Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-15
THE BENTON MURDER.
Doctors Hill and Thayer Their Story Of
the Affair.
They Think Warren Would Have Kill
ed Them if He Had Heard Their
Decision.

Special TO the kennebec Journal.
WATERvILLE, March IA.
The news of the fearful Benton tragedy
became fully known in waterville early
Wednesday morning. On all sides the
streets were lined with excited groups of pc
! destrians stopping on their way and eagerly
enquiring into the particulars of the affair.
A journal reporter interviewed Doctors
Hill and Thayer who were summoned
Tuesday on the case, and returned Tues
day night. Their story substantially is as
follows: we were summoned to Benton to
make an autopsy on this case and after sew
eral unsuccessful attempts. on account of
the bad condition Of the roads to get there
by team we finally started Tuesday fore
noon on the train. We Immediately pro-
ceeded to..the house where the body of Mrs.
Warren had been placed, and made an au-
topsy. We found that the woman had been
beaten terribly, and that her body was man
| gled and bruised in Most frightful manner
( 1t was a most repulsve sight. The wounds
varied from the size of a filbert to some
! yawning gashes which were several inches
I long.
/ We determined from our autopsy, which
ended about F. NJ, that Mrs Warren came
to her death by a blow on her left temple
which induced rupture of one of the arter-
les of the brain. Having completed our au-
topsy proceeded to the school house
where the coroner's inquest was to be held.
For fear that our testimony might excite
Warren to some rash deed we were taken to
house near by and without any spectators
present the inquest went on and gave
our testimony. There is no doubt in our
minds that if we had testified before Warren
that he would have treated us in the same
way he treated the children, for he doubtless
had the loaded pistol concealed on his per-
son at the time of the inquest.
The coroners jury rendered the verdict
that Mrs Warren came to her death by blows
inflicted by her husband.
After the inquest crossed the river to
Somerset Mills to get supper. In the midst
of ourmeal man, breathless and intensely
excited rushed in and made the startling an
nouncemcnt that Warren had killed his two
children. 1t was not known then that he
had also killed himself. We at once has
tened with all possible speed to the scene of
the tragedy.
while Coroner Carver, County Attorney
Carleton, and Deputy Sheriff Hill were in
the parlor Of Warren's house, the prisoner
was left in the sitting room under the charge
of Constable Reed and two aids About
seven o'clock Z. NJ Warren asked Constable
Reed if he could not go up stairs and see his
children.
You can handcuff me if you want to. l
don't care anything about that. just want
to talk with my children before go.
His calm, lf-possessed manner led the
officer in charge to let him go up after hand
cutting him. They ascended the stairs with
the prisoner ahead and Constable Reed and
two aids following. The passage was dark
aud narrow and the constable was obliged to
carry a light in order to see. Before they
reached the top of the stairs. the officers were
thunderstruek TO hear the report of pistol
and Immediately after, the eldest girl, who
was about eight years of age, fell dead to
the floor with pistol ball lodged IN her fore
head Another shot took effect IN the back
part of the head of the Younger girl and she
fell with piercing shrek. Warren then
pointed the pistol at his own breast and fired.
falling dead almost instantly the ball having
entered his head
That's about our story, continued the
doctors, who, by the way are pretty well
worn out with the seige.