The Portland daily press., 1888-05-11
STABBED AND BEATEN TO DEATH.
william Kenniston, of North Booth
bay, BrutaIIy Murdered,
While His Wife Narrowly Escapes
the Same Fate.
LIeweIlyn Quimby, the Murderer,
Pursued and Captured.

living in North Boothbay, was brutally mur-
dered last night by an assailent, who, to ac-
complsh his horrible purpose, beat and
stabbed his victim, besides firing two shots
from a pistol at him. Mrs. Kenniston was
blow on the head, the murderer evidently
thinking that he had finished his work and
killed both of the old people.
AT about midnight, Mrs. Kenniston was
aroused from her sleep by noise in the
house. She awoke her husband, telling him
that some one was breaking into the house.
Almost Immediately afterward the door of
their bedroom was broken open, and a man
rushed in and at once struck Mr.. Kenniston
terrible blow across the head with bolt of
iron, which he had in his hand ON entering,
The blow stunned the old gentleman and he
fell back ON the bed. The wife then attempt
ed to get up in bed and called out loudly,
when the assassin struck her blow which,
however, did not stun her. She fell down
behind the bed to escape, and remained
there Mr.. Kenniston revived from the first
blow, and fercely battled with the murderer
for his life. In the struggle, both went into
the kitchen, where marks of the affray are
plainly seen, in big pools of blood, broken
looking glass and the murderous iron bolt
and knife. In the kitchen the old gentle
man was stabbed twice, and two pistol shots
were fired.
When the wife could escape she ran to
arouse the neighbors. Assistance was
promptly at hand, but when the house was
reached the murderer had escaped and his
victim lay on the kitchen floor dead. The
alarm was sounded and an investigation was
at once made. A porch window was found
open with plank against it. This showed
plainly how the murderer entered the house.
An open door indicated his manner of leay-
ing. Kenniston's horse and a bride were
missed from the stable. This made plain his
method of escape.
Suspicion was at once directed to a young
man named Llewellyn Quimby, who had
worked for Mr. Remission, and who bore a
bad reputation. He had threatened to kill
Mr.. Kenniston. Teams were sent in all di-
rections promptly, every officer in the town
being employed. The town officers offered
reward of $500 for the arrest of the murder
er. So well was the work done that at $50
o'clock telegram was received in Boothbay
from Damariscotta stating that the murderer
had been overtaken.
N0bleboro, four miles from Damariscotta,
by George PerkinsIand A. HI. Remission. the
latter a son Of the murdered man. When
discovered he attempted to escape and Ken
niston fired three shots at him from revolt
ver one taking effect in the head, but in
fiicting only a scalp wound. 1t brought the
criminal to bay, however. He was hand
cuffed and taken to Damarisc0tta where an
examination of the wound was made, after
which the party proceeded to Boothbay.
CT. Dat mi had
summoned a jury consisting OF Joseph K.
Remission, Stephen e. Welch, Charles f.
Kenniston. Nathal S. Baker and Byron
Giles. They took charge of the knife with
which the wounds were made aud the bolt OF
iron. They found that the murdered man
must have made desperate resistance, as
the kitchen shows. He was stabbed once
entirely through the body and once upon
the right arm. Neither of the two pistol
shots appear to have struck the victim.
There were two terrible wounds on the head,
one of which fractured the skull.
The town is very much excited. The mo-
tive for the fearful crime can be nothing but
revenge. Nothing was missing from the
house. Two watches were hanging in the
bedroom in easy reach. The assassin light
in the light thus made his face was seen to
be covered with white CLOTH. Undoubted-
ly the murderer thought that he had killed
both man and wife, and that the crime
would not be discovered until he nad time 10
escape. The knife with which the wounds
were made was broken into four pieces when
found.
Quimby was brought to Beothbay by
Sheriff Kelley and Constable Corey.
The coroner's jury reported that the kill
ing was done by Quimby. A complaint was
made and the fellow was arraipned at IL
o'clock before Thomas Boyd, justice of the
peace, who held court at the office of G. ii.
Fisher.
Upon heing required to answer to the
charge OF numbering William Kenniston the
accused pleaded guilty and was commit
ted to Wiscasset Jail in charge of Deputy
Sheriff Patterson and Constable Corey.
The court room was crowded and the
streets in the vicinity were filled with an ex-
cited mass of people. Many threats of vio-
lence were made and there was considerable
fear that Quimby would be handled roughly
but better counsel prevailed.
The murder was cowardly and brutal in
the extreme. 1t was strong young man
armed with knife, revolver and a piece
of iron, against a man 81 years old, un-
armed, and who was awaked from sleep by
a blow upon the head. Quimby is about 20
years old, and Is son of Ambrose Quimby,
who formerly lived at Boothbay Harbor. He
has served term in the State Reform School
for breaking into a dwelling house, and was
released in 1888.
Mr.. Kenniston was the father of George
L. b. Kenniston, prominent lawyer, and
Albert III. Remission, furniture dealer.
The wife of Luther Maddocks, who has
been prominent in the figheries controversy,
was daughter of the deceased.