The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-09-29
The Murderer Still at Large.

A murder was perpetrated in West Cumber-
land last Saturday morning which almost
equals in its cold bloodedness that of Williams
by Prescott a short time ago
THE STORY OF THE MURDER.
Joseph \. Lowe was young farmer, aged
about 80 years, and unmarried. He resided
on what is known as the old Winslow home
stead in West Cumberland, on the direct
road to Gray. The house stands on the top of
a high bank, just off the highway and is a
long. one-storied structure showing in its ex
ternal appearance the marks of age. A branch
road runs along the front of the house, and, on
its other side, directly opposite the dwelling
stands large woodshed, while just beyond the
woodshed, on the same side of the road is
large barn. 1t will thus be seen that the barn
is situated forty or fifty feet from the house.
From the tear of the dwelling the land slopes
gently down to the banks of the Piscataqua
river, quite little distance. On one side of
these fields separating them from the road is a
picket fence. Standing at the Born door the
spectator follows with his eye the main road
winding back to Portland, up hill and down
dale.
Young Lowe lived in the house with his
widowed mother, his sister and her husband,
Mr.. and Mrs. Ezra Ramsey, and several young
nephews and nieces. During the last week
younger sister, Mrs. Elizabeth II. Frank,
came to the house to attend the West Cumber-
land Fair. Friday, the fair closed winding
up at night with band concert and dance in
the hall at the village some two miles distant
from the house. Mr.. Lowe had been acting as
forager for all horses at the fair not entered by
exhibitors, and had consequently received
some money from day to day, but not any con-
siderable sums. About p. m. Friday evening
he entered the tent where Mr.. Prince and
Mr. Sha were-officers of the fair--and told
them he had about IS which he had taken for
grain, and that he was going home to fix
up for the dance. He returned home and
dressed, telling his mother that he should
leave his money behind him and handing her
all of the 49, except two half dollars which he
put in his wallet as he said he might wish to
spend that amount at the dance. He then
drove his sister, Mrs. Frank, to the hall and
there spent the evening. About $50 a. M,
the brother and sister started to return home
and Mr. George w. Morrill,, a neighbor, drove
back with them. When they reached the
house Morrill, offered to go in and help Lowe
put up the horse but the offer was declined,
and Morrill, babe them goodnight and left. The
front door had been left unfastened and Joseph
went in and through the house to the back
door to let his sister in there, and to his sur
prise found that door open. He therefore told
his sister to wait while he lighted a lantern
and went through the house. Finding every
thing all right Mrs. Frank alighted and went
in, while Joseph took the horse into the barn.
Mrs. Frank went to her room and removed
portion of her dress and then, as Joseph did
not return she became uneasy and called to
him out of the front door but received no
answer She then reused Mr.. Ramsey, who
proceeded to the barn.
The large door Of the barn is next the house,
with the small door just beyond The stalls
for the horses stand just between the large and
small door, and in front of the managers is q
passage where a man could be concealed. The
following is diagram which will explain the
situation: