The Somerset reporter., 1886-11-17
The Hatcher Brook Tragedy.

Inc fi6tCT9F ofOOA tfa6CNJ'
The shooting of the two game Wardens. F
Hill aud Miles. announced in our last
week, issue, has been the great topic in
this State during the past week. The cir f
cumstanccs of the murder were that l.. ]
q. Hill. a one armed soldier. and Charles
Niles. Wardens, who had been very ell
Gent in SURPRISING the violation of the
game laws especially the law that rrohlb-
its the hunting of deer with dogs. at
tempted to take the dog belonging II
Calvin p. Graves and James Mcfarland
and Niles who had a rihc with him placed
it up against camp near by and advanced
to seize the dog when Graves lcYclcd his
double barrelcd rifle and shot him dead.
turning quickly and shooting Hill with
the other barrel, 80 that he died in very
short time 1t appears that Graves had
prepared himself for it and had threat
ened that no warden should take his dog
and liye.
Ira p. McRavey, a boy Is years old, was
the witness of the horrible deed.
From the narrative of the awful tfas-
cdy of the Machas woods it Is evident
that the wardcn> for two days had been
ON the track Of these men WHO were dog
ring deer into Second Lake and that they
were simply in the discharge of duty.
The Fletcher Brook House Is not hotel
but was used by Mr.. licmenway twenty
wears ago As his headquarters II Is now
tunblcd down and furnishes only shell
.fftsf hat
way. The barn is entirely gone. 1t ap-
pears that young McRavey stopped at this
old house and found these men there, sub
,cquently the Wardens came along. Me
Rayev said Niles got there first and
brought his horse into the cellar where
was He asked me who was there and il
they had a dog. Then he said These
are lust the fellows we have been watch
ing
.Mr. Hill went into the house while we
were there and we heard him making
some talk about the dog but couldn't tell
what it was
"Niles and | went INTO the house to-
rethcr. Niles knew the dark man. They
spoke and were pleasant. Niles filled Mr.
Hills pipe and they sat together AMI
talked. The man asked Mr.. Hill If he
was going to stay all night He said he
didn't know but he should. They said
they guessed they'd leave then; for they
should be arguing all night. They packed
up and carried their things ont in the
yard They had the dog tied in the house
and the red WHISPERED man kept by it all
the time The dog was out when came !;
but they told Hill he had been tied all day.
When they got everything out of the
house Mr.. Hill and then Niles and | fol
lowed them into the yard. A. we went
ont Niles lacked a shell into his gun
asked him what he was going to do and
he said shoot the dog
.Tnc man with the red whiSkers got in
to the wagon and took the dog between
mis- knees Mr. Hill stood in front of the
forward wheel by the thill talking with
him Niles placed his gun against the
side of the house. The dark man stood
by the back of the wagon, and saw him
take two shells out of his pants pocket
and load his gun The Wardcns didn't
see il.
"Mr. Hill told Mr.. Niles to take the
dog The man in the wagon said You
shan't have it Niles stripped oil his
jacket aud stepped up to the wagon;
think he was going to step on the hub of
the front wheel and in. Both WardenS
were unarmcd and there were no threats
Of shooting. | stood by to see the scuf-
hc. The man in the wagon said to me,
take you for my main evidence. They
shan't have the dog.
The dark man lcveled his gun on
Niles just AS he was about two feet from
the wagon. Niles could have reached the
gun barrel with his hand. The moment
he saw him Niles said hold on, ana fol
with the words, with a buckShOt in Iii,
neck Hill had not time to speak ol
move before the murderer gave him the
second barrel Mr. Hill turned an,
walked about ten feet and fell. just Il,
he fell Niles lifted his head a little ant
breathed The dark man said to him
No man cocks a gun on me, and to TIN
other fellow In the wagon he said, Jim,
told you no man gets the best of me
"(Nilcs could not have reached his gun
from where he stood }"
"The man jumped out of the wagon anC
they began putting in their stuff | wcni
to my wagon and moved things round ant
went into the cellar. As came out the
murderer called Inc and held ont Niles
gun and said, Isn't this gun cocked?'
told him, yes if ever saw gun cooked.
| He said that was all. | had been gone
about four minutes.
The officers of Hancock County with
Others are searching the county and for
eSts for She murdcrers. Councillor Hatch
| in Gov. Robic's absence has offered Il re-
ward of $1,000 for the apprehension Of
| the murderer and his accomplish.
| Mcfarland came out Of the woods and
to his own home in Hancock Sunday
morning, when he was met not only by
his own family but by Sheriff Field and II
deputy, into whose hands he surrendered
himself. His family were ovcrjoyed to
receive him, believing that he has no part
in the tragedy. He was very rcticent as
TO the whereabouts of Graves but from
what he did say the officers were led to
conclude that Graves made his escape to-
ward New Brunswick through the wood
ed country between Prccton and Vance
boro. Mcfarland was committed to Ma
chias Jail and telegraphcd to Ellsworth
for counsel to come to Machias to see
him.