Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-16
WARREN'S BRUTALITY.
Ugly from Boyhood to Manhood.
Insanity Not the Cause of His Fiendish-
ness

Special TO the kennebec Journal.
VAUDEVILLE, March 10.
EDeputy Lherif Hill went to Benton again
this morning on business connected with the
Warren tragedy. 1t had been rumored that
some startling developments were about to
be made and your reporter drove up shortly
after the sheriff left Arriving in the sud-
denly famous neighborhood the scribe con-
versed with several gentlemen. The excite
ment has in no degree abated. Its lucky
the last shot first people about here would
have been better pleased than to have had to
have strung him up; but they would GER
tainly have done it had he failed to have
killed himself.
Warren was brute of the very worst
kind. He had heart of stone. While the
County Attorney was making out the mitti
mus after the verdict of the coroner's jury he
having waived examination, Warren, in the
kitchen in charge of Constable Reed, said
II would like to look on my wife's face
again. The constable accompanied him to
the bed room and Warren lifted the sheet
murdered and STOPPING over kissed her. At
the supper table that evening, he was very
attentive to his children, helping them care
fully to all on the table and urging them
frequently to eat more. Supper over, he
took his children into his lap and carressed
and fondled them in the most affectionate
manner Five minutes after both were shot
by these same hands.
Warren has always borne a very bad rep
utation. He has been so unfair in his deal
ings and dishonest and untruthful that he
was universally disliked. He was called
'Rag Warren" more in regard to his charac-
dumb animals.
1t is related that not long ago. when driv-
ing one of his old horses that didn't go fast
enough to suit him, he deliberately plunged
a jacknife between the animals ribs several
times
boy who saw the monsters deed said
that the horse after being thus probed, as
he moved along, "ooked as if he was suck
lug his wind between his ribs" The officers
are censured for not Handwriting the prisoner
in the usual way by placing his hands behind
him, and then putting on the twisters.
The miserable wretch was addicted to
drinking, and it is said that of late he had
been in the habit of drinking mixture of
Balm of Gilead and rnm, which he pretended
he was taking as a medicine.
The idea has got about among some people
that Warren was insane. Such an idea is
wholly absurd. Warren has always been too
ugly to be insane. Even when he was
school boy he was continually displaying the
same nature which his final crimes have
shown. While the autopsy and inquest were
i'll progress he was as sane any man, con
versing with his brother about the details of
the funeral, and those matters pertaining to
his trial, also with his counsel in regard to
his defense. All who were with him say
that he was as sane as any one. He was de-
termined to erase every sign of his first
determined to seal his children's lips to pre-
vent their telling what they kney concerning
their mothers death, so he killed them and
they himself, thus forever concealing the
manner of the first crime.
Many people censure the constable for al
lowing Warren to go up stairs at all. 1t ap-
pears from what the scribe could learn that
Warren went up stairs twice. The first time
was Just as the sheriff and his party were re-
turning from the school house |
where the inquest was held. 1t is |
very probable that he procured the pistol
at this time and either concealed |
it on his person or somewhere about the |
stairway. although he was not out of the
constables sight a moments time. The
second time he ascended the stairs was when
he shot his children and himself. The con-
stable was with him then The only Fartic-
ular in which the constable is at fault, is
that he did not handcutf his man with his
hands behind him. There is, perhaps, no
crime in the States history so revolving, so
shocking in its details as this, and it has had
tremendous effect upon the minds
of the people. The last member
of the family, little Cora, still lies
in the kitchen, dying slowly. The
ph, sicians have done everything in their
power to save her life but the bullet lies
imbedded in her brain aud cannot be ex-
tracted Her limbs are almost motionless
and the muscles of her face are becoming
more and more rigid. When she dies the
whole family will be gone. 1t is most sad
termination of a most unhappy family.