Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-28
A FOUL DEED.
A Promluent Citizen of Lawrence Shot
in Hi, Office.
LAWRENCE Mass Aup 81

LAWRENCE, Mass, Aug. 27.
Albert ID. Swan, one OF the most prominent
and wealthiest citizens. was shot in the hack
of the head hv Henry X Goodwin, Thursday
and killed Gaod~ in gave himself up.
Gnodxin entered the Office of the l.. Sprsgne
Manufacturing Company. of which Swan was
treasurer, about ten o'clock, President Coburn
and Swan being in the office. Goodwin has
been in the employ of the Molecular Telephone
Company of New York, of which Swan WAS
general manager. and came to the office to
claim several thousand dollars which he said
was due him from the company. After briet
discussion Goodwin drew a Smith & Wesson
S2-calibre revolver, took deliberate aim and
shot Swan in the back of the head. Swan
reeled and fell to the floor just as the book
keeper, alarmed BY the shot, entered the room
Goodwin then stepped to the telephone and
notified the police station to send a man to
arrest him. Assistant Marshal Vose drove to
the Sprague mill, but meantime Goodwin had
walked to the station and surrendered him.
self.
He stated Swan had robbed him of all he
had and there was a period in q mans life
when he could stand no more. He had reached
that point, and he went to the mill to kill
Swan and was willing to stand the conse-
quences. Swan lived q few minutes after the
shooting. A medical examiner ordered the
remains to be taken to an undertakers until
further instruction. Goodwin is 3S years old
He was brought up in Lawrence and WAS of
the firm of Goodwin & Caldwell. He started
the telephone business here and later sold out
to Swan and his partner. He then went to
South America as manager of the Bell tele-
phone system at Buenos Ayres. He returned
two years since and engaged with the Molec-
ular Telephone Company, and has been es-
tablishing the Molecular system at Cleveland.
He served in Company II, Second Msssachu-
sets Artillery during the war. Goodwin has
a wife residing on Hampshire street. He is
a very capable electrician and Of bright and
pleasing manners.
He returned to the city from Chicago, three
days ago. He refused to see or speak with
any one. Swan was born in Tewksbury in
lS45. He had wife and an adopted so He
had been in the insurance business since 1866
and was at one time in the banking house of
Hallgarten & Hirsfield of New York, and
paying teller of the New York stock board
he was very largely interested in the tele-
phone business in which he made a fortune.
He was treasurer of the Molecular Company,
and principal stockhoder, was director of
the Bay State National Bank and paymaster
| OF the First Battalion of Light Artillery, for
the past IL years. He was Knight Templar
| and one of the weslthiest citizens in Lawrence
and was universally esteemed.
Later developments in todays murder case,
show difficulty between Goodwin aud Swan
| to have been over patent telephone switch
board invented by Goodwin. The friends OF
both parties state that when the switch board
was invented Goodwin went to Swan for
financial backing. The latter gave it to him.
and the patent was applied tor in the name OF
Henry X. Goodwin, assign or one half inter
est to A. ID. Swan. Swan neglected to make
final payment at the patent office. and be,
fore new patent could be applied for, Wait,
Bartlett of New York, manufacturers OF
telephone instruments, applied for a patent
| covering the same ground. Swan had pre-
viously sent Goodwin to these parties for adj
vice in the matter Of his invention. Finally
the matter was adjusted by Goodwin, Swan
and Bartlett taking the patent together
| Goodwin's friends say that Swans carlessness
IN not taking out the patent. led to loss OF
| $40 900 to Goodwin, which had been offered
| him for his invention. The switch board
when invented, was found not to work very
satisfactorily, and GOODWIN refused to fix il
and no one else could. Goodwin had an idea
that Swan had prevented him from getting
work in various places where he had tried, in
order to force him to put the sw itch board in
working order. Goodwin had just made a
three weeks trip through Canada and the
West in search of work, and although he is q
capable electrician, he could find none. He
came home three days ago discouraged, and
probably brooding over an imaginary wrong
done by Swan, determined to kill him
Swans friends say he was the best friend
Goodwin had. Several times he obtained po
sitions for him, and they were apparently or
the best of terms with each other, Away.
joking, and even this morning we're talking
together pleasantly. The defense will un
doubtedly be insanity.