Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-01

Great Excitement EEiStiag
tn I'Otcn.
MANY DISBELIEVE THE THE
DRY OF SUICIDE.
No Irregularity in the Bank Accounts
Yet Announced.
REASONS FOR THE THEORY OF SU-
ICIDE.
THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE DE.
TECTIVES.
A Doubt as to the Correctness of the
New Theory.

icide of Mr.. Barron, instead of murder pro-
duces intense excitement in Dexter 1t is
very hard for people to believe, and many
avow their disbelief, saying it was not posi-
Bile for n man Of Mr.. Barron's temperament to
plan and execute such deed.
The bank officials believe it was suicide,
but lay the responsibility of the announce
| ment on the detectives
The bank officers do not say as yet that Mr.
Barron's accounts were irregular The ac-
counts are being examined by experts, and
the public will soon know the facts in regard
to them. 1t is understood this announcement
was hastcned by an attempted settlement be-
tween the administrator of Mr.. Barron's es-
tate and the bank, although some of the in
vestigators have for some time believ ed it as
a suicide.
| A detective has demonstrated the POSSIBLE
ty Of Mr.. Barron's arranging the whole with
out aid. There are many things which sus-
tain the idea of suicide, and many others
can probably be easily shown. If it wa, a
murder, then Mr.. Barron displayed his hero
ism in vain The public should not decide
until more light is given upon the subject
| The facts of the case as developed, are sim
ply these: The detectives have come to the
conclusion that Mr.. Barron committed sui
eide; that no other hand than his own aided
in the affair; that he deliberately planned
and executed it, even going to the trouble of
procuring handouts of a very approved make,
such as burglars would use, though it is not
yet known for fact where he procured them !;
that he unlocked and left open the doors to
the Masonic Hall, which the jantor locked
twice during the day, for the sole purpose of
giving the impression that burglars were Sc
creted there; that he carefully placed the
overturned coal hod in the back room, with
his false teeth and pen lying near upon the
floor, for the same purpose; that he must
have destroyed what bank bills he had on
hand in the trays, if any, as well as his own
pocket-book, having the same deceitful pur-
pose in his mind.
| 1t will be remembered by those who read
the details of the tragedy, that small check
was left in the treasury, with few small
coins. The conclusion of the detectives is
that he must have cunningly left this to fur
Their his evidence of burglary and murder, and
his heroic defence of the trusts committed to
his care. They think that he had prepared all
these little details for his own glorifcation in
the hour of death; he coolly entered the vault,
closed and locked the door of the vault, which
he could without a key, by means of the APP
pliances upon the inside of the doors, took
poison, gagged himself, put the little cord,
the supposed instrument of torture, around
his neck, invested his wrists behind him with
patent handouts, and then lay down. These
acts and intentions on the part of Mr.. Barron
must be true if the story of the suicide be
true.
As evidence of this theory they mention
the fact that Mr.. Barron left his gold watch
at home on this day, very unusual occur
renee. 1t would be difficult for him to des-
troy it if he carried it vito him, SO that the
fact of suicide would not be made evident by
it. Hence the shrewdness of his plans to
leave it at home, and thus easily dispose of
the lateness of the hour to W hich he remained
in the bank, and on a holiday, is evidenced in
support Of this theory.
He left home promising to return at three
o'clock, his wife said. Yet he is found ut FIVE
O'Clock in the bank probably awaiting the
departure of the insurance agent, who had his
Office there, before carrying his plans into eff
feet No other known cause could have de-
layed him to this hour on such day. This
has long been one of the stumbling blocks in
the way of the murder theory. Why did he
remain there SO late, contrary to his usual
custom, and contrary to his promise to re-
turn. He was punctual man in his habits,
but here the promise was broken, and for
what cause?
These questions have troubled the prose-
cutors of the search for his murders not lit
tie. Then the condition in which Mr.. Bar
ron was found is alleged to support the idea
of suicide. The wounds upon him were very
slight. They could not have caused death.
There were no marks of strangulation.
Again the fact that the safe door was
found open, so that the murderers, If there
were any, must have had access to all parts OF
the safe except the burglar chest, and that the
pigeon holes in the safe contained papers,
among them two packages of money and a
large lot of proprietary stamps, as good as
money, that had not been disturbed, initiated
against the burglar theory.
The physicians who attended him during
the few hours he lived, say the symptoms
were those of poisoning, but might have beer
caused by strangulation or suffocation. There
being no marks upon the neck as evidences o.
strsngulatiOn, that was set aside. Was i,
suffocation9 He had been for nearly three
hours, enclosed in the small and tight vault
That would cause suffocation, but the de
tectives say he would have revived wher
brought out into the air. had this been tn,
sole cause, and thus put that idea away.