Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-29
MAINE NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.
HORRIBLE MURDER.
MONEY Is THE SUPPOSED MO
TIVE,
NO CLUE TO THE MURDERER.
Intense Excitement in the Vicinity o
Cumberland.

N late hour ana was fOund saturday morn
ing in his barn murdered, having recently
been struck on the head with an axe. His
age was thirty, and he was unmarried. living
with a sister. He was foragcr at West Cum
berland fair. The coroner and officers have
gone out. Tramps are suspected.
Lowe was door keeper at the dance and
probably had all the money taken at the door.
II is also suggested the murderers may have
mistaken him for the treasurer of the fair.
who lives next house to him. and who prob
ably had large amount of money with him.
The Advertiser reports full particulars of
the Lowe murder at West Cumberland.
Friday night. Joseph Andrew Lowe lived on
a farm ten and onc-half miles from Portland
N the direct Gray road. westerly side of the
Presumpscot river. and carried on a farm
with his brother in-law. Ezra Ramsey. He
returned from dance at the fair grounds
two miles distant. with his Youngest sister.
Mrs, Elizabeth II. Frank. Geo. w. Morrill,
\ neighbor riding back with them. They
reached home between two and three, 4. NJ.
Morrill, got out at the door yard and offered
to help put up the horse. which was declined.
and they drove into the yard
Joseph went into front door and through
the house to let his sister in the back door.
The latter door was open which excited his
suspicious. He told her to wait and not
come in till he had looked around to See what
was the matter. He struck light and looked
through the house, but found everything all
right, and the rest of the family quietly
asleep. Mrs. Frank then came in, and he
took the team to the barn, some rods beyond
the house. TO put it up.
After waiting about twenty minutes, and
not hearing him, his sister grew uneasy, and
going to the end door of the house. toward
without receiving AN answer. Now thor
oughly alarmed, she aroused her brother-in-
law, (Mr. Ramsey.) and told him she fecred
something had happened to Joseph, he was
gone so long at the barn. Ramsey arose,
put on his clothes and went to the barn. The
moon " as towards its setting. and the end of
the barn in which was an entrance, was in
shallow, so he could see nothing except the
wagon and the open door, nor could he
hear anything. He ran back to the house,
and told Mrs. Frank that something must
have happened to Joseph. lie feared he was
killed. He never would have gone ava,
without speaking of it. He took Kerosene
lamp. returned to the barn and saw him
/ H.. La, in frttr
and went for Gyms Shaw, a neighbor and
r,nsed him, and the two returned and found
Joseph, stone dead. with his face bruised and
head cut nearly off. bloody axe lying beside
him and the floor and walls splashed and
covered with blood.
They reused the neighborhood. got board
and bore the CHASTITY corpse into the house,
and acquainted coroner and police as soon
as possible.
| The barn stands Lnconnected with other
buildings. Large doors are in the eastern
end. At the left is an apartment with stalls
| for four horses.
| 1t seems the young man drove up in front
# the barn jumped out, unhitched his horse,
| led him into the barn foo, hung up the
harness on pegs beside the stalls. and fastened
him and was coming ont into the floor again
to feed him WHEN the murderer. standing on
one side of the door. struck and ielled him
with an axe. He was probably turning to the
left to go around and feed the horse. when he
received blow with the fiat of an axe over
his right eye. He fell backwards, striking
against the wall and lay qiartering, on his
left side. with his left cheek pressing the
| door. his left arm extended and his right
living across his body
| This left the right side of his neck exposed.
The fend not content with killing him at the
first stroke, struck him again with the fiat
side of the axe in the same place and turning
it with two sharp strokes, nearly severed his
head from his body.
The cut was made close up to the base OF
the skull and severed the spinal column and
wind-pipe, partly, So that the head hung by a
mere flap of flesh and muscle. With such
energy were the strokes given that the axe
cut through and gashed the left shoulder.
| The back of the head was also bruised, prob
ably in falling.
| \ lantern carried in his left hand, lay
smashed, few feet oft. AnaXe coveredwitl
blood WAS close beside the body. The axe,
which was sharp, had been taken from a
woodshed where it had been lett with q
duller one. The dead mans wallet contained
dollar in change. The axe struck through
and then passed into the floor. leaving q
mark.
Not the slightest clue to the murderer has
been found, and no suspicious person has
been seen in the vicinity lately. Early this
morning footsteps were seen in the dewy
grass in an adjoining field.
The victim of his horrible crime is de-
scribed as mild, inotfensive man, without
enemies. lie was not engaged to or paying
attentions to any lady. He took but little
money during the day and left that at home
with Ramsey during the evening. He had
received about dollar more which was found