The Portland daily press., 1879-09-30
The West Cumberland Murder.
THEORIES AND STORIES CONCERNING
THE AFFAIR.
No Arrests Yet Made.

A gentleman Of this city connected with the
Grand Trunk, had a slight acquaintance with
James Lowe, the latter having worked on the
road as brakeman short time year or more
ago. One day last week Lowe came into the
Office and asked if there was chance on the
road. Saturday evening about $50 this gen.
tleman met Lowe on Middle street, and hail
ing him said, "This is a pretty hard case"
Lowe replied "Yes.'' There 10 no clue is
there?" sNo' ~ see it stated in the paper
tonight that your brother did not have an
enemy in the world" ''No, he hadn't that
know Of" These were all the words that pass
ed between them.
Mr.. Ripley visited the Press Office yesterday
with the man mentioned in the morning edi-
ton as the keeper of the State Prison who was
said to have acted suspiciousy at the stable on
India street near the New England House. MI.
Ripley said that they did not harbor suspicious
people at his hotel, that the man was a former
keeper at the State Prison, and that he had not
been near the stable in question.
There were all sorts of stories afoat yester-
day in reference to the case. Not only were
statements made that the police had arrested
those who declared that they saw the arrests
made.
There is theory that the murder was COM
mitted for the sake of money, and that young
Lowe was mistaken for Mr.. Shaw the treasurer
of the fair Allowing this theory to be true,
the murderer could not expect to gain more
than a couple of hundred dollars, and it seems
hardly possible that, after the first blow, the
murderer would have stopped to make SO sure
of his victim by inhicting such fearful wounds
as the body bore. 1t would have been far more
natural it, after the first blow, he had robbed
the body and fed
Mr.. Samuel Slsillings of North Yarmouth
who attended the fair at West Cumberland,
Friday, started to drive home that evening
about o'clock. Soon after he left the fair
grounds he heard the sound of a horse coming
up behind at quite a rapid pace. He stopped
his own horse by q way-side trough so as to
water him, when the strange team came
alongside. The wagon contained two men,
one of medium height, the other rather short,
but both of them rather hard looking custom
ers They asked if that was the way to Cum
berland Centre, and were informed that place
was situated about four miles in an exactly OPP
posite direction from the course they were
taking They turned their horses head and
Immediately retraced their way. Mr.. Skill
lings took more note of the fact than usual,
first, on account of the appearance OF the
strangers, as they looked like suspicious
characters drawn to the fair for no good mo-
tive, and second, because roughs at the fair
fbo oifv iurn the
city rather than drive farther from it at that
hour of night into the country.
That same afternoon chaise drove up
Franklin street about dusk and the driver
stopped at Cumberland street until light
wagon containing two men-which was behind
him-reached Cumberland street also. The
man in the chaise sang out to the men in the
wagon "let's go to the Cumberland fair,
there's lots of fun there "Oh! no, replied
the men in the wagon, let's go to the Scarboro
fair They argued little and finally agreed
to go the Scarboro fair The men in the wagon
seemed anxious to 'shake' the man i'll the
chaise. He drove up Franklin to Congress, and
turned into that street toward the City Build
ing. The men in the light wagon then turned
their horse head up Cumberland street, and
drove to Washington, turning towards the
bridge, with the evident intention of going to
Cumberland. From the description given OF
these two men it answered that given of the
two men seen by Mr.. Skillngs.
Last evening reporter from the PRESS, as
pertaining that Mr.. James Lowe had returned
to the city, called at the New England House
to see what he had to say to the suspicious OF
the Cumberland people connecting his name
with the murder. Mr.. loves wife had read
him the accounts Of the murder published in
the papers He, of course, felt dreadfully the
burden imposed upon him by such suspicious,
but, knowing his innocence, felt he should be
able to bear it, He believed that his brother
was mistaken for Mr.. Shaw, the treasurer OF
the fair. Mrs Lowe felt satisfied SO long as
she knew the whereabouts of her husband Fri
day night and did not care if he was ar
rested so long as he was innocent.