The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-02-03
Searching Review of the Suicide
Theory.
ITS ABsURDITY DEMON.
STRATED.
The Evidence Brought Out at the
Inquest
Detective Virgins Story Of the Affair.

follows:
great deal of stress is placed upon the fact that
the key to the handouts also the other keys
was found in rear room hidden behind a pile of
rubbish, Messrs. Dearborn and Chapman saying it is
extremely improbable that professionals would stop
to hide the keys. If Mr.. Barron had put the hand
cuffs on his own hands tie key would undoubtedly
have been found in the safe, and them again. assum-
ing that pr ofessionas did the job the first thing they
would think of would be to hide the key. If one of
them should happen to be taken into custody the
finding upon him Of key to the handouts would
be strong evidence against him.
1t has been said that professionals do not go into
town to do job Of that kind unless they go with
team and leave man to watch the team. When
the Winthrop (Me.) Bank was robbed they entered
the town on foot, bIoke into blacksmith shop, and
after the job was finished, lett on foot and lived in
the woods for three or four days. At the expi
Of that time team was procured in which they
made their escape into Canada. The men who rob-
led the Dexter bank had, as they supposed, from 7
o'clock in the evening until the following morning
to escape, and as the nearest railroad station
only fourteen miles away, it will be seen how easy it
was 10 escape.
One of the statements upon which the advocates Of
the theory OF suicide rely is that strangers were
seen in town on that day for several days prior to
the occurrence-at least that is what they say.
Mr.. Wiggin goes on at considerable length. giving
the testimony, taken shortly after the sad affair, of
Henry Parsons, Matilda P. Whitney, Kate A. Rus
sell, j. d. Denslow. Mrs. Samuel Farrar and Miss
Abby Putnam. all of whom, in their statements.
conclusivey PROVE to his mind the correctn ess of
the opinion he has formed, viz: That Mr. Barron
was murdered. and that his murderer was one Jack
Ferris, alias "Worcester SAM assisted by two
"pals," whose first intention was to "crack'' the
bank, but the heroism Of the amented cashier pre-
vented the accomplishment of their design without
the sacrifice OF life We give part as follows:
Several days prior to the murder wealthy citi-
zen OF Exeter Me-, was sitting in the bank, talking
with Barron, when man entered, aud, after in
forming Mr.. Barron that he selling safes, asked
permission to look at the vault His request was
complied with, and, after examining the safe very
closely he said 81 do nothing for you, the safe
is the same am selling" 1t was noticed at the
time by both gentlemen that the man did not hand
him any card; but in the course of the conversation
he informed Mr. Barron that he was selling safes for
Morris & Ireland of this city. He was about fe ct,
Sor inches in height, with pale face and sandy
complexion. This description, it will also be OBJ
served. is a good description of "Worcester Sam,'
whose name has been mentioned several times in
connection with the affair."
Mrs. Samuel Farrar and Miss Abby Putnam also
testified that Cd the evening prior to the murder,
they went to the post office together aud when di-
recty opposite tie door to the stairway of the bank
building, man and woman came out of the entry
upon the sidewalk and separated, the woman going
in one direction and the man in the other. MISS
Putnam said she noticed them they came from
the stairs inside the entry and when they came out
he nnficed hat he mo NJ paod nd
pale looking countenance The woman was large,
perhaps larger than the man, large, in fact as to
attract her attention on that account. She had a
shawl over her shoulders which had rather a
"slouchy" look. The fact that the couple came out
of the entry attracted her attention. as she thought
it indicated a sociable in Masonic Hall, and won
dered why her brother had not told her about it, as
he was Mason, and she had been with him on sew
eral occasions She also testified that she looked at
the parties rather closely, it her intention, IL
she recognized them, to ask what was going on in
the hall; but she di not know them She was posi-
tive it was about o'clock, because she went directly
home, and on arriving there it was about 500
o'clock. They were certainly strangers, as both Mrs
Farrar and Miss Putnam knew everybody in town
and neither Of them recognized by these ladies
There was nobody found who had been in the Ma
sonic hall for at least two days before the robbery
and yet traces of cigar ashes and rnmbs of crackers
were found on the cushions Of the settees in that
room. Every member of the lodge was examined
and they were unanimous in saying that not one o.
them had ever carried any article of food into the
main hall. That being the case, where did the
crumbs come from? Perhaps Mr.. Dearborn will
explain that also.
To continue, the robbers concealed themselves in
the hall that afternoon after finding out that Mr..
por HI
tunity, to find Mr. Barron alone in the bank. The
moment he went into the rear room for the purpose
of filling the coal bod they could hear the noise and
wh-n that sound was heard in my opinion, they un.
looked the door, entered the bank, and, as Mr. Bar
ron was returning from the coal bin with the bod in
his hand. it very easy matter for three men to
overpower him without leaving the marks of a
struggle, as he was small man, and they were three
to one. After being ovepowered the next thing was
to get him to open the sae which he in ali probable
ity refused to do. He was then gagged cord tied
around bis neck and twisted to compel him to reveal
the combination.
And here let me speak of the gag about which so
much has been said by Detectives Dearborn and
Chapman. agree with these gentlemen that it was
made Of the handle of a water-paii. but when they
say that burglars never such gag entirely dis
agree with them, because it is well known that the
one used by Miles in gagging the Barre CASHIER was
In every respect like The gag found in Mr.. Barrons
mouth, and. as far as the difficulty in breathing is
concerned, the object was not SO much to prevent
respiration as to prevent an cutlery.
The statement has been made that the cord was
twisted loosely aroung bis neck, but how do they
count for the red ring? The theory that it might
have been produced by the edge of the trunk will do
very well for the back of the neck, but can you or
can they explain how the red mark came under bis
chin just in the position tIwould have BEEN had the
rope been put around his neck and twisted until the
knot caused the mark under the chin. In addition
to tho above, 1 wonld like to have Dearborn and
Chapman explain how the bruises came upon his
head. They tar too serious to have been caused
by fall, and he assuredly did not inflict them on
himself. -
Now we come to the screw driver and
lamp. Mr.. Barron was in the habit Of using screw.
driver while oiling bis locks and changing the combI
nation, which had to be done from the inside To do
1t, he was compelled to use kerosene lamp. This
would to account for the presence of the Iamp
in the safe.
The idea OF Mr.. Barron being defaulter to the
bank hardly seems probable to my mind. In the
first place it has been proven that he had at the time
OF his death $4,000 Of his own. Now the defalcaton
so says the expert docs not exceed $780, $2u.O of
which is provided for by the assignment Of his life
insurance policy which leaves the amount of the de-
ficit $1,000. His standing was so good that at any
time he could have raised $4,000 If necessary and
with little or no effort. That being the case, why
should be commit suicide?
Again, a great deal of stock has been made out of
the fact that he had discharged mortgage of $4,000
his house some time before, but does that prove
anything against him? 1t was natural thing to dc
under the circumstances, and one that man like
Mr.. Barron would not hesitate to do. de might
have taken the money from the bank; but was not
the bank amply secured by the polly on his life,
which was the very best kind Of security anybody
could have? And. in case Of his death at any time
the note for 500 Occurred by the assignment of the
life insurance policy would protect the bank from
loss. This is obly theory, because 1t has not yet
been proven that he took any money from the bank
at any time. noticed also in the publis he'd accounts
that mention was made of the fact that an account
of the trial of Scott and Dunlap, the Northampton
bank robbers, was found in the desk after death
That can be largely accounted for. While was al
Dexter, Mr.. Bangs, from Pinkerton's New York de.
tective agency, sent Mr.. George Hamilton, the new
treasurer copy of the trial, and he and Mr. Brad
ley read it together, thinking it quite curiosity
This proved that he had never shown it to them,
which would have been the case had it been his own