Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-07-16
SUPPOSED MURDER AT sOLON.
Mr.. Jsckson's Death Probably not Caused
by the Kick of Horse.
INTERESTING FACTS CONCERNING TIE MATTER.


A correspondent writes US concerning this
somewhat mysterious affair
The jurors of the inquest the death of VIII
liam Jackson, being all Athens men, returned
from Scion to- night, making four day, they have
spent in the examination. Jackson was found
deadinbis stsbleon the night Of " edneslay, the
18th day of June, with his head stove il, supposed
the time to have been done by the kick of horse
on June 18th be was buried and lay In his grave
undisturbed until the morning Of the 10th INST.
Meantime, upon grave uspcious Of foul play az in
quest was called BY Coroner j. IL. Hight of this
place, The Jury wa; ,,s s0mpos;sd of SIX
james Bixby. Is. NJ. Palmer, Albert Lcav-
lit. Martin b. smiley, Obed W. McIH-
tire and Eben Moore Witnesses, including
two NJ. D.s.-Drs. Wilbur of Skowtegsn. aud
Tsrbe of Athens,-aod jurors of the inquest, all
met at the cemetery for the pun pose of post NOR
TEN exam nation. The body was disinteried, and
q piece of the skull removed. The court was then
adjoui ned to Jackson's Mouse, and from there to
The town house in Scion village, some three or
four miles dist ant, at 100 r. NJ. There the room
was cleared Of Spectators, and the Doctors exam
ined.
DR.. Wilbur took the part Of the skull which was
removed home to Skowhegsn, and dressed it and
wired il together. After completing the examine
lion Of the medical Witnesses, the doors were
opened and spectators admitted and long and
wearisome examination of three days took place.
AT the close of the fourth day of the investigation
The rendered thtlr VetuiCt, winch that
deceased came to his death from the blow of the
pole Of an axe or some similar instrument feloni
oCsy gven-in othe words that he was rru rdered.
The Jurors were well satisfied in their own minds
as to who was the murderer, hut thought it hardly
proper TO return any one as guilty the evidence
as yet developed.
Jackson was o man "a years of age worth some
little property, ~h oh he had wllled to his wife a
woman Of 80 years some time previously to lis
'leath. And grave suspicious are entertained
80 hara rl 4 \
,on, % years of age, who was living with them,
aud whom it is SAID by some she was more fot,d
than OF her husband. On the day of her husbands
sesth she and young Benson had. been 10 Scion
, lllsge and returned after shutdown. The horse
t1ey drove was five wear old geding, which they
s,y was vicious that il was not safe for Mrs.
Jackson 10 drive. That night jackson went to the
able 70 do his chores, and the Others in the fam
iy, consisting OF Benson, Mrs. j. and her
went to bed. At 1O2e O'Clock. as Mrs. j.
sys, she awoke and found that Mr.. j.
had not returned from the stable. she
arose, dressed, and called Henson, who also
dressed and started for the stable to look for Jack
son. Upon reaching the stable door the III It
thing seen the colt loose in the foor, and
the second Jackson laying near his feet.
Benson turned the colt out.Sas he says, and
placed his hands on Jackson, from whom blood
y as flowing and shouted to bin but received no
reply. Possibly he may have shaken him or
sven turned him over but he is not certain a, to
that He supposed him probably dead and start.
I'd for help. There were two directions that he
inig hit have taken. One led to the house of one
Wilbur, friend of Jackson, three hundred and
ninety PAGES as the jurymen paced Il off or not
quite quarter of u mile nom Jackson's house.
but he did not take that route. eBensons
uncle, one Williams, lived in the opposite drec-
ton about twice as far. and there she went first
partly over bard HILL bnt he did mot run. as he
claimed he WAS unable to do from Ill health
Returning with several peighbors he reached the
house about II 7. NJ, butdid not himself 90 into
the stable, but being rnwell went in and laid
down. The news was broken to Mrs Jackson
who did not 60 into the table but laid down upon
the sofa From the time of his first discovery tiIl
the funeral Benson did not see the body of Jack
son save only once. on Friday, aud this was in
the presence of Mrs. jackson who stood with him
be side it. but the face of deceased covered.
Such was their testimony. They believed Jack
90 persisted from the kick of the horse and that
he was in the act of leading him out when he WAS
kicked, as his body was remote from the stall
when found. When the neighbours arrived at II
P. NJ jackson lay fiat upon his back and straight.
his hands, of them straight to bis side and the
other crossed over his body, and with one foot
crossed over the other. Over his right ear and
ertendipe tot the eye was the wound that killed
him, and this side of his head was slightly incn-
cd to the floor. His left cheek bone was frsctur-
ed and there was wound under his chin Two
physicians from Scion. Drs. kinsman and Hun
navel were called to look at the body be-
a. they supposed The man was killed by the
kick of the horse, no doubt. -nrs VII
bur and Tarbell measured the principal wound,
that over the right ear, which was the on
ly fracture of the main part Of the skull. Its
length was Just inches and a half and itsg graf
est width inches and a half. The pole or an xe
would fit snugly into this hole as regards length.
and at each end there square edge in the
bone corresponding to the short edges in the pole
of the axe. But the top and bottom edges of the
fracture were curved outward in somewhat IT.
regular oval form.
Previous to bis death. Jackson had, male a
conddant OF his etroubles Of one Wilbur, a
ntighhor of his, living quarter of mile away.
1t was the neighbor whom benson did not call on
the night Of the tragedy Wilbur saws that few
weeks before his death Jackson said to him that
he was afraid of his iife that there were dsmna-
BILE works at his house, and that he would send
Benson Of were Il mot for making trouble, and
that he presumed II he should send him away his
wife would net speak to him for three weeks, and