The Portland daily press., 1890-02-14

y a. IN. ana would De In PORTLAND at II. 30
p. m.
Sawtelle, as has been stated in the PRESS,
Is suspected Of having made way with his
brother Hiram. somewhere near Rochester,
N. H., about Wednesday, February 9TH.
Isaac met Hiram at the Roch-
ester railroad station on Wednesday after
noon, February 5. The two men drove away
toward East Rochester Isaac came back,
but Hiram did not. This circumstance lies
very near the kernel of the mystery Hiram
reached Rochester at 345 p. m. He could
not have gone far with his brother, for Isaac
was In Rochester again, alone and hiring a
carriage from Smart's livery stable, &C five
O'Clock. Here was an interval of II hours.
What happened during that time? There
seems to be only one explanation of Isaac's
return to the town. He must have deliv-
cred his brother into the hands of third
party. Then, having come back and Sc
cured Smart's carriage. which he had used
several times previously. he drove again in
the direction of East Rochester. An exam
nation of this carriage late Wednesday eve
ming. February 18th, revealed state of af-
fairs that at an unexpected juncture con-
frmed the worst suspicion. Great clots of
dried blood were found on the outside of the
seat cushion and on the carpet floor mat.
There were evidences of attempts to remove
these telltale stains, but they had been far
from effective. The cushion was covered
with olive green cloth on one side, AMI
smooth black oilcioth on the other. On the
oilcloth side or bottom, were large brownish
red spots, obviously blood. and in the hol-
lows about the buttons with which the seat
was bound were solidifed clots. 1t was ap-
parent that keen criminal had turned the
cushion wrong side up, recognizing that IL
the blood flowed on the oilcloth, the traces
Of it could be more easily obliterated. But
he bad forgotten the rug In the bottom of
the buggy In his fiendish preparations, for
this was thickly spotted with indelibie blood
stains, and one corner of it had been literal
ly soaked In blood, where the crimson flood
had run into the forward corner of the box
aud settled. Both the seat and the rug bore
indications OF efforts to clean them with a
rag and water, and this was probably done
on Wednesday afternoon or evening, when
1t is supposed the murder was committed:
since, while the rig was not closely exam
ined upon its return to the barn that night,
1t is altogether probable that fresh blood
stains and thick clots undiluted would have
been noticed, either then or the next day.
But they were not, and even hyeryman
Smart was Mortified when they were pointed
out to him that night. About the rug there
was distinct smell Of kerosene, indicating
that some one had been using it in The, en-
deavor to remove the stains. No one about
the stable had done this, and as Isaac Saw
telle had the buggy the the last time it was
out, last Monday, and was particular to in
quire for the same one he had on the Prev.
GUS Wednesday, the officers think
1t is fair assumption to
suppose he tried his hand second time at
making away with the most convincing,
though mute, testimony against him.
About dusk that Wednesday, February
9TH, Isaac was actually recognized. across
the Salmon Falls river in Maine, by a
farmer, Isaac W. Rankin, who had talked
with him the day before. He did not re-
turn to Rochester until after o'clock at
night. and he did not arrive at his boarding
house until after IL. This is slender
thread Of events. but there is not little
Significance in it. Upon the day before this
mysterious Wednesday Isaac Sawtelle did
very strange thing. Having hired the buggy
from Smart early in the morning, saying
that he was going to Blaisdelps Corner. two
miles beyond East Rochester, he really pro-
ceeded to South Lebanon, in Maine, and
there be bought a spade. What he bought
| 1t for was his own business, of course, but
hQ fOnk naiuo RI fall fha 81 hot bo
wanted to try the soil on a farm lot he
thought of purchasing. Isaac then proceeded
toward Springvale. still farther into Maine,
aud Farmer Rankin, of whom Sawtelle
made inquiries about the roads, saw the
new spade in the buggy. Sawtelle also
went to South Lebanon, examined
some spades In Mr.. j. c. Wentworth's store,
and asked him il he thought the spade
could dig into the frozen ground without
pick. Wentworth said no, and asked what
he wanted the spade for He replied testify
to test the soil, and further told Mr.. Lord, a
farmer, he was going to prospect for gold.
Farmer Rankin and daughter described Saw
telle, for he called at their home, and they
saw the spade in the buggy, when the breeze
blew the robe away, disclosing the spade.
The next day-the mysterious Wednesday,
Rankin's daughter-in-law saw the same
horse and carriage 60 past the house in the
same direction that Sawtelle had taken the
day before tuesday, She could not see
very plainly. but it seemed to her that there
were persons in the carriage, and under
meath the seat. sticking out slightly in the
rear, was bundle of something covered
with rubber cloth. probably the carriage
boot. That is the last the Rankns saw of
Sawtelle.
Isaac was traced, with the sorrel horse
aud top buggy, and bundle, as far as John
BlalsdelPs, and then 1t seems more than
probable that he took one of the many side
roads leading into the dense timber growths
along the East Lebanon road. There he
probably finished whatever ''gold prospec-
ting" or "soil testing" he may have had on
hand. Whatever he did, 1t is known that he
did not return to Rochester until late that
night. No one saw him return. There is
not person In East OF South Lebanon, East
Rochester or Rochester, who saw the sorrel
clipped horse driven through the streets
that night on its way to the stable. The
man who was there to receive him says it
was shortly after o'clock when he drove
into the yard, but it may have been later for
Mrs. Smith, at whose house Sawtelle board
ed, states that 1t was II o'clock when he
reached home. He also had bought from
Mr.. Wallace, a storekeeper, a pickaxe,
Ratchet, lamp and spade, and a burlap bag
to put them In, before he went off on this
trip.
1t is believed by the Boston police
that the remains Of Hiram Sawtelle
are buried somewhere in the wide
tracts of woods bordering on the Springvale
ana Lebanon roads. The search Wednesday
was to ascertain the location Of Hiram Saw
teiie's grave in these woods. Now that
snow covers most of the ground, great diff
Guilty is anticipated in getting at the exact
Spot UNLESS as some believe, Hiram was
conveyed 70 the ruins of some unoccupied
| hnuSp. and his hodv plaood