River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-02-20
BuTcHeRED hIs BROTHER.

Tho ANf full Crime of Fratricide Charged
Mass.-Detaiis of Ore of the Most Hor-
ribie Murders Ever Perpetrated i'm New
England.
EAST ROCHESTER,, N. H., Feb 49,
The body of Hiram Sawtelle, Of Rox.
bury, Mass, was found Friday afternoon
In the woods near Lebanon, Me. 1t had
been decapitated and the head has not
yet been discovered. When found the
body was projecting from pocrly-made
grave and had bullet in the
heart. the corpse lay feet upper.
most not three yards from where
an officer had previously found a paper
wrapped around an axe bought by
brother of the dead man. The body was
naked, with the exception of the feet,
which had on a pair OF socks. Beside it,
where the arms and head had been cut
off, was mass of clotted blood. Isaac
Sawtelle, brother of the dead man, is
now under arrest on suspicion of having
been concerned in the killing. He was
arraigned Friday afternoon on charge
of murder and was committed without
bail. He has not yet been tod of the
discovery Of his brothers body.
In December last Isaac Ii. Sawtelle
was pardoned from the State prison,
where he had served a long sentence
Since that time he boarded with his
brother Hiram in Roxbury. Mass
The latter kept fruit store
on Washington street, which,
together with his residence, had
been owned by their father and was
held in their mothers name. Isaac had
deceived his mother and induced her to
transfer the property to him, but Hiram
secured an Injunction restraining Isaac
from selling it. The property is said to
be worth from $4,000 to $780,
Hard feelings existed between the
brothers. and it is believed that
in order to remove every obstacle
from his own path Isaac plotted to
remove his brother and the latter's en-
tire family, consisting of the wife,
daughter aged years, 5-year-old son
and an infant. Week before last Isaac
asked Mrs. Sawtelles permission to
take one of the children to Lowell. This
request she refused and on February l
he came into the house and told her
that her husband had given him per-
mission to take the little girl. The
mother Hnally allowed the child to go.
When the father came home he de-
MED having given his consent From
Boston Isaac and the little girl went to
Lowell, staying until Monday, when
they proceeded to Rochester, n. III. The
girl claims that while at the latter
place her uncle attempted to poison her
with medicine and pills, which, how
ever, only made her sick. Then he
telegraphed to his brother Hiram
that the child was i'll with the grip
and asked the father to come immedi-
ately. This was February4. The next
morning a telegram came to the mother
urging her to come to Rochester. The
inference is that had she responded in
person she, too would have been MUIR
dered. 1t was finally settled that Hiram
should go alone, and he left Boston
Wednesday at o'clock p. m. From that
time his movements became shrouded
in mystery, and he was never again seen
alive by his friends.
The following day Isaac and the little
girl arrived home, and the former de-
MED having seen Hiram. Mrs. Sawtelle
was suspicious Of foul play and ac-
cused Isaac OF being connected with his
brothers disappearance. This he siren
uously denied, and remained in this city
until the following Sunday, when he
left Hiram's absence was report
ed to the police Saturday, and Mon
day, February 10, Special Officer
Shields started for Rochester. From in
vestigations it is learned that Wednes-
day, February 5, Isaac Sawtelle hired
ieam at Rochester livery stable and
met man, supposed to have been
Hiram, at the depot They drove away,
and within half an hour Isaac re-
turned alone with the team. 1t is be-
lieved by some that he delivered
Hiram into the keeping of his con-
fedefates. Later in the afternoon he
purchased hat, pickaxe and spade at
a hardware store. He also bought a
canvas bag in which to carry them.
1t seems that on his departure from
Boston the second time, February 0, he
again went to Rochester, where on
Monday he bought two tickets for Port
land. His companion may have gone
there directly, but Sawtelle did not, al
though he reached there in the evening,
where he registered at the Falmouth
House as -. Bridge, Dover" He was
assigned room and was not seen again
for two days.
Wednesday the clerk of the hotel
identified Bridge" as Sawtelle from the
photograph in an evening paper, and
Thursday caused the mans arrest. Saw
telle admitted his identity and was taken
to Rochester Thursday night On the
way he refused to make any statementex-
cept to say that Hiram was all right and
would turn up at the proper time.
Early Friday morning Officer Shields
went to the station and ordered Isaac to
remove his clothing, which was minute
ly examined. Blood spots were found
upon the shirt, drawers and trousers.
A searching party was organized and
more than 400 men were mustered in
the public square. They divided into
squads, and systematic search for
Hiram Sawtelle's body was begun. The
result was the discovery of the
ho-ribly-mutilated remains as stated.
The arms were cut off at the
shoulders and the head had been re-
moved by two blows of an axe, which
cut down into the body in the shape of
aV.