Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-11-21

Yesterday Daniel wilkinson suffered de.tb h. 81.
msn VIM. pe, ior the murder Of the Bath police.
wn y. history is q checkered one From hi.
nirs earned that he was born In London thirty
10 =. e.. sso. When about - years Of age he vent
~ ~, Ano landed here scme Is years since He
49,. even years. sentence in Na.sachusetts
pIlson. ana former sentence in q Maine nrison ~
death about H t.o n.d been IN s.en At the time Of
years Of his lifetime that were spent in prison ~
~ an accomplishing prisoner. He had NO regular
Aas.achusetts and Maine he said he worked ards:
Snotnei name; that none Of his former emnlovers
na. nun - Wilsinson but Wilkinson Is bis real
Sofked on the ground that he did not wish to have
~ ssmPioyers know that had become Of him he
oecuned 70 state the first name Of his father.
Df1ef account Of his crime, his arrest and trial
September 3, 1883, at midnight. nirht oficers VIM
Lawrence and Kngsley Of the Bath police. le the
stAuon ana went on to Front street. Here thev sep.
4Ixteo Ofncer Lawrence remained at the corner Of
dan ana Broad streets and Ocer Kingsley passed
ward. in Arch TO-
stopped on the foot of Arch and Commercial streets
LOT short time. when he heard the sound Of some
sale and retail provision store on the east side q,
commercial street. The officer sounded hi. alarm
whstle three times and ran towards The store when
ne saw two men start from In front OF the store and
run down Commercial street. The officer blew his
stop alarm" and ran up Arch street. with the de-
sign Of heading them of at the loot Of Front street
passed Broad, which il only few step, below Arch
street che ran up Arch street, and before he mad
reached Front street he heard the sound of pistol
snot and at the corner Of Broad and Front streets
ne stumbled over the dead body of officer Lawrence
lying psone upon the walk. The oficer's face was
biackened and burnt with powder and death had ev.
ioeny been instantaneous, as the bullet passed in
at the angle oftbe cheek bone the left side of the
nose. passed completely through the head and
mad followed the sea for years previous first Off
Ger OF q ship, and was one Of the Oldest and most
trusted members of the force
Detectives Wiggin and Wood of Boston, were H.
nally engaged on the case, who Saturday, sept
Il. arrested Daniel Wilkinson in Bangor The first
cew 10 the criminals was obtained in Brunswick,
where the week before store was burglarized, the
window being forced open with peculiar chisel. At
the door Of GOuld's store in Bath found chisel
which, when placed against the mark made on the
Brunswick store, corresponded to q hair. A man
who gave name as John Elliott, finally traced
to Portland in a boarding house. II was found that
few days previous he stopped at the same house
with companion. The latter called himself Dan.
lei wilkinson He went away with Elliott. The
latter returned alone. Elliott left Sept s. without
paying his board BILL but left his satche behind him
This conta ned letters showing his identity beyond
doubt, but he has never been found.
BY means of his baggage Wilkinson was shortly
traced to Bangor Detective Wood reaching that city
Friday and with the assistance of the cit mar shall
Wilkinson was found In the employ of logging firm
on the river. He was teri bly, excited when arrested.
The man was searched and 32caiiber, long cartridge
revolver was found upon him. His baggage consiste ed
of a valise, and this was examined and box
of cartridges found; alsO of powder and lot of
fu-e. The powder and fuse were lch Used by
ordinary store breakers in blowing open safes.
Wilkinson was taken upon the early morning train
east. On the journey from Bangor TO Bath he made
full confession to the officers He said that in COM
pany with John Elliott he was attempting to force the
| store door when an officer discovered them. As they
store was situated, he (Wilkinson) found himself
seized by both shoulders by powerful man. He had
| drawn his revolver when first starting to run and
pointing 1t at the in front Of him pulled the trig
| ger. The man dropped and he rushed away and es
capped. he ran up High street to "the head" stole
boat and soul ed across the river. He struck the
Knox Il Lincoln railroad and walked to the first sta
ton where he took the first morning train to Rock
land. he remained their until Tuesday, when he
went on board the steamer and proceeded to Bangor
whore he arrested. The revolver and cartridges
| and powder and Iuse he purchased in Portland Elliot
bought the chisel in the same place. lie did not know
where Elliott had gone He further sal that he 90
acquainted with Elliott in Philadelphia, only few
weeks before, and that they had struck up partner
ship and had come from philadelphia to Portland BY
| boat.
The city of Bath offered 81 600 reward for detection
and arrest of the murderer and there severa
claimants for the reward. At last it decided t,
refer the matter Judge Libbey, and June 18th las
| there wa. Il hearing at Bath The claimants wes,
Benz. Gribben IN mas j O'Neil and ID. W. johnson
Of Portland, VIM f. Reed aud Dennis Tracy of Ban
gor, and Michael Lac aud james Bailey of Bath, IAN,
the matter was finally sei,!ed by dividing the none
be- ween them.
TIE trial OF Wilkinson began on Thursday, Jan
Sd, 1884. Detective j. r. Wood of Bo. ton was tn
| first witness. MIR Wood testified that the prisonc
at the bar confessed to him voluntarily. He tesife,
that in the city marshas office IN Bangor he aske
Witness immediately turned to him and said, "Oh
no your name is wilkinson and you wanted i,
Bath for breaking Jail. Isn't that SOP" Wilkinson
| replied, ayes, sir; you seem to know more about
| than do" Witness then said, "But you nov
arrested on more serious charge, that of the muir
, der of police officer William Lawrence" The pris
oner was then taken to the On his taansporta
ton from Bangor to Bath on the Pullman that nigh
Sept l5th-he made full COMES sion to Deteotiv
h.N ttadt ta hal
on the confession was that witness said to him, Z"
know just who you are. You are the fellow tina
threw the can of powder in the rear ofthe junk store
ON t, is the prisoner turned to the detective ant
said, "Ob no. II was the other fellow did that. Wit
| ness taen testified how the prisoner explained tn
commission of the deed. Disqualification and Ellio
were prying open the door with an iron jimmy an,
wedgiDg II with piece of wood. This wood wa
clipped off piece of plank on their way down from
stopped at a cave two or three miles from the city
When disturbed by the officers they started to ruI
with the policeman after them. Elliot went straigh
up Commercial street. Wilkinson came to the drul
store and saw the passage way leading behind it. anl
| in he went. When they started tn run, the Office
| called to them to stop or he would fire at them
They kept right on and the policeman fired at them
| At the moment the policeman fired he. Wilkinson
drew his revolver from his pocket cooking it as h
ran. After going behind the building he, wilkinson
| remsined there few moments and then issued OF
| Broad street. He went up Broad to the corner O.
Front street. When turning the corner he me-
| officer Lawrence, who put hand on each of hi
shoulders and stopped him. A. that, he, Wilkinson
raised his revolver directly at Lawrence's head ant
fred The officer fell and he kept up Front street, In
the middle Of the street, until he reached the
where he had been stopping There he remained
about an hour, waiting for Elliot, but becoming i'm
patient he started for the river 'front.' and, taking
| hat bottOmed skiff, containing broken paddle. he
paddled across the river. There he htched the boa
TO tree and took the woods. He hid that day in
| the woods aud Travelled through Wiscasset the X,
night The ne xt day he boarded train on the Knox
| Il Lincoln going east, at u flag station, at which
station the fagman, on inquiry, said that police ofh
| Ger La xrence had been murdered. and on boarding
| the affair. From there he went on to Rockand
stayed two days, aud then proceeded to Bangor
where he was arrested
| Thomas j. ONeil of Portland, testified he kept &
saloon on Center street in that city; that Wukinson
! and another man-known as Elliot-were IN his sa
loon about a week previous to this murder and hat
some talk of business at Bath, at which wilkinson
partner said he (Wilkinson) hal better choose som'
| other locality than Bath, as he was wanted dowr
there and If caught they would make 1t hot for him
wilkinson replied "that il any of them inierferet
| with him. he'd pull Charlie on them," words e
that effect at the same time putting his right hand
on his hip.
ing house Al Commercial street, opposite the East
ern depot in that city. That Wilkinson and his part
ner boarded with her two weeks previous to THU
murder, leaving her house on certain Monday
night She also testified about a week after the
ma rider was committe she received a letter pur
porting to come from Daniel Wi kinson at Bangor
| ask " her to send his canvas bag containing MI
| effects to Bangor at nee by boat.
| The trial lasted four days. On the afternoon o.
Monday. at O'Clock the jury came in ana reported