Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-02-05
THE DEXTER TRAGEDY.
ANO TIER STATEMENT By DETEt
TIVE WIGGIN
An Insurance Company Calls on DIR
Clough to Explain.
A BOSTON CHEMISTS OPINION.
Disinterrment and Examination of the
iSody Feasible.

| DEXTER, February T. The New England
Mutual Life Insurance Company, which paid
policy OF $1,000 to the family of the late
statement of DIR. Clough, his family physi-
clan, that Barron's death was the result Of
blows on the head and strangulation, has
called for an explanation Of his recent state
ment that the deceased was poisoned by
morphine.
A prominent Boston chemist says if the
body of Mr.. Barron was disinterrcd, even
now, it would not be difficult TO ascertain the
cause Of death.
| He states that it is well known fact that
poison can be discovered in the system even
if the deceased has been buried for more
than one year, statement contradicting that
Of the detectives. And, too, says the same
authority, blow sufficient to fracture skull
and cause death, can be administered without
making scar upon the exterior surface
Whether Mr.. Barron was murdered or com
mittcd suicide, therefore, could easily be set
tied by an autopsy. Detectives not connect
/
theory of murder is correct, judging solely
from experience and a pcrusal of the evi-
dcncc on both sides.
| Detective Dearborn having replied TO De
tectivc Wiggins version of the Dexter rob-
berry case, Mr.. Wiggin replies saying that it
was just like professional thieves to hide the
key to the handouts on the premises rather
than to show themselves at window to throw
it one Of doors.
! To Dearborn's objection that country banks
! are not robbed in winter, Mr.. Virgins re-
plies that the very man whom he suspects Of
completely in the present robbery robbed a
Connecticut bank in February, and walked
fifteen miles to a train without being discov-
cred.
If Mr.. Barron had keys to the Masonic
Hail. then it must be said he not only left the
door open as a blind but carried up cigar
ashes and cracker crumbs as a blind. 1t is in
evidence that persons were heard coming
down the stairs the evening of the robbery.
| Mr. Wiggin challenges the new theorists to
name the name Of that drummer Of safes
who visited Dexter and went to the bank
shortly before the robbery.
The robbers had nothing TO fear from a
| Masonic meeting as there were rooms on the
floor which the Masons did not use.
Mr.. Wiggin says, at the inquest the doc
tors testified to serious bruises and marks OF
choking, and now we are informed these were
only scratches
Mr.. Wiggin says, even if Mr.. Barron's ac-
counts were short, he had $1,000 to $1,000
with.
And then, again, man like Mr.. Rarron,
who was cunning enough to lay his plans as
they say he did, would have known that his
books would have been examined and the
fraud be discovered if he died
nthe other hand, he might have gone just
as far as he did, according to their theory, ex-
cept taking the poison, come out a hero, tax
en- care of his books and accounted for the
lost money. On the same grounds he would
not have been likely to have left his note and
assignment of his life insurance policy be-
hind him if that had been to cover IL defalca-
| tion.
Messrs. Dearborn and Chapman say: at
had been the habit of the cashier to put the
timc-lock at four o'clock in the afternoon,
and set it at ten o'clock the next day, at
which time the bank was open. No living
soul could open that time lock during the in
tervening hours.
Professional thieves are perfectly familiar
with time-locks, consequently they would
well know that in order to get at the con-
tents of the chest, they must do the job be-
fore four o'clock p NJ. and yet at twenty
minutes to five Mr. Barron is known to have
been alive and talking with Mr.. Parsons"
Mr.. Wiggin replies: IL don't know any
thing about the hours that the time-luck
locked but will say that, if my theory ia
correct, these men were lying there watching
to get the cashier alone before he had closed
him before he had done it. He had not fin-
ished making up his books, fact which
shows he was surprised. His cash account
had not been made up, and the inner safe, as
| believe, was not locked till after Mr. Bar
ron was gagged and led to it to unlock it, the
door at the time being closed and the rob-
bers supposing it to be locked.
1t was the belief of the bank officers and
Mr.. Barron's most intimate friends in Dex-
ter, that when he was asked to unlock the
safe he stepped up and turned the bolt and
locked it, and then dcfied them. That was
one reason why they punished him severe
ly
TO substansiate that theory is the fact that
the cash account was not made up, and that
he would not have closed his safe till he had
made it up and was ready to go home.
Messrs. Dearborn and Chapman mentioned
the fact that n number of letters containing
money, and the money in the drawer, wer,
not taken, as tending to disprove the theory
Of the burglary.
Mr.. Wiggin calls attention to the fact thai
vauables are very often overlooked by
thieves, and refers to the Manhattan robber,
. Al,