The Portland daily press., 1890-07-31
GOOSE ISLAND MYSTERY.
Falls to Prove a Blood curdIIng
Tragedy.
Medical Examination Proves This
Clearly.

pie from the neighboring islands went to
gather berries on Lower Goose Island.
Lower Goose Island is called Lower
because there is another Goose Island
little farther up the bay, known as Upper
Goose, is some Is or IS miles from this city,
some four miles E.NE. of Great Chebeague
Island, and about two miles from Harpswell
Neck.
Among those who went for berries to the
island were Mrs. Julia Thompson, Miss Ber-
tina johnson and Mrs Annie Thompson, all
of Great Chebeague Island. 1t was about 8
D. m. when they started for their boat to 60
home. While passing through the woods
towards the water, Mrs. Julia Thompson
discovered what she concluded to be the
skeletons of human hands and feet. She
called her granddaughter, Miss Bertha john
SON, and together they examined the bones
to come to no other conclusion than that
they were human. Mrs. Annie Thompson
also looked at them, and she, too, thought
they closely resembled human hands and
feet.
A little farther on they came upon the re-
mains Of brush camp, In the centre of
which they found fireplace made of logs
and stones. In the ashes that were there,
they discovered charred bones that crumbled
as they were touched. All this was very
strange, and excited their suspicious. They
left the island Immediately for home. Their
discovery soon became known to others, and
great excitement was occasloned thereby.
Yesterday morning the report reached the
city, causing no little excitement. The
proper officials were notified, and Coroner
Perry was instructed to proceed to che spot
and ascertain the full particulars in regard
to the matter. He chartered the steamer
Ben Hur, and accompanied by Mr.. Andrew
Rich and a PRESS reporter, left Portland
Pier at 2.15 p. M, in the afternoon for Lower
Goose Island. Proceeding to Great Che.
beague Island, a stop was made, and Mrs.
Annie Thompson and Miss Bertha johnson
were invited to accompany the party as
guides. On the way, Miss johnson related
to the writer her story Of the discovery of
the bones, which has already been told in
brief
1t was about 5 p. m. when Lower Goose
Island was reached. In few moments Cor
oner Perry, Mr.. Rich and the writer, with
Miss johnson as guide, arrived at the spot
where the bones lay upon rock. Certainly
they were human bones; that is, they looked
like them at a distance, but upon close in
spection 1t was easy to perceive that In i'm
portant particulars they differed from
those of human being. The tarsal
bones were the same In number
and in rough outline quite similar to human
bones, only the heel bone, which in the hui
man subject is the largest bone in the skele-
ton of the foot, was observed to be much
smaller than the astragalus another bone Of
the foot, which in the human skeleton is sec
ond in size to the heel bone. There was
nothing in rough outline about the metatar-
sal bones to distinguish them from human,
but still they were found to be in minute
particulars unlike the corresponding bones
In man.
As to the phalanges, the toe bones, a
marked difference In number exists in the
skeleton found upon the rock at Lower Goose
island, compared with the human phalanges
The great toe of the strange skeleton con-
sists of bone about an inch long, and one
very small biconcave bone situated between
it and the metatarsal bone. Each of the
other four toes has but two bones similar in
shape and position to those of the great toe,
whereas in the human subject each of these
four toes consists of three bones.
The bones found upon the rocks were four
feet aud three hands. The fourth hand could
not be found. There is little dried flesh
upon them, but for the most part they are
bare.
A short distance from this spot where the
bones were found the party entered a thicket
of spruce and fir trees, where the remains of
deserted camp was found. An opening in
the thicket towards the water was blocked
by brush fence. Behind this fence and in
the centre of the camp was found the fire :
place described by Miss johnson. In the
ashes two half consumed bones that were
not human were found. This was all. There
was no skull, no legs, and the trunk of the
body was not to be found.
1t was suggested what was found were the
bones of mermaid who had met some I'M
timely death, where and how could but be a
matter of conjecture. Perchance they are
the remains Of some sea animal, anymph or
some such thing. More likely, however,
and the statement was made to the writer
they are the bones of some poor seal that
long since departed hence. Whatever they
may have been, whether the bones of mer-
maid, sea serpent or nymph, one thing is
certain, they are not human bones.
1t was past 5 p. m. when Coroner Perry
and his associates went aboard the Ben Hur
to return to the city. Captain Haskell gave
the word, and two hours under steam
brought the party safely to Burnham's
wharf
On the return trip Captain Haskell or
dered coffee for his passengers, who greatly
enjoyed the drink, and who were pleased
with the courtesy shown them by the cap
tain and the boats crew.
This is all that can be said relative to the
blood curdling report of foul murder on