The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-20
AN UNsoLvEo MYSTERY.
Stains of Blood and Matted Hair on
Martins Point Bridge.
A Man or Beast Apparently Thrown
from the Draw.

When Captain Bogan of the tug Warren
came back to the city from the Eastern
Forge Works. in Deering, Saturday morning,
where he had towed schooner, he reported
that the side Of the draw of the bridge at
Martins Point, Deering. had stains of blood
on 1t. Reporters and policemen at once
started for the scene and found that the Cap
tain's statement was correct. There was
blood on the pier below the draw and also
on the draw itself, for when they drove up
and stopped the teams they noticed pool of
blood in the road just opposite an opening In
the fence where the draw tender was in the
habit of going down to the pier to get under
the draw. The draw tender, Mr.. Robert
Houston, was seen and he said that be had
noticed the stains Friday morning when he
went under the draw as usual, but had said
nothing about 1t. leaving the tug boat cap
tain to be the first to bring the news of the
supposed tragedy to the city.
The draw Of this bridge is of the same
general pattern as the draw on the Portland
bridge 1t rests on turn table, which rests
on pier extending out into the water some
ten or twelve feet on either side of the draw.
On one side of the draw Is an open gateway
about two feet and a half wide. and from 1t
a flight of steps descends to the pier below.
On the floor of the draw were some spots of
blood, on both sides of the gateway was
hair matted with blood, and on the pier at
the foot of the steps was quite large pool
OF blood. Then there was a blood track
along the pier from the foot of the steps in
under the draw, which might have been
made by bleeding body dragged or crawl
ing along. There was also on the steps and
on the pier substance that resembled hu-
man brains. though the Marine hospital
surgeon, to whom it was shown, could give
no definite opinion on this point. 1t might
have been the brains Of an animal or 1t might
not have been brain matter at all. The hair
was of dark color, though not jet black and
it was wet with blood. Some of 1t looked as
If it had been pulled out of the scalp. 1t was
of different lengths, some specimens being
an inch and some two or more inches long.
DR.. G. d. Smith has examined some of il
and pronounces it human hair. On the floor
of the draw there were some slight signs of
team having been backed up to the gate
way, and imprints of bloody hand are said
to have been seen on the side of the draw on
Saturday. though they were not visible yes
terday.
These are all the facts that have so far ap.
peared in the case. What they show is a
matter Of speculation. The theory which
was first held by the officers was that some
animal, dog or COW, or possibly goat,
had been disposed Of by pushing it through
the gateway, down over the steps on to the
pier and thence overheard. But this story
is discredited bv the fact that the hair is not
the hair Of beast, but of man or woman.
1t is highly improbable too that If 1t was an
animal that was pushed over. that pains
would have been taken to drag lthe body un-
der the draw before dumping it into the
water.
Assuming that man went over, the ques-
ton arises whether he was pushed or thrown
over or accidentally fell over. An intoxicat-
ed man might have walked through the
opening in the side of the draw and fallen
to the bottom of the steps, aud he might
subsequently have crawled ander the draw
and fallen overheard. But this would not
account tor the blood on the floor of the
draw or on the side of the gateway. These
things indicate struggle on the draw before
the man was thrown down the steps. But IL
there was struggle 1t is singular no outcry
was heard by any one in the hospital, which
is near by. Neither the theory of accident
or of murder seems to satisfactorily explain
all the circumstances, but the latter comes
nearer doing so than the former.
Marshal Green visited the scene with Dep
uty Merrill and noted all that could be noted.
They notified the town officers of Deering
and Falmouth and further steps will be tax
en-, If any are taken by them.
Whether any more light will ever be shed
on the matter is exceedingly doubtful. 1t
may be that whatever was thrswn in will be
borne along by the current aud make its ap-
pearance on the shores of some of the ISL
auds, or it make sink to the bottom or be
swept out to sea. So far as known nobody
is missing. and there is at present not the
slightest evidence to solve the mystery ex-
cept that afforded by the hair and the blood.