The Portland daily press., 1881-08-17
THE MALTA WAR.
How Maine Squatters Killed 9
Man,
And Were Tried and Acquitted.

The land troubles of ireland suggest to the
student of our own history that an interesting
contribution to the discussion might be derived
from the landlord and tenant strife in New
England and other States, violence preceding
or coming after litigation, serving to give fla
vor to the narrative for those fond of exciting
reading. Our criticism may be tempered by
remembering that even the sacred soil of Mas
sachusetts has witnessed intimidation and muir
der because of disputes between owner and oc-
cupier OF territory too valuable to be surren-
dered either by lawful or unlawful posses,ors.
The district of Maine, in September, 1909, was
the scene of an elaborate and cold blooded plan,
duly executed. to kill man engaged in sur
veying land, which the propri etor presumed tn
claim as against the assumption OF those called
IN the vernacnlar of the case, "squatters "
Two months later the supreme judicial court
OF the commonwealth of Massac lusetts held
an adjourned session at Augusta, to try the
seven alleged murderers of Paul Chadwick,
the surveyors assistant, who had been assas-
sinated. The prisoners were David and Ma
thaniel Lynn, Jabez and Ansel Meigs, Elijah
Barton, Prince Cain and Adam Pitts
The judges who heard the case were Theo-
dore Sedgwick, Samuel Sewall, George Thatch-
er and Isaac Parker, names held in high re-
pute in the history of the bench of Massachu-
setts, and well known beyond the borders of
the State they loved and served so faithfully
The unwonted spectacle of
SEVEN ALLEGED MURDERERs
brought to bar at one time attracted the atten-
tion OF distant communiti IS, and fairly startled
those moro directly interested. A very rare
book, seldom seen save in old law libraries or
historical collections, records the trial, "taken
in shorthand by John Merrick," as the title
page assures US. There was scarcely another
man in the State who could then have reported
in full the proceedings. Mr.. Merrick was of
distinguished English ancestry and a promi-
nent figure in the early history of the Kenne-
bee region. 1t seems that. when boy Of only
years, he had learned shorthand, and was
wont to perfect himself in it by practising on
the sermons, long and more or less luminous,
which he was expected to hear on Sundays
The solemn session of the court has opened,
the crier has made proclamation, the chaplain
has prayed, the indictment is to be read Be-
fore that document is read let us 60 back for a
space and see what events led up to this mo-
mentous issue, as doubtless the trembling Of
tenders did when they were confronted by the
ministers of the law, and by the grim outline
of the gallows, seen in the minds eye with
painful distinctness. The limits of proprietor
ship in that region afforded ground for conflict
long before the dispute which ended in Paul
Chadwick's murder. The boundaries of the
early patents were not clearly defined in 1aany
instances. Before 100, it would appear that
the settlers in the western part of Maine va
ried their experience by fighting with one an
other about land titles and bounds, when, for
season, the Indians gave over their attacks.
The settlers would unite to repel the savages,
a most determined fashion The same terrific
ry often furnished the basis for several grants,
as time went on, and these grants were re-
voked aud reissued with refreshing facility.
1t was in June, 1853, that the proprietors of
the Kennabec Purchase from the late COLONY
of New Plymouth-such was the legal designa-
tion-formed corporation. Its lands included
the region along the Kepnebec river, and the
murder OF a later time. which we are to de-
scribe, was on this ''KeDnehec Purchase
From 1749 TO 1916, nearly 20 years. the Kenne-
bee Purchase Company held its meetings and,
like many modern organizations, it was styled
a monopoly and was the object of divers com-
plants; and yet it IS not difficult to ses that,
without this corporation,
THE SETTLEMENT OF MAINE
would have proceeded very slowly in the re-
gion which they did so much to develop There
was royal Sountifulness in the grants and
purchases of those times. Thirty-one miles in
width and extending from Merrymeeting bay
as far as Norridgewock on the Kennebec river,
the Kennebec Purchase, with its splendid
growth OF wood, excellent soil and diversified
scenery, was princely domain. During the
revolutionary war some Of the proprietors be-
came Tories and abandoned the country. Then
too, some of the later proprietors, about the
time of the Chadwick murder, were little ill.,
terested in Improving the territories, their
chief concern being to receive due rentals and
to make good speculation of the investment.
Meanwhile, certain portions of the lands of
the Tories, for example, were not TO be pur-
chased, there being no one to sell, and thus
squatters gradually settled upon the territory
for which there could be no title given, and
from which the encroaching dwellers might be
elected at any time. 1t is not to be wondered d
at that proprietors who were ready to sell and
give title found that a ri, al attraction in
these lands, whose owners were out of reach,
was damaging their chances to dispose of their
property. The squatter's life, without cost,
was likely to attract, as was the case, a dubious
and very considerable population. Thus the
tragical event which convulsed the communi-
ties in the Kennebec region was the natural
outcome of the lawless invasion of territory,
for such it was in the last analysis, and the
bitterness thereby engendered, which ripened
into assassination: When once the land held
by squatters was found by new Investigation
to belong to proprietors whose presence and
authority were within summons, there arose an
angry dispute, and the oppression of the land
lords was theme on which were expended ell
oquence and profanity in equal quantities.
Most fnft farr itr,rxr <,f . <l,oK nLoc
tors was in the hands of squatters when the
year 1900 came in. The company couldn't
survey freely, for the squatters were strong
enough to make it uncomfortable for those
who attempted it.
THE LEGISLATURE WAS INVOKED
to help the company Agents were sent to Sc
cure from the settlers an acknowledgement
that the soil belonged to the proprietors; but
this simple assent would have subjected them
to possible oppression, and to uncertainty in
any event, so the resolute squatters would have
none of this plan. Then the law was tried
The serving of precepts was made impossible;
officers were fired at; threats were uttered in
the agents ears; there was a reign of terror
through the region, so far as the company's au-
thority was concerned. Outlaws and, potenti-
ally, murderers-that was the repute OF the
determined men (some of them revolutionary
soldiers) who were acting on the principle that
possession vas ten-tenthS of the law.
In the town of Malta. now Windsor, near
the head waters of Sheepscot river, on the Sth
day of September, 1S09 was the culmination of
the land disturbances of the vicinity; threats
were made good, and the shooting, before inef-
tective when directed at the law officers was
fatally true.
As we now return to the court room, where
are arragned the seven men charged with
murder. the Indictment is read, which sets
forth, in the quaint circumlocuton familiar to
such documents, the facts of the case as seen
by the grand jury. Thev describe the prison.
ers as laborers. save Pitts, miner at the time
and add that moved and seduced by an insti-
cation of the DEVIL" by the use of three sew
eral muskets, each of the value of So" David
Lynn, Jabez Meigs and Barton killed Chad
wick, the others being abettors of the killing.
The full details of the numbering, as given in
the indictment, show that the victim was
struck in the legs, back and shoulder, 1.-TWO
mortal wounds" being "of the breadth of half
an inch and of the depth of six inches each"
Whereupon, proceeds the count in the indict-
ment, "the aforesaid Paul Chadwick did lam
guish. and, langulshing, did live''-until 4s
hours later
FOUR LAWYERS DEFENDED
the prisoners, Prentis Mellen, afterward CHIEF
justice of Maine, and Samuel s. Wilde being
the more distinguished counsel. Daniel Davis.
appealed for the state Proc
tor, one of the defendants, was admitted as
witness for the state and so was not put on tri
ii. The jury, whose subsequent verdict, so re
narkable when the evidence is copsderad en-.
II tlas them N, hrop N 40 ,,,aro - -.