Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-07-16
A DISGRACEFUL ROW,
The Result Of too Much Fire Water,
Breaks up the Hilarity CT Sunday Fish
ing Party and Gives one of
them Sore Head.

them Sore Head.
Considerable excitement was created in
the city yesterday by the rumor that scri-
ous shooting affray had occurred at Lake
Coobosseecontee. The story of the affair
was said to have been brought to the city by
John Granger Who had driven in from the
lake post haste to notify the police Gran
ger was seen soon after his arrival in the
city by Journal reporter, to whom he re-
lated the following story:
II went to the lake Saturday in companv
with my brother Jake and my uncle, William
Britt. We went in large carryall In which
we slept during the. night. Sunday morning
We saw Henry Hersey and asked him to put
up our horse. He did so and then invited us
over to his fathers house on the island.
Here he played some tunes for US on an or.
ganette, was quite tired and went to sleep
on the lounge. do not know how long
slept or what occurred during that time
was aroused by my uncle, Bill Britt. |
found him with the blood streaming down
his face. He appeared badly hurt. He
said, I'm going to die, johnnie, but remem-
Der there's the man that did the deed" and
he pointed to Henry Hersey, who was in one
of the boats and pulling away from the ISL
and. Immediately went to the hammock
where my brother Jake was and tried to
arouse him but without success. was very
much frightened, thinking that both men
were fatally injured, SO l hastened to the
mainland secured our team and drove TO the
city as soon as possible to notify the po-
lice"
Changers story created considerable. ex-
citement about the city and in order to secure
the exact facts of the matter the reporter
secured a team and drove to the lake. Ar
irving at Hersey's stable, opposite the island,
where the alleged shooting occurred, he
found good sized crowd already assembled.
One of the first persons TO meet the eyes Of
| the scribe, as he alightcd from his carriage
was the supposed victim, VIM. Britt. lie
appeared To be very lively corpse. His
head was bandaged, but he was able to walk
about and converse freely with the crowd.
Doctors Hill and Webster were present and
had dressed his wound. which consisted of a
cash about an inch and half long on the
right side of his head. II had blcd profusely
but was not at all dangerous There was
also hole in his hat about half an inch
long. Neither of the ply ysicians were pre-
prepared to state positively that the wound
resulted from shot. They stated that it
might have been caused this way or it might
have been the result of cut.
| Henry Hersey was found in the stable in
charge of officer McKenney. Granger was
walking about in the crowd in u dazed sort
of way and appeared unable to say whether
he. himself, was injured or not. The indi-
cations seemed to be that he was not City
Marshal Morse was engaged in a thorough
| examination of the house on the island
Here he discovered on the piazza n broken
cut glass tumbler, numerous blood stains, an
overturned chair and large jug of fire.
water, which the visitors had carried slong
with them, probably to avoid the necessity of
drinking the lake water. A close search
failed to discover any revolver with which
the alleged shooting could have been done.
Mr.. Hersey, the elder, stated that some ten
days before he had given his rcvolver-the
only one in the bouse-to Mr.. Samuel Well
man, who has charge of the boats-for safe
keeping. Mr. Wellman locked il up in his
valise. In order TO make sure that Henry
had not obtained possession of this weapon,
the valise was unlocked and il was found un-
disturbed. There were two guns-a rifle
and shot gun--in the House, but the alb
sence of any empty shells in or about either
seemed to indicate that neither had been
used.
| The whole party had evidently been very
much under the influence of..liquor, and the
affair was apparently drunken brawl
None of the members of the party at the time
of the reporters visit to the lake, were in
condition to give straight forward account
of the affaiI.
| According TO the story of William Britt.
after the Granger boys had gone to sleep,
John on the lounge and Jake in the ham
mock, he and Henry sat on the piazza and
smoked cigars which the latter had provided.
Henry asked him to go fishing with him.
He agreed and Henry went within the house,
saying, "I'll get the bait moment lat
er he appeared with revolver in his hand
fired at him, the shot glancing along the top
of his head and passing through the ham
mock where Jake was sleeping. He sup
posed he was seriously injured and had
reused John to let him know who had
done the deed.
| Careful inquiry failed to discover any one
who had heard shot during the day. John
Granger claims that he was not awakened by
any, and number Of men in the vicinity
who were within hearing distance say they
heard no report whatever.
The broken tnmbler and overturned chair
are suggestive of way in which the cut
might have been received, but as the two
| principals were the only ones awake at
the time Of the occurrence, and az neither Of
them was in the best possible frame of mind
yesterday to tell very clear story the affair
remains somewhat of mystery. Augusta
people were startled by the wild rumors
which at first prevailed. They will be glad
to learn that there were no corpses connect
ed with the affair and that no funeral 10 like
ly to immedatly result from it.
Hersey was brought to this city under ar
rest and will probably have hearing today.
Several new row boats have been recently