Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-02
A Boy browns a Baby.
The RASH Acr THAT FOLLOWED A playful
SUGGESTION.

FROM Inc Of. JODu view
graph.
The residents of the compact village of
| Long Beach, Salmon River. st. john County,
were startled and Mortified Monday after
noon by the news that Richard TUFTS, four
year old son OF Capt. Simon TUFTS. of that
| place, had carried an infant baby of Mr. Edos
Surat, nelghbor from the house to the high
way bridge, about 20 yards distant, and thrown
| him into the rushing stream where he was
drown ned The body of the child was recover
ed at once, and every effort made to resusei-
tate 1t. but without success. Capt. Simon
| Tufts the father of the bov who instru-
| mental in causing the death OF the child, is
| respected and one Of the most opulent resi-
dents of the place. He is the master of n
woodboat carrying deals from Martins Head
10 St. John, and at one time commanded the
| bark Connaught. MIR. Edos Surat, the father
OF the drowned infant, has been living at
| Long Island but a short time. He is of
| French. 1t appears that all the residents in
that vicinity are very intimate with each
other, ard their children spend most of the
| day at this time OF the year playing III one
another's company The boy Richard Tufts,
who is years and months old, is a bright.
intelligent child. with black eyes and very
prepossessing appearance. He was a general
bTNt Will All " ilo hutW hiiii, aHu " az Auii
| of lite and spirit all the time.
| 1t seems that while in the company of Ms.
Surat and her baby and others. some days
ago, Mrs. Surat playfully remarked to the
mother of Richard Tufts, THAT bad little
boy OF yours will drown my baby" This
| line of conversation was pursued for some
| time in the same iocose way, and when it
ceased no person except the boy Richard APP
pears to have thought of it again. At the in
quest, which was held afterward, one witness
said that Mrs Surat told her that she one day
offered the baby to Richard to throw of the
bridge into the water. Richard, with the
usual persistence of boy of his years, was
anxious to throw the baby over, but of course
was prevented by the mother. Whatever
| intlueace these incidents may have had on
| the mind of Richard to make him commit the
act which he did would be difficult to deter
| mine.
On Monday afternoon Mrs. Surat left her
house to visit her neighbor, Mrs jacob Tufts
for a few minutes. She left botn her chill
dren, girl three years old and her baby ten
months old, alseep in the house. She
remained at Mrs. Tufts about fifteen
minutes and then returned home.
When she went into the house naturally her
first thought was of her sleeping children,
and she looked to see if they were all right.
| 10 her surprise and fear the baby was gone.
She ran 10 Mrs. Jacobs TUFTS and gave the
alarm, saying that her baby was lost. Mrs.
Tufts told Ida May Ellis to go and find the
child and followed soon after herself The
conversation of a few days previous flashed
into the minds of both women, for they at
once directed their steps to the highway
bridge, which was about 20 yards distant.
! The brook which this bridge spans is not a
large one, and usually has but a small flow
of water, aud is very shallow in all but one
part, directly under the bridge. Here the
stones and earth were removed when the
bridge was constructed and a hollow left
about two feet deep, which was filled with
water. The bridge planking is about four
and one. halt feet above the surface of the
water. When Ida May Ellis reached this
place the first thing that met her gaze was the
baby living in the pool of water. She recov-
cred the body at once, but there were no
signs of life.
| The child was carried to the nearest house
and every effort was made by his mother,
assisted by the neighbors. TO restore ANNA
tion TO the babe, but in vain. In a short
time the whole village WAS sstir with the
news of the occurrence, and much specula.
ton was INDUCED in whether the death was
purely accidental or by design. All conjec-
lures were soon set at rest by the child Rlch-
ard Tufts, who confessed that he had thrown
| the babe over the bridge. Coroner III. (
Gilmor, of ST. Martins, was informed of the
death of the child, and Tuesday morning he
started for the place in order to hold an in
quest He found the youthful cslprit, Rich
ard Tufts, by the roadside undergoing a cross
examination by some of the residents, but he
seemed utterly unconcerned OF having CON-
mitted any crime. After procuring as much
/ information as possible from the bystanders,
/ DIR. Gilmor took the child Richard bv the
hand and walked with him to the bridge
where the drowning occurred. The child
showed him where he had thrown the infant
over, but evinced no sorrow whatever for
what he had done. When questioned
why he had done such thing
! all the answer he had to make
was, II don't know" When the doctor ex.
planned to him how the baby must have sui.
! tered be said he was sorry he did it. He was
| then taken by the doctor to see the dead baby,
but showed no concern when he saw it, Ii
! was explained to him that the baby was dead,
| but he had no idea what death was. He was
! not affected at all by the sight, and reached
/ his hand out to touch the baby's face. DIR.
Gilmor impaneled jury and held an inqu