The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-09-19
FRED Helm, YOU'VE KILLED MEE
Charles w. Taylor's Words as He
Recognized His AssaIIant
The Portsmouth Tragedy Described
bv the Only Surviving Daughter
Whose Life viii Probably End Before
Many Hours.

AOhI5MOOIhs N. H., OoptemDer l0.-ln-
terest in the Helm tragedy continues unabat-
ed, and the whole city has been in state of
excitement all day. Helms daughter Maud
made a deposition at p. m. She says she
was in the house when her father shot her.
The bullet struck her in the left cheek. She
ran and he fired again, striking her In the
back. When her father came home the 9TH
er two girls were in the back yard. He asked
them to come into the house but they would
not. Bertha, the youngest, was the first vic
tim. She fell on the doorstep. Before Car
rie, the oldest, could hy. she was shot down.
Then Helm directed his attention to the hor-
ror-stricken Maud, with the result described
above,
Charles w. Taylor's residence was next
visited by the coroner, and his deposition
taken. He stated he was Just ascending the
steps to the house when Helm rushed up to
him and fired the revolver. Taylor turned
claimed, Erred Helm, you've killed me-"
Helm ran, and Taylor, crying murder, fell
against the door. His cries were heard by
his family, and he was taken into the house.
Tonight the condition of Taylor was bet
ter than at any time since he was shot. DR..
Sherburne says he has strong hopes that
Taylor will recover. DR.. Sherburne says
the bail entered three or four inches from
the spine, passed through the lower lobe of
the left lung and struck the eighth rib.
AT the Cottage Hospital tonight, little
Maud Helm was in a precarious condition.
The doctor said she had not suffered much
pain during the day. After 0 o'clock tonight
she began to fail, and at late Lour is said
10 be sinking slowly. 1t is not deemed prob
able that she will live "a hours longer.
1t was learned this morning that Helm had
attempted to add another to his list of killed.
For some time past he had cherished spite
against Mrs. Oliver Lucas, his mOther-in-
law, who lives on Hill street, and on several
occasions he had threatened to take her life.
Last night, about 7.30 O'Clock, light tap
piHg was heard on the window, and she care
1ully put aside the curtain and saw man
answering Helms description standing out
side, She at once jumped towards the door
and locked it just as the man tried to enter
the house. After trying the doors several
times, the man was seen to go away, and in
less than quarter of an hours time Mrs.
Lucas was informed of Helms terrible
crime.
report Of her daughters return to the city on
Saturday last, stated that such was not the
case. although her daughter had been trying
to obtain possession of the children for
some time past.
Inquiry at Eldredge's brewery today elicit
ed the fact that Helm was noticed by several
fellow workmen as acting strangely yester-
DAY morning. At noon he gave notice that
he should not work during the afternoon. 1t
IS stated by fellow workman that his trou-
bic with his wife had worked on his mind,
and that to prevent his children from grow
ing up and following in her footsteps he con-
cluded to kill them and himself, and also the
one whom he thought bad caused the trouble
in his family.
Early this morning Coroner S. G. Whitten
and jury consisting of Hon. George L.
Hodgdon, Dr. II. f. Clark and r. II. Beach
am, accompanied by Undertaken Fletcher
repaired to No. 8 Islington street, the scene
OF last nights dreadful tragedy.
In the front room lay the three bodies in a
row which had been examined by the under
taker during the night.
The coroner made medical examination
IN the presence of the jury. IL was shown
that Helm had placed revolver in his mouth
back part of the head, traversing the base of
the brain. Bertha, the youngest daughter,
was shot ia the head, the ball entering be-
hind the left ear and coming out through the
right cheek, about an inch from the mouth.
Carrie, the oldest girl, was shot through the
left cheek, the ball passing throughlthe face
and coming out behind the right ear.
After the examination Of the bodies a
thorough search of the house was made un-
der the direction Of the coroner. The lower
part of the house, with the exception of the
front room, presented scene Of destruction.
Blood was standing in pools on the floor
while the walls were literally sprinkled.
After viewing the place where the two
girls were murdered the jury repaired to a
front room where still worse sight greeted
them. The room was regular arsenal, two
revolvers being found, both of Smith g.
Wesson make. One, "A calibre had four
empty chambers. On the bureau were box
es of cartridges and dirk knife, while on
the table lay shaving implements showing
that the murderer had shaved before going
out on his murderous errand. In the corner
of the smaller room where Helm committed
the suicide stood loaded rifle. Search was
made through the trunks and drawers but
nothing was found that would throw light
on the tradgedy.
At 11.30 this morning the c0rOner'S Jury
commenced work Arthur w. Walker was
the first witness. He testified that about 730
last night, on Islingtou street he heard pistol
SHOTS; rushed to the street and saw a crowd
around young girl lying on the sidewalk.
Inc girl was crying piteously. When asked
Wnat the matter was she replied Father has
sn0t us, In company with Officer Quinn
witness proceeded to the house, Quinn going
to the rear door and discovering the body Of
one OF the little girls breathing heavily. He
at once brought her into the kitchen. The
body OF the larger girl was shortly after
wards discovered lying on the grass about
nineteen feet away. DIR. Clark was sum-
moned and did everything possible for the
girl who was beyond hope and expired in
few minutes.
Officer Quinn, Daniel Casey and others
then testified to substantially tho same thing
detailing at greater length the finding of the
bodies.