The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-11-10
A Boy an Eye Witness of the
Bloody Crime.
Officers Now In Pursuit of the
Murderers-
Runor That the Murderers Have
Been Seen In Ellsworth.
The Speedy Capture of the TWO
Villains Expected.

shot dead at o'clock Monday afternoon,
near Fletcher Brook House, Hemenway
township. on the Maehias river, by parties
unknown. Poachers had been dogging deer,
and Deputies Hill and Niles were about to
capture the dogs, when one of the two men
with double-barreled gun shot Niles and
then Hill, the latter one-armed soldier.
The ruffians were in a wagon, well loaded
with camp outfits. The murderer appeared
to be about 35 years old. His companion,
aged about 90, is said to hail from Hancock.
Niles was unmarried. Hill leaves widow
and children. Officers Longfellow of Ma
chias and Pettengill with man who thinks
he can identify the criminals are in pursuit.
The excitement is intense.
Another Account.
Lyman Hill and Charles Niles, State war
den, for ten days had been on the track of
poachers. Monday afternoon they met two
men on Fletcher Brook, Machias river, forty
five miles north of Machias. The men drove
a one-horse wagon, with full camp supplies
and had hound with them. No one knows
whether the wardens knew the men or not
Some controversy ensued but no violence
was apprehended. Niles removed his coat
the better to handle and seize the hound. lin
a moment one of the men, with double-bar-
relied shot gun, fred at Miles, and as quickly
at Hill, both of the wardens dying instantly
Frank McReavy happened to the scene incl
dentally and saw the entire tragedy. He is
only seventeen years old and was frightened,
for his own life seemed threatened. He hid
in fbp i'm faxu mini al .sybil 10
smoke had not cleared Thomas Nc
Reayy, father of Frank, came up. The muir
derers were present but unknown. They
soon drove off with their team. The Nc
Reayys hurried to the first help that could
be reached, thence to Machias. Warrants
were given to the officers and they, with
Thomas McReavy, are in pursuit. One of
the poachers claimed to hail from Hancock.
Hill leaves a widow and FIVE children in
East Machias. Niles was unmarried
Searching for the Murderers.
BANGOR, Nov. 9.-City Marshal Whitney
has just received despatch in regard to the
Machias murder, in which it is stated that
the murderers are approaching Bangor.
Officers Allen and Bowen of this city have
gone out in search for them. The parties
are SAID ito belong in Hancock and their
names are known in Ellsworth but were
withheld. Officer Allen is game warden.
The Murderers Reported in Ellsworth
ELLSWORTH, Nov. 9-Two officers from
Washington county have been here today in
search of Calvin Graves and James McFar-
land of Hancock, who are accused of muir
dering two deer wardens in Wesley. Sher-
i'll Field and Deputy Devereanx Of this place
have gone in search of the men. We learn
that on Thursday last Mcfarland hired a
team of John NJ. Hall & Co. of this city to go
on cunning trip of several days. We learn
further that about daylight this morning
Calvin Graves left Halls team at Call
Fletcher's, on the Waltham .road, about six
miles from Ellsworth, with directions that
the team should be returned to Hale's any
time before 9 o'clock this. evening When
Graves left the team he appeared in hurry,
and when questioned as to the cause of his
haste, said; 81 am late now; l want to shoot
some ducks up to the pond this morning"
There is much excitement on our streets
relative to the matter
On the Track of the Murderers.
BANGOR, Nov. 9.-Oficers Allen and
Bowen left the city today in search of the
murderer of the Game Warden. A telephone
dispatch tonight from Franklin says they
are on the track and expect to capture the
murderers before morning.
In connection with this matter the history
of the Shackers on the Maine borders may
be of interest. The town of Wesley, 20 miles
north of Machias, has been the center of
attention in connection with these troubles
and the township in which this awful double
assassination has occurred, is but a few
miles northwest of Wesley
The Machias woods are the best deer park
in Maine, and to be forbidden free course
through this eminent domain has always
been a source of irritation to the foresters of
the wilds. Wesley years ago developed a
turbulent spirit. One of the first acts of
lawlessness was the attack on Sheriff Hap
good by several men disguised as Indians.
The sheriff was shot at, his hat wounded, his
horses tail grazed by lead and his property
burned.
Years afterward Wesley retained amid
SoDu SOiilC VI lllc ldNIeSS SOTI,
and the town backslid inpopulation and char
acter. The ''Shacker Band" got to the front
In the beginning of the war they resisted
the draft, killing Lieutenant Edwards, dep
uty provost marshal, whose murderers have
never been punished. Adroit smuggling was
one of the pursuits of the gang, land owners
were plundered, timber land set ON fire, log
ging camps robbed, mills, barns, houses and
other property burned.
In the summer of 1884 one of the poachers
was convicted, and threats of shooting fol-
lowed. 1t was alleged that deer were killed
and sold at 81 each to feed hens on and to
make into compost. Two wardens, Thomp-
son and Munson, werelattacked in the woods
at that time, but escaped uninjured. One
Fenlason and another were arrested for this
attack, and put under bonds to keep the
peace for six months.
Soon afterwards Warden Munson became
a further object of attack. His garden was
destroyed, his apple trees girdled, COW pois-
oned and buildings burned. Those who har-
bored Munson were then threatened. Gov
ernor Robie was called Jon for aid. Wesley
was in reign of terror. Munson and fam
lIy le1J L0WU. lHSH ddlut NdfQtn CuSn-
ing's barn was burned by lincendaries. His
horse was beheaded. In November public
indignation terminated in the arrest and
conviction of Wilbur Day and ID. Fenlason
for these crimes.
These facts SHOW the perils of being a
game warden in the vicinity of the deer
park of the Machias woods. The hate of
the game warden is intense among all
poachers. The game wardens go into the
woods and live in hunters camps, armed to
the teeth to protect the game; while the
poachers are armed to the teeth to kill the
game.
1t is contrary to law to hunt or kill moose,
deer or caribou with dogs at any time. The
penalty is 500 for every moose and $40 for
every deer or caribou so killed. 1t is also
Illegal to hunt moose, deer or caribou
between January 1st and October 1st. The
legitimate hunting months are October, No
vember and December. Antlered game can
he hunted now in this State, but dogs must
not be used