The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-11-19
The Town of WaldObOrO
Willing to Pay $1,000.
Reward Offered I'm the
Case Of Edwin e. Moore.
Particulars of the Crime
Of Six Weeks Ago.
ESPECIAL 70 the Press.l

Especial TO the Press.l
WALDoBoRo, November IS. After
waiting six weeks to see II some one would
nos come forward Of his own motion to tell
how Edwin E. Moore of this town met his
death somstime between nlghtfall Of Sun
day, September 27 and the morning OF
September 2S, the town authorities decided
to call town meeting to see II the citizens
would authorize them in Offering reward
for the arrest and conviction of the MUIR
derer and to fix the amount. This meeting
was held today. The hour fixed was one
o'clock, but 1t was half an hour later when
the meeting was called to order by the
town clerk, and Everett Harrington, Esq.
chosen moderator. The second article Of
the warrant called for fixing the sum to be
raised. Mr.. Charles Brown inquired il
any sum could be legally raised for a re-
ward. The chairman said that 1t could,
that the town could do what 1t would with
its money.
Upon this. Capt. Charles Cumrey. a re-
tired sea captain, and one Of the solid clti-
zens OF the town. made good little speech
In which he referred to the disgrace cast
upon the town by the murder, and m owed.
Just for a starter, as he said. that $500 be
appropriated as reward. He reminded
the people that the money was not to be
paid unless the murderer was convicted,
and that IL he was convicted $500 was not
too much to pay.
Mr.. Charles Tiliey. a representative
farmer. raised Captain Cumrey $500 more
and the town meeting accepted the raise
by large vote. "Now," said Mr.. Earring
ton, I'VE will take the next article" which
was the cllncher, authorizing the select
men to offer the reward. This article was
! passed by still larger vote, showing that
| those present were heartily In favor OF do
ing what they could to wipe out the blot on
the fair name Of the town. There was an
attendance Of about eighty voters. the ma
| jority being from the farming district OF
| the town.
There has been much criticism Of the
/ nOn-acti0n Of the selectmen In Offering a
reward or taking some other action OF this
kind, but the officers did not feet war
ranted In doing so In defiance Of the Law
without the authority Of the citizens. 1t
Is said that the persistent prodding Of one
| OF the R0ckland papers was the cause OF
the call for yesterdays meeting. But this
the authorities deny. They say that de-
tectives have been in town almost con-
Il
that showing their reputation for astute-
| ness In the detection Of crime the town
| officials thought there would be nothing
for them to do and so did nothing. Now
that six weeks and more have passed how
| ever with no signs OF the guilty parties
they decided to bestlr themselves and at
tempt to get the town to back them up. In
| which attempt they succeeded very easily.
The selectmen and citizens generally
feel their position keenly. MIR. j. IA.
aF dur aaaA In ufaNt Ian he
PRESS reporter today that there had been
too many little capers In town, for It's
good for several years past. All had de-
plored them except the few toughs who
made mp the cast Of characters In the varl-
Gus scrapes. Nevertheless the rows and
affrays had gone unchecked until this last,
the first In which a human life was taken,
reused the people to sense OF what was
going on and public sentiment Is aroused
as it never has been before.
| The story Of the death Of Moore has not
been told for so long that 1t bas become
news again and may now DO proftably re-
called. On the morning Of Monday, Sep
tember 2S, when the village woke up. the
first passers oyer q short cut In the rear OF
the Exchange Hotel we're horri6ed to fnd
the dead body OF Edwin K. Moore, a well
| known young man In tine village, lying
stretched out en- the ground. The authori-
ties were promptly n0tihed, and Coroner
tion.
A superficial examination showed no
marks OF violence. and the trst idea was
| that he fell out OF one OF the hotel win
dows and had bis life dashed out as he
| struck the ground. A closer examination
| showed that while that Idea was what
somebody evidently meant to convey, tho
| TACT was something else MOOre's body
was nicely laid out, not thrown In heap
as it must have been had he fallen from
any of the windows. BY his side was
| RI lu ruit lnnnr nd In a
hip pocket glass, both unbr0ken. IL be-
came plain then that the man had either
| lain down and died, or been carried there
after he was dead. This last theory was
most generally accepted. aud on 1t the au-
thorities went to work. An autopsy was
held, disclosing the unexpected fact that
every one Of Moore's ribs on the right
side was broken. This, to soma people.
dssipsted the murder theory. while It only
confirmed It In the minds Of others.
Coroner Patterson held an inquest CON-
mencing M0nd y, as soon as tue autopsy
was over, and lasting for about n fortnight
with frequent adj0urnments, 25 witnesses
being examined. After due drliberatlon
the jury returned the following verdict.
copied from the original la the hands OF
Deputy Collector Bliss:
CoRoNER's INQUEST.
Resulted In A verdict OF the Jury on the
| death OF Ewln Moor came to his death on the
2S day OF September 1891 In or about the tx
| change Hotel so called by violent means by
| some Person or Person unknown TO tine Jurors.
The persons remain unknown to this day.
although circumstantial evidence In the
hands Of County Attorney Castner, led
him to summon certain persons before the
grand Jury which has lately been In ses-
sion at Wiscasset. What Impression the
testimony OF these witnesses made on the
minds OF the jurors is not known, as the
jury presented no indictments. Mr., Cast
ner said, however, that he had taken pains
TO put all suspected parties where he could
get them II anything should be developed
| by the prospect OF q reward.
The Exchange Hotel In which the TRACE
dy Is supposed TO have occurred, bears a
rather shady reputation, having been tho
basis of nearly all Of the brawls In town
and in which 1t must be said Moore took
frequent part. Bailey, the former proprie-
tor, was indicted for rum selling and
skipped to parts unknown. His clerk
who was tha proprietor Of the house at the
time Of the tragedy has been indicted e-s
heavily fined for the same Otfense as the
result OF the testimony before the coron'
er's Inquest. Since the murder, however
the house has been closed and Is now be
! ing refurnlshed and Is to be run on new
and improved principles.
As mas been said. there Is a wide dlversl
ty Of opinion among the townspeople as Il
! whether Moore was murdered or not. The
| cOroner's jury managed pretty adrOltly 70
L
orally take only one view, ana hold tena'
: ci0usly TO that. Those holding the anti
murder theory say that II Moore was mur
, dered the murderer must have been ar
I Hercules to have crushed In all OF bis rio'
J. at a blow. They say that there are nc
such strong men In Waldoboro. Those hold
Ing this view insist that Moore fell OUT OF
tue window. or was hurt 10 some Osnel
- way and lay down there and died. The
2 neople holding the murder theory, how.
u ever. say that II he had fallen ne would
n moi nave been found carefully laid out and
! with an unbroken bottle and glass on his
nerson. The fact that the lowest windows
, oi the hotel are nine feet from the ground
), | gives this statement strength.
Ali persons are united, however, ln the
y hope that the reward, TO which II Is ru
2 m0red that the town Of Union will add,
| perhaps, another thousand, will induce
: those persons who know the true facts, and
who have kept studiOusly silent, to tel
| what they know.
Sheriff Gray, Of Knox county, was In at
: tendance on the town meeting. and later
. held consultation with the authorities,