The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-02-01

was at first attempted whens Mr.. Barron's means
were heard. The door of the savings bank was then
forced aud the outer door Of the vault unlocked but
the inner door still hindered any approach on that
side. Then small man was lifted over the safe
door, from the national bank eide, and Mr.. Barron
was taken out iato the national bank.
Not only was he locked into the bank and double
locked into the vault but when found he gagged
with wooden pail.handle, handcuffed with his
hands behind him, there were marks Of blows his
head. and a small rope had been drawn tightly
around his neck. The inner door OF the safe Sc
curely locked and nothing was missing except about
800 from a till in the outer room. When the safe
was opened, 900 policy on Mr. Barron's life was
found assigned to the bank fer the purpose OF max
ing good any accidental error in his accounts. He
had been subject to heart disease aed this appeared
to be precaution suggested by that circumstance
Il is now reported that Of the detectives has
shown b, actual experiment, how Mr. Barron could
have double locked himself into the vault, disposed
of his KEYS gagged himself and handcuffed himself,
all in five minutes. II that feat of egerdemain has
been accomplished by anybody,-and that is doubt
| ful,-t still remains to be shown that Mr.. Barron
| could have done the same thing.
Dr. Mudgett is quoted as saying that there were no
marks of great violence on MIR. Baron's head, only
u
| a fall. He thought Mr.. Barron's death might have
| been occasioned by morphine. and says that Dr.
Clough concured in this opinion at the time of the
inquest.
By the evidence taken at the inquest, DR.. Clougf
| testified among other things that death was caused
| by strangulaton, the gag, and from being thrown
| into close vault. This was coneurred in by DR.
| Mudgett.
In view of all the circumstances, the most reasona
BILE conclusion appears to be- that this story has beer
set aoat in order to prevent the premature fight
| the murderer. Even that motive would hardly ex
cuse so wanton an insult to good mans memory.
lin an interview last evening" Detective j. S. Healt
| of this city expressed his opinion in very stron,
| TERMS He scouts the idea that Mr.. Barron commit
| ted suicide, and says the victim was not conversan
enough with criminal matters to enable him to sput
| up the job in such finished manner.
Mr.. Heald gave his reasons for forming such con
clusion as follows: The murdered mans false teeth
also the pen which he habtualy carried over his ca
while in the bank, were found upon the office foo
some forty feet distant from the vault where he wa
discovered The coalhod, also, was tipped over ant
the spilled coal strewn about the floor. These Incl
dents taken together would indicate that Mr. Barron
had just entered the room with hod full of Coal
| when he was struck from behind by his assailant
knocking his teeth and the pen to the floor also lin
| ping over the hod.
These facts have not heretofore been published
and to our mind they present very strong poin
against the theory advanced of Mr. Barron's suicide
The detective who is now employed in looking ul
this lamentabe affair is on regular force in fact
reported that he was recently discharged from
the regular detective force of Boston, but tor wha
reason we are unable to say. 1t would seem proper
however, under the circumstances, to be cautious il
forming conclusions in the matter.-ED1