The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-08-22
A SHOCKING MURDER.
Edmund Wood, of Deering, N. H., Shot
Murderer Not Discovered.

A correspondent of the Boston Journal gives
the following narrative Of the circumstances
of the murder OF Mr.. Edmund Wood, at Hen
mixer, N. H., last Saturday. The victim was q
native of Henniker, and 63 years old. He
removed to the northeast part of Deering
twenty-five years ago, and located on farm
only few rods from the Henniker line. It Is
four miles over rough road and through
wonderfully picturesque scenery, to Hillsboro'
Bridge, the nearest village. On that highway
are sparsely scattered farm houses, with only
two or three neighbors within a mile OF tho
Wood farm in that direction. The family, pre-
vious to the tragedy, consisted of Mr.. Wood
and wife. two sons, a daughter, grown up, at !
home, and five children away. Saturday af-
ternoon was, aside from that sad occurrence,
an unusually happy occasion for the scattered
farmers and their families, who live practical
ly shut up among these hills. 1t was their an
nual picnic at Browns pond, just over the line
in Henniker, where, with good supply Of re-
freshments and social recreations, the old and
young were making it the harpiesL day of the
year. As a result many houses were deserted.
Early in the afternoon Mrs. Wood wanted
some purchases made at the Bridge, and her
husband said he would go and make them, and
III
down to the picnic. Soon after dinner Mr..
Wood started for the Bridge in an open wagon.
At about half-past the team arrived home,
Mr.. Wood lying unconscious over the seat.
The wife and son, with no one to assist them,
lifted him from the wagon and carried him in
to the house. There was pool OF blood In
the bottom of the wagon, and the man was
terribly wounded and bleeding profusely. He
was found to have been shot in the face, neck
and shoulders, while on the left side Of his
head, near the temple, there was an awful
wound, which, it is remarkable, did not kill
him instantly. A messenger was soon sent for
physicians and everything possible was done
for the injured man; but three physicians were
unable 10 rouse him sufficiently to speak, or
even so respond to questions by the pressure OF
the hand.
Mr.. Wood had considerable money on his
person, but there was no indication that il had
had been disturbed, and his watch was in his
pocket. There was nothing in the condition Of
his clothing which tended to show that he had
been engaged in any struggle. The harness
was removed from the horse and there was no
perspiration on the animal, proving that IL had
not been overdriveD, and thatin all probability
1t walked leisurely home after the tragedy.
Every article which Mrs. Wood had desired
her husband to procure was found safe in the
wagon. Robert @. Dickey, druggist at the
bridge, states that Mr. Wood made some pur-
chases of him Saturday afternoon, and left his
store for home about half-past 4, appearing in
usual hoditu anu kUOu opiLltc. cIauh dNluoo
of Hillsboro says that he drove directly behind
Mr.. Wood for three miles, when a shower
came up and he took refuge in house, the
latter remarking that he guessed he would
keep right along Mr.. Grimes noticed nothing
unusual about the man. Afterward Mrs. David
Traverse saw Mr.. Wood pass her place on his
way home. There were two other houses on
the way, but the occupants were all at the pic
mic. Mr.. Woods cap was found In the road,
riddled with treble b shot. 1t was a lonely
spot with no house in sight.
The physicians, after examining the wound.
ed man, stated that he must have been fred
at little from behind. They also agreed that
it would have been impossible for Mr.. Wood to
commit suicide in that manner. 1t was their
belief, from the scattering of the shot, that the
murderer must have used an old fashioned gun
and stood quite near his victim. There Vas
no probability that he was fred at more than
once. Mr. Paige, q neighbor, heard the report
of gun, but as it is the open season for sports
men no signiScance was attached to 1t.
Twelve shot in all entered tho victims body.
Mr.. Wood died at half past three Mdndsy ~afs
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