Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-12
THE SEARsPOkT MYsTERY.
Was the BODY Found by the Road That
Of Jane Mahoney Of Bangor.

The Belfast Journal furnishes the follow
ing particulars in regard to the finding OF the
body of dead woman by the roadside near
Blacks Corner, North Searsport: The woman
had been dead long time. as the flesh had all
decomposed leaving nothing but skeleton
wrapped about by clothing. The deceased
was evidently poor, but was decently and
comfortably clothed. The outside dress was
of calico, of a dark figure. and striped
shawl was drawn about the shoulders. There
was no hat nor bonnet, the head
covering being a long white cloYd wound
about the head and neck, one end of which
was underneath the body. The stockings
were brown and the feet were encased in q
pair of congress boots nearly new. The un-
derclothing consisted of a red flannel waist,
corsets about No. 81. and two or three under
skirts of drilling. Her hair was long. slight
ly gray and hung loosely down her back.
The body showed no signs of violence, the
clothing being entirely whole. No money or
valuables were found about the body. In
the dress pocket were broken bomb. half
dozen matches and small quantity of tobac-
co. The woman was slight in figure and not
much over five feet in height Appar-
entity she had wandered into the c,ump of
bushes to rest, and died there. Coroner Will
son summoned a jury from the persons
present, as follews James A. Coson,
VIM. j. Mathews, Marlboro Packard. and X.
L. Lowe. of Searsport. Il. ID. Nickerson, of
Swans, lie, and il. q. Dyer of Belfast. The
jurymen caused the body to be removed to
the open space in the pasture where it was
viewed.
The first witness called was Mr.. Rodney
Levensaler. upon whose land the remains
were found. He testified TO finding
the body, and said that last August
he moved within six feet Of the spot but saw
nothing The person was unknown to him
and he had not heard of any one missing.
Mrs. Marian Ward testified that in November
last person who exactly corresponded with
the remains called at the house giving her
name as Jane Mahoney and stating that she
belonged in Bangor and was on her way to
Belfast to see about pension. She said her
age was 63 years. Mrs. Ward told how the
woman's dress WAS cut, with a frill ss high
as the knee, and said she wore striped
shawl and a white cloud about her head. On
looking at the clothing Of the remains Mrs.
Ward felt sure 1t was the person who called
at her house in November. On examining
the dress, the frill or founce described by Mrs.
Ward was found. Mrs. Ward also said that while
at her house the woman lighted her pipe and
smoked. She described one of her little
fingers as being crooked up, which peculiari-
ty was also found on the skeleton. The
woman told Mrs. Ward that she was Irish and
that she had two sons who were Catholic
priests. The woman was frequently seen on
the road last fall, and one school girl saw her
seated by the roadside smoking. The jury
rendered verdict that the body was to them
unknown, and that her death was caused by
mischance. The jury was also satisfied that
the body was that of the woman who called at
Mrs. Wards in November, who gave the
name of Jane Mahoney of Bangor.