The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-01-07
KILLED BY BURGLARS.
Startling Tragedy in the Village Of
Cumberland Mills.
An Old Lady Beaten and ChOked to
Death by a Rebber.
The Assassin Escapes and Leaves No
Glue 10 His Identity.
A Tramp Arrested on Suspicion, but
Probably Not the Murderer.

$1,000
resided for many years Mr.. Thomas Stacks
and his wife. They were both elderly peo-
lie, and the infirmities Of age confined them
largely indoors. The house they Occupied
was small story and half structure
standing on what used to be known as the
Windhan road now Northumberland street,
about half mile from the great paper mills
of S. ID. Warren & Co. An electric light
burns within 2O0 yards of the house. With
Mr.. Stacks lived his son David and his wife
and his son-in- law, Mr.. Pratt, and his vile.
Mr.. Pratt works in the paper mill and his
work keeps him out until after midnight.
1t was customary, therefore, to leave the
back door unlocked until he came in. Sew
eral days ago Mr.. Stack sold his house to
Mr.. John L. Warren for $1,000. Thursday
morning he went to Mr.. Warren's Office to
draw the money, but Mr.. Warren suggested
that it would be unsafe to keep so much
money in the house and advised him to leave
such as he did not want for immediate use
where it was. Mr.. Stacks took Mr.. War
ren's advice and drew only small part OF
it. Some of this he spent in paying some
small bills, aud the balance, $25, he put in
his pocket-book, which he laid upon the
table in his bedroom. Mrs. Stacks, who
was quite infrm, fell Thursday and injured
herself so that it panied her to move about.
She lay down on the lounge in the sitting
room and when night came concluded to
remain there all night. The family retired
Thursday night at about 10 o'clock. Mrs.
Stacks, as has been said, lay on the lounge
in the sitting room. Mr. Stacks went to bed
in the room adjoining, which was their
ordinary bed room. Mr. Stacks's son and his
wife slept up stairs. From the room in
which Mr.. Stacks slept door opens
into the sitting room where Mrs.
Stacks was. The door was left partly
open I'M order that Mr.. Stacks might
hear bis wife if she called for anything. In
the sitting room lamp was left dimly burn
ing on the table. The back door of the house
was left unlocked as usual for Mr. Pratt,
who would not return until after midnight.
Mr.. Stacks had fear of burglars and was
accustomed to sleep with Hopkins & Allen
"a calibre revolver beneath his pillow 1t
was there on the night in question.
Shortly after 10 O'Clock Mr.. Stacks was
awakened by hearing groans, and, rising in
bed, he saw by the dim light man just
leaving his room.
"Hellol" he shouted, "what do you
want?"
The man glanced backward at him and
said something which Mr.. Stacks thought
was "Shut up" Mr. Stacks quickly sprang
from his bed, revolver in hand, and sent
bullet flying after the retreating figure. The
ball struck the pantry door and buried it
self deep in the wood on the inside of the
pantry, having passed through the door. Mr..
Stacks pursued the man, who fled through
the kitchen door, and when outside fired two
more shots at him, neither of which are sup
posed to have taken effect.
At this point Mr.. Stackss son, having been
awakened by the firing, rushed down stairs
and out of doors in his night clothes and in
quired of bis father what was the trouble.
Its burglar" exclaimed the old man,
land he has escaped"
At this time neither Of the men supposed
that anything more had happened than the
stealing of the $25. But they were mistaken.
On entering the sitting room CHASTITY sight
was before them. Mrs. Stacks WAS lying ON
the lounge, the pillows and clothes about her
spattered with blood, and blood was flowing
from an ugly wound in her right temple. On
each side of her mouth the flesh was LAGER
ated as If it had been torn by the nails of
some one who had clutched her with the
purpose of preventing her from making an
outcry. The bruise on the temple had ap-
parently been caused by blow from some
heavy cudgel or the butt of revolver Mrs.
Stacks was apparently unconscious.
David shouted to his father and pointed
toward the blood that was streaming from
his mothers brow. He then left his father
to care for her and fastened to bring DR..
Swan, who responded Immediately to his
call. After the doctor reached the house
Mrs. Stacks revived somewhat and repeated
several times, "My head aches, my head
aches" The doctor asked her If she knew
what hurt her, and she said "No.' After
this she never spoke again, but soon became
unconscious, breathed heavily and at 1L25
o'clock yesterday morning died.
The assassin On leaving the house hastened
through the back gate to the field behind the
house. When last seen he was running up
the gully which extends through the field
from within about 100 yards of the farm.
Where he went after this it is impossible to
tell. He could net be traced by his loot
prints in the snow because the field
through which he made his escape is full Of
foot prints of people who pass across 1t In
going to their work in the mills. 1t is
thought however, that he passed through
Saccarappa although he might have struck
off across the fields into the country.
There is, as yet, no clue to the murderer,
but the opinion prevails that it was perpe-
trated by somebody well acquainted with the
premises and who knew that Mr.. Stacks had
received large sum of money lately, and
supposed that he had 1t in the house. One
man said: II think that when the guilty
party is found he will be person only too
well known by the people Of this village.
We have had many burgaries here OF late
and it is my opinion that the man who muir
dered Mrs. Stacks is the same person who
has been breaking into other places in this
village. think that he entered Mr.. Stacks
house expecting to get the money for which
the property was sold, that when he went
into the sittng-room he Was discovered by
Mr.. Stacks. and rather than be identified
and arrested by information that she might
give if lie fed he decided to kill her."
Another person said: "You will find the
murderer is somebody not great way OIL. T"
DR.. Swan said thai he thought there was
an organized band Of burglars in the village
and that the murder was committed by one
of them.
A well known gentleman Of Cumberland
Mills said that he thought the murder was
unintentional and that the assassin, who is
one of a number of burglars who have been
working the place, meant only to stun Mrs.
Stacks by the blow and then rob the house.
Shortly after o'clock yesterday the cor
oner's jury viewed the body but they will
not report until Monday. An examination
n. c,,o,. and Murah fnllnxvad Dr