The Portland daily press., 1882-04-28
POSSIBLE MURDER.
A MAN BRUTALLY ASSAULTS HIS
WIFE WITH AN AXE.
The Woman in a Very Precarious Con-
dition.

| John Archibald is short stout thick-se1
man, who, when he has been willing to do any
work, SO the police say, has tried his hand al
the occupation of stevedore. He is between
thirty-fye and forty years of age and is mar.
ried to woman some ten or fifteen years his
| Junior. The couple have been well acquainted
| with our police court as John has several
| times made attacks on his wife, once with a
knife. The police say he is ugly and worth
less, and that such is the case ia evident from
the fact that, for year past, he has let his
wife support him by taking in washing.
| Yesterday morning about O'Clock word
was telephoned to the station from Harlow S
store, at the West End, to the effect that Arch.
ibald had probably killed his wife with an axe.
Marshal Bridges Immediately proceeded to the
house and made an investigation. A reporter
for the PRESS also visited the house and
cleaned the following particulars:
Mr.. Rolfe, workman, who lives in the vi
cinity, was passing by the residence OF the
Archibalds, which is located the second door
from Congress street, on Forest street, when
his blood was chilled by the screams of a
woman for help. He rushed to the spot, ac-
companied by Mr.. Nelson, and, as he came
towards the door, he saw Archibald run from
the house, jump over fence which separates
the grounds from the broad fields that stretch
out to the Maine Centr al track, and, running
across the fields, disappear under the railroad
bridge. Mr. Rolfe entered the house when
sad sight met his eyes, The door opens direct
" from the back steps into the kitchen. OF
the kitchen is small room, probably intended
for dining room, and a corridor leads from
the dining room into the front room, used as
a bed room Mrs Archibald had evidently
been washing for the tubs were set, with the
clothes in them, and the stove was just in the
rear. In the dining room, close by, lay the
body of woman, the blood streaming from
the head, and all around were traces of the san
guineous fluid. Back OF the stove was great
pool of gore, and on the side of the doorway
leading to the dining room were great stains
Two little children were crying ia the kitchen
and the elder, about five years old, said "Pspa
struck mamma with the axe, pointing to an
old, dull-edged axe that stood in the corner by
the door, The woman-Mrs. Archibald-was
quickly placed on the bed in the bed room and
surgical assistance rendered. 1t was found
that Mrs. Archibald had long and bad scalp
number of stitches besides having her lower
jaw badly fractured her right arm broken,
and two severe cuts, one on the side and the
other on the back Of the seek. The broken
jaw and arm were set and the woman made as
comfortable as possible. Her recovery is posi-
bic but her condition is very serious. Her brok-
en- jaw renders it exceedingly difficult for her
to obtain such nourshment as she ought to
have. She was also somewhat burned by
contact with the stove.
Mrs. Archibald told the surgeon that all
Wednesday night her husband, who was
drunk, was continually shaking her and
threatening her. She got up at the usual hour
in the morning and went to work. She re-
members his coming in and attacking her with
the axe. and her falling behind the stove, but
that is all. She probably got up in a bewil-
dered state and dragged herself across the
kitchen to the dining room where she was
found, and the marks Of blood ON the doorway
were made by her hands.
One of the neighbors says she heard Mrs.
Archibald cry out, Don't you strike me,
John,''' but did not pay as much attention to
the matter as she should If the couple had
not been quarrelfng for several days past.
After leaving the house Archibald was
tracked by the police to Woodfords Corner
and thence he doubled on his tracks and came
towards the city ON the towpath
There was not particle Of food in the
house and but little fuel, and supplies we're
10 l,,,c