The New York herald., 1878-11-25
4 Woman Murdered in a
Lonely House.
SIX WEEKS UNDISCOVERED.
An Exciting Trial and Strange
testimony.
AGITATION AMONG THE PEOPLE.


maA charms for the pleasure seeker yet in first
rsss sensations there fruitful shores. 1t
is less than year since the Cimbria entered neigh
boring harbor and attracted thithcr the atteItion of
large portion of the world and at the present time
there is in adjacent town more local but not less
exciting sensation. ON December %, 1877 at about
six o'clock in the evening Mrs. Sarah H. Meservey,
a lady about fortv-fve years old, was seen on her
way TO the Post Office i'll Tenants Harbor, q small
village in the town Of st. George, in this county,
when she disappeared from the public eye and was
heard of nearly six weeks AT thes nd of that
time she was found in her house murdered. The
Husband of Mrs. Meservey followed thc.sea. and
consequently she passed great deal of her time at
home alone. she had no children At tn is time her
husband, Captain Luther II. Meservey, was at sea.
The house in which she lived in the outskirts Of
the village and about midway between the parsonage
and the residence of Mark Wall which nearly two
hundred feet apart. She of eccentric dispo-
sition went little among the ncighbors. occasionally
would start away long visit without announcing
it TO anybody. and consequently her absence excited
at first but little attention The curtains of the win
dows were drawn down. and everybody who knew her
habits concluded that she had gone away.on visit.
THE DISCOVERED.
At length. however it was deemed advisable to
snter her house. ON January 30, 1875 about five and
half weeks after her disappearance. several men
visited the premises and entered the kitchen through
window which they pred open. Here everything
was in confusion. but nothing found to excite
suspicion. The continued their search. and
entering the next room their attention at first
attracted to what appeared be heap of clothing in
the middle of the floor. They approached. and soon
Found that it Mrs. Meservey, frozen and dead.
The windows were immediately uncurtained and
blanket, which covered the body removed. and there
lay the woman with her hands tied behind her neck.
her hair matted with blood and intensely agonz-
ing expression upon her face A i'm
medately summoned who, after examination Of
the case decided that a murder had been CON-
Mitted The woman had on the same calico dress in
which she seen on December -, and she had not
yet removed her rubbers which gave ground for the
suspicion that she had found man in the house on
her return from the Post Office. who probably
there for the purpose Of robbery. There every
indication of terrible struggle Chairs bed. table
aud mirror smashed to pieces, and the
walls OF the room stained with blood.
Around the throat Of the tightly wound
thrice the scarf which she usually 1t this
that evidently caused her death for while her head
was severely cut and body bruised none Of these
wounds OF fatal character. Mrs. Meservey was
woman OF great personal strength. and had IL no.
been for the scarf which about her neck when
the entered the house 1t is probable that she
would not have been overcome. The knots in the
scarf behind her neck tied in square and neat
manner also the cod line that bound her
hands These facts indicated that the murderer was
probably sailor; but the circumstances not
snch as to nduce the belief that lust was the motive
aor the murder.
TRACES THE MURDERER
The Coroner picked up from the floor of the room
a torn piece Of brown paper. marked the outside
coarse irregular and evidently disguised hand. the
following II came as wornon She out and
but Killed her." There other indications that
bad committed the deed. The face of the
dead woman had been carefully washed, and several
new towels and hose had been used. apparently to
wipe her face. In wash basin frozen
bloody water. in which the damned spots'' the
hands Of the murls rer bad probably been washed out
Traces OF blood had, 80 FAR possible, been
the l. broken to indicate that the doer of
the deed had found ineres= there. A side door
ferward discovered to have been unlocked and this
tended TO prove that the house had been entered at
window during AIRS Meserveys absence, and on her
return she unlocked the side door. which was the
door most used by her. and bn entering the front
room confronted the murderer. OF these
facts threw the whole neighborhood into frenzy Of
excitement
In ordinary Maine village about onc-third Of the
nble bodied males dub themselves detectives The
rematping twothrds possess the greatest confidence
in their own shrewdness and while not professional
detectives deem themselves most promising ams-
teurs. All these bent their mighty genius to
evolving theory. and each man wrought ont one
And woe 10 tha, man who was not at sea In those
days. Nearly every in town suspected
Finally the most overwhelming amount OF suspicion
was concentrated on one Nathan +. Hart, married
he was arrested, arraigned and finally the
Grand Jury brought in q trne bill against him.
IT A. true that there were not many nor weighty
facts against him but excessive suspicion will make
very little evidence 90 long way. The evidence
Jnent substantially follows;-Ths murder and the
discovery of IL we're proven above set forth there
strange mon strange vessels in port at the
time Of the murders that Hart had q knowledge Of
the prrmSs and was absent from his house between
tix and eight O'Clock on the evening of December ~
snd counsel for the prosecution claimed that Hart,
thinking that Mrs Meseryey bad left her house for
The purpose Of attending meeting that held that
night entered ner honse for the purpose Of rob-
berry; thai be surprised at her sudden return
home, and killed her 70 conceal his robbery.
bome testimony was introduced 70 prove that the
evening Of The 2,th Hart left home 1t halfpast eish
with the ostcnsible purpose Of carrying Christmas
present to relative about three miles distant and
thst he did not return until eleven o'clock. II was
claimed that during this time ne PLACED the torn
brown paper note IN the room as above described.
SUSPICIOUS crRCuMsTAsCEs
II was proven that Hart at the inquest said he
could account Tor his time on the 24th but that he
could ngt recall where he the night Of the 22d
that on the evening - the oath lie on the road
mysterious looking stranger With his cnat over hid
head. The prosecution maintained that the Inerfinp
- the stranger did not avert suspicion tho murder
had not yet removed her rubbsrs. and further be-
the curtains down ell day on the 2.d
some witnesses also testified that Hart told them on
Che evening of the discovery OF the body that the
woman strangled by the cloud which was en-
Iwincd about h.r neck aud that cod line was about
her wrists and that the knots we're square ones
when. in fact, these facts known until the
next day as the body lay nDdisturbed during the
Uitnit tut nf Hau tou several PERSONS before the
discovery that Mrs. Meservey was strapged
a. death. and, further. that he said he had
been trying 70 get ncighbor 70 have
.'The t4od damned tomb tthe bousel Opened
oil winter because lac knew 'she in there ,s ad
nll the tne:" that he attempted 70 get in the room
where the body on the night after the discovery
and that upon refusal be asked u he might come
in next morning before any got there; tllnt be.
fore any ACCUSATION had been made against him nc
said noighbor that IL made him nearly stink down
~ the earth to think that his neghbor suspe. ted
him. Two anonymous letters presented one OF
which had been sent 10 Mrs. Levi Hart, mailed
Et Philadelphia and dated February 10, aud threat
pnng 10 shoot Mr.. Levi Hart IL he persisted
IN his inquiries 10 ascertain the murderer,
sud the other letter had been mailed at Providence
and pnrported 10 give recital Of the real facts Of the
murder which had been committed by the writer for
purposes OF lust: that fifteen days after the murder
be had returned 70 the house and stolen $loo. These