Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-18
Tales aud 9ktffhts.
rar TALBOT nURDER.

OF a most horrible MURDER winch " ~ Com
mitted in the town that year. Murders
were not SO common years ago as they
are at present, and our ancestors DID not
have one every morning as We nave:
When the citizens of the rural town OF
Canton awoke one morning and found
that a murder had been committed. that
a Young and beautiful girl had been sud-
denly transported from The scenes OF this
world. and east bv the hands of villain
upon the shoreFo the next. thrill OF
horror curdled the veins of the people,
and they were astonisbed and alarmed at
this sudden outbreak of fendishness in
their hitherto quiet neighbcrhood.
George Talbot, Jr.. son OF the first Geo.
married June %, l142, Hannah daughter
If Shudab and Dana is Wentworth, their
son David was born March 18TH. l746 and
died In 1874 He was In service in 100
and during the entire following year. lie
resided with his first wife in house on
the farm OF David Wadsworth in what is
now Stoughton. On April l4th. 1883 he
married Mehitable. daughter of Christie
pher and Abigail (rhayer) Capen. He
resided shortly after his marriage in a
house there owned by John Capen on
York road which occupied the site of one
marked on the Canton map of 1855
as owned by l., Whiting. He was
employed in tending.a grist mill on
York brook which was known as the Pane
Wentworth mill the picturesque ruins Of
which still remain. A lane ran from York
street to near this mill, and here was also
situated the house Of the Miller at one
time occupied by Stephen Blake. Into
this house David moved in 1890 and on
Feb 10th. 1891 he records in his diary
the following event. "Miss Talbot had a
daughter born about midnight, or little
past. we called her name Salome," she
was baptized by the Rev. Mr.. Adams the
fifteenth of May following.
In 1897 find David Talbot living on the
southery side of the Great Blue Hill. His
farm was bounded on the west by the Mil
ton and Randolph line. it was about two
hundred rods from Washington Stree he
Lad his right to pass out by lane which
passed to what was then called the Scotch
Woods road. now Blue Hin street.
As child, Sally. as she was commonly
called, Was in the habit of assisting the
family in whatever way her services were
needed, and as was the custom in those
days, when DOT occupied at home. she fire.
4
cinitv. to assist the farmers in picking
straw berries or gathering cherries, or to
perform any light labor suitable for a
child OF tender years.
On Thursday, the 2Sth of June, 1904,
Sally. then fourteen years OF age, was en-
gagged in picking cherries on the farm
known as the Nathan Tucker Place."
formerly owned by Lemuel Davenport and
where sold, as the independent Chronicle
of 1890 informs us, ''lhe best sort of in
noculaled cherry trees" After finishing
her days work, Sally started at about
seven O'Clock in the evening to 90 to her
home. She carried in her hand bunch
OF cherries as present to her mother.
She crossed man road and entered into
lane or pathway that led through John
Putier's land towards her home. Skip
ping merrily along, unconscious of inn
pending danger, she thought only of reach
ing home quickly. AS she passed. she
saw two men at work in an adjacent field
heeing corn. A clump Of trees soon OBJ.
structed them from her view, and she i'm
medlately afterward entered a thicker
growth of wood. At this moment she
was startled by hearing voice directly
behind her saying, ''Saliv, where are you
goingp" She turned quickly, and beheld
one OF the men she had recently passed,
whom she knew by sight. and recognized
as John Battus, commonly called Jack, q
negro apprentice Of Mr.. Adam B!ackman.
To his inquiry she answered pleasantly
81 am going home" Jack thereupon
se,zed her around the waist. and carried
her by force some three or four rods from
the lane. .-.
Fearing discovery and being terrified
by the threats of the struggling girl. that
she would inform her parents, the wretch
seized stone, and struck her number
of times on the head and about the tenn
pies. Leaving her dead, as he supposed,
Jack started to return TO his labor, but
turning observed her in the act of rising,
She finally succeeded and staggering. re-
gained the pathway. Seeing which. Jack
returned, and dealt several more blows
upon her head with stone. Finding hat
she still breathed, he took the child in his
arms, and dragging her through a miry
slough. threw her into small pool called
the Spring Hole. But life was not vet ex-
tinct She continued her struggles, and
finally succeeded in reaching the border
OF the pool, and drew herself partly out.
Jack again returned and pushed her back,
and in order to make his work thorough,
he seized fence rail. and struck her sew
eral blows upon the head and back. She
then sank insensible beneath the water.
The non arrival of Sally did not create
alarm at home, for she often remained
over night at the farm house wnere she
was in the habit of going to work but
when Friday night came and she had not
returned, the mother decided that in the
morning, she would ascertain her where
abouts. Accordingly, on Saturday morn
ing she started towards the main road
On her way she was obliged to pass by
the Spring Hole. which formed small
pond, the bottom of which consisted of
black mud. Imagine her horror when.
on nearing the spot she discovered in this
pool the VIII known dress and blue petit.
coat of her beloved daughter. and a part
OF her form protruding from the water.
! The sight overcame her. She gave one
piercing scream, which was heard by the
neighbors. and sank on the ground.
The farmers and their families were
soon aroused and assembled at the place.
The lifeless form of the young girl was
taken tenderly to the house of her parents
now made desolate by her absence. A
coroner's jury was Immediately summoned
who decided that she had been wilfully