The Somerset reporter., 1890-04-10
FOUND DEAD.
Mrs. Ann Cooley Shot In the Head
WAS If SUICIDE or MuRpER2

CoRoSER's INQUEST AND VERDICT.
Early Monday morning acting County
Attorney, s w. Gould received a tele-
phone dispatch from North New Port
land, to the effect that Mrs. Ann Cooley
was found dead from the effect of a pis-
tol shot In the head, in the house of
Micah w. Norton Of New Portland, to
the people OF this county well known
from the frequency his name has ap-
peared on the court docket of Somerset.
Mrs Cooley had been housekeeper for
Mr Norton. but was formerly resident
of Bingham and had been at Mr.. Norton's
some six years.
Mr. Norton reported that he heard the
pistol shot and was wakened thereby,
about a quarter past three o'clock Mon
day morning. He first went across the
road to his nearest neighbor, Mr.. Page
alarmed him. Mrs Cooley was dead, when
Mr. Page got there. Mr. l.. II. Moulton
one of the selec.men was notified and
forthwith telephoned to Skowhegan.
S. W, Gould, Esq, acting County At
torney and Coroner Silas Leland started
by team for the scene of the tragedy
twenty miles distant, through the deep
mud, arriving there In the early after
noon. Mr.. Leland empsnneled a jury as
follows: j. T. Vose, W. S. Jacobs, J .
Chase, Elias Hutchlns, VIM. Richardson,
II. A. Pummer.
The jury, proceeded at once to the
house and viewed the remains. 10 a
small attic room In the ell of the house
was the death chamber. The unfortun-
ate woman was lying on bed covered by
a thick coverlet The head was turned
slightly on one side exposing the wound
which was made near the corner of the
right eye, penetrating the brain.
No marks of powder were visible to in
dicate that the victim did the deed her
self The jury after carefully viewing
the remains adjourned until the next day.
Tuesday afternoon the Coroner's jury
rendered the verdict that Ann Cooley
came to her death by shot from pistol
In the hand of some person to the jury
unknown" Sheriff Vaughan arrived at
North New Portland, Tuesday evening
and arrested Micah w. Norton. lie was
placed under a keeper and the prelmna-
ry trial is to come off before Trial Justice
Orrin Priest OF Skowhegan at North
New Portland, commencing Friday next.
Mr. Norton is man of means and will
undoubtedly be ably defended. He is 10
stranger In the Somerset Courts.
Attorney Gould and Coroner Leland
returned home Wednesday noon, but
Sheriff Vaughan will remain on the
ground until after the trial. The town
authorities of Bingham took charge of
the remains of Mrs. Cooley for inter
ment she was about Al years of age
and the widow of the late Luther Cooley,
who died alb jut six months ago, but
had not lived with her husband for more
than six years. 1t came out in the evi
dence that Mrs. Cooley had been In the
habit Of carrying a pistol for some years,
but the one found In the bed was a new
one that had been used very little.
The autopsy showed that the ball en-
led her head near the right eye, destroy
ing it, passed through the front convolu-
tions Of the brain and lodged near the
left ear just under the skin. She lived
about an hour and an half after found,
but was unconscious all the time.
The witnesses examined were Alfred
s. Page, Mrs. Laura L. Page, Micah w
Norton, Hiram Pease, Mrs. Lydia X
Pease, George X. Boynton, Miss Emma
Norton, Mrs. Dolly Page, and the physi
clans who conducted the autopsy, Drs
Stevens s:;ss! Dse:s.,ao.. % New f0I tiaud,
Drs. Andrews and Ware of North Arson.
Mr.. Page said he was called by Norton
about 3 O'Clock Monday morning. 81
went over with Norton and we went ~
stairs. He went ahead of me into the
room next hers. Norton said, i dread
to go into that room; you 60 ahead |
put my hand on the door and went In. |
saw her on the bed covered with blood.
She rose up and then changed her posi-
ton to the back side of the bed. She
made moaning noise, but could not hear
anything she said. The bed clothing
was all off her. | pulled the quilt over
her. One puff had slid onto the floor
Norton stood near the head of the bed
and picked up a revolver from the bed
and threw it under the table near the
VI tlC bcu. Hc lcfOlNcE Of
the bed about one foot below her shoul-
der. did not see the pistol the first
thing as the light was dim" He vent
back home ana sent his son to call Mr..
Pease. "Mrs. Cooley did not say any
thing or make any signs with her hands.
There was a light burning when we went
into the room. I picked up the revolver
from the floor and saw that every cham
Der was loaded except one or two.
have heard that Norton and Mrs. Cooley
did not get along well together. There
have been times when they have had
trouble and she has come to the door nd
made an outcry. Have heard her cry
murder"
Mrs. Mary Burns, daughter of the de-
ceased, and Forest ID. Cooley her son,
testified to the effect that their mother
told them she had had trouble with Nor
ton.
Zenas Vaughan, sheriff of Somerset
Co., testified: County Attorney Dan
forth came here with one of my deputies
some time ago. Mrs. Cooley made
complaint that Norton killed child that
was born to her. She would not sign the
warrant and the matter was dropped. |
did not come in person at that time"