Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-31
A FATAL ACCIDENT.
Tragic Deathof a Sidney Man.
By the Discharge Of a Revolver in the
Hands Of Ills Son.
Full Particulars of the Sad and Fatal
Event


| A startling and tragic event occurred at
Sidney Sunday evening, which has caused no
little excitement among the people of that
vicinity. One of the largest and most desti-
tute families in that section is that of Edwin A.
Wentworth. They have had fifteen children in
all, twelve of whom are still living. Eleven
I of the family are now at home and all have
been dependent upon the wages of the father
J for subsistence. The elder Wentworth, a
man about forty-two years of age has long
borne the reputation among the people of
that section, of being man of an extremely
violent and ungovernable temper 1t has
1 been his practice to carry about him at all
times loaded revolver and his conduct in
his family has been at times brutal in the ex-
treme. He has been known TO beat his wife
till she was covered with bruises, and has
frequently visited his displeasure upon his
children in like manner During the war
he was a member of Company f, 30th Maine
regiment and has been member of the }.
w. Lincoln Post G.. A. X. ll3. The Went
circumstances. And the large family depend
ent upon him for support which he often
times found it difficult to keep in food, did
much to render the elder Wentworth gloomy
and morose.
At times the family have been helped by
the neighbors and even to some extent by the
town authorities, and it was only during the
last year that the father secured aid from
the State pension department to the extent of
50 90 per month. This in addition to his
wages as day laborer, and occasional fees
from his Office as one of the town constabes,
has been the only means of support for the
family, the youngest of which is babe only
two weeks old. The past few days have
been peculiarly trying ones for the Went
worth family. In addition to the care of the
infant, five of the other children have been
sick with the scarlet fever and the father
confined with the family in the little house
where they have lived, packed in almost as
snugly as sardines in box, being unable to
get to his work owing to the severity of the
storm. In this state of blockade the slender
stock of provisions was soon exhausted and
the elder Wentworth was forced to call on
the neighbors to keep the wolf from the door.
As usual he became very moody and irrta-
BILE When in this condition he had several
times been known to say that his family were
a burden to him and that he would kill them
,I IL FOR tha law Not puly has
he made this statement to members of his
family but to other people in town.
Sunday evening about eight o'clock, Went
worth became for some reason very much
ncensed at his daughter Hattie, girl about
nineteen years of age, and dragging her from
the sitting room into the kitchen, began kick
ing and pounding her in a most brutal mar
ner and in the blind fury. of perfect parox-
ism of rage. His son Quincy, young man
about twenty years of age, fearing lest his
father, in his uncomfortable anger, would
shoot the girl, entered the room and secur-
ing the old mans revolver from vest which
hung on the wall, attempted to escape from
the house with it. His father observed the
act and releasing his daughter pursued the
Young man, and overtaking him attempted to
wrest the weapon from his grasp. In the
struggle it was discharged and the bullet
penetrated the breast of the Old man. He
sank to the floor, lifted his head slightly,
pasped good bye" and died almost before
the words had left his lips. Mr.. John Rob
inson, A. S. Davenport, I. Benson and
several other neighbors were at once sum-
moned to the scene of the tragedy, and word
was sent to Coroner Carver of Watervlle re-
questing his attendance.
The young man in whose hands the revol-
yer was when the shooting occurred claims
that it was purely accidental and was done
by his father in attempting TO secure the
weapon In this statement he is sustained
by the other members of the family who wit
messed the tragedy. 1t is thought that in
struggling for the possession of the revo-
yer the old man grasped it by the hammer
and so discharged it.
Seldom has an affair like this happened
amid sadier surroundings. In the room
where the dead man fell, four of his children
Law sick with the fever. 1t is thought by
those about here that the young man
will not be he Id responsible for his fathers
death and the result of the coroners inquest
is awaited with no little interest. Hal he
been kinder husband and father, the feel
ing in the community would have been more
moved by this fatal event, but as it is many
who have known him and his family most
intimately say that iu spite of the sad end
ing of this man and the shock which it has
given the community 1t may stiil be AL for
the best"