed the
sea for living and has been captain Of YES
sell
Hundreds of people focked to the scene of
the tragedy Saturday and today, and the wild
est excitement prevails. 1t is one of the most
horrible affairs that has transpired in this state
for years if it was ever equaled before.
ELLSWORTH, Oct. 15.-Sheriff Devereux has
arrested Edward M. Smith on suspicion of his
being the murderer of the Trim family in