The Republican journal., 1891-06-11
sIicite or Accidental Shooting at Sears Island

Wednesday evening, June 3D., Coroner j. ID.
Tucker, of Belfast, received a telephone message
from SearspOrt stating that man had shot him
self and to come over Immediately. At O'Clock
In the evening Mr.. Tucker, accompanied by
journal representative, started for Searsport, by
the way of the upper bridge. 1t was intensely
dark and rain began to fail, making travelling any
thing hut pleasant. ON arriving at Searsport it
was learned that the dead body was at Brgtiiers
Island, in the woods the farm occupied by Mr..
J.. a. DOW, and as 1t was nearly high water the
passage must be made IN a boat. The team was
left At Mr.. Geo. Cartons ana the passage made
10 the Island The coroner was accompanied by
Mr.. y. Rouistone, selectman from Searsport. At
the island we met Mcssrs. Fred Nickerson, Elijah
Coleman and his Arthur.
From Mr.. Nicfersun we learned the following
particulars. The lead boy was Frank smith, aged
Is years a town pauper, who lived with Mr.. Nick
erson. The boy simple minded and molten
siyc. His father and mother are both dead and
tWo brothers are now the poor farm. Mr.. Nick
eraon iiycd At Prospect ami took the Smith boy to
live with him March 18th Mr.. Nickersou moved
to Brigaiiers Island, to carry on Tie farm of Mr..
l.. \. Dow, taking the boy with him. Frank per
folmed the chores about the house. ON Tuesday,
me day before The boys tragic death. Mr.. and
Mrs. NichcrsUn drove to Scarsport. Mr.. Dow says
that about ten o'clock the boy was at the farm and
helped him with load of straw. Shortly after
Frank was missing. lie ala not return home that
night but MIR. Nitkerson said this lid not cause
alarm, for frequently Frank wen. of alone, some
times going as far as the poor farm to visit his
brothers Next morning Mr. NicAerso discover
ol mat double barrellcd shot gun which hung in
he l,1.lh IL, ala, MAJ,
and made search for the missing boy. Ate o'clock
ID the evening, while in the woods, Mr. Nicker-
son found his horses rowing about, and on going
where they We're found one standing over and
snunns tile dead body of Frank smith. Ten feet
away he found the gun, and between tie gun and
body The boys hat \ piece Of double Irvine, two
feet long, had been fastened to the hammer and
trigger Of the gun. The end at the trigger was
broken, leaving the knot fast TO the trigger. 1t
looked as though the boy had discharged the gun
by putting his foot into the loop of the Irvine and
pulling it of in that manner. Whether premedi-
tiied or by careless foollng can only be conjectur
e.l. Hu; enc barrel of the gun was loaded The
charge of shot entered the left breast over the
heart and death must have been almost instantane-
Gus The body rested the right side, the lower
limbs slightly drawn up, the right arm under the
bHNH any the ltit eNtenttd down the Sldc, The
fingers II each hand were firmly clenched. Blood
had oo/ei from the mouth. The head was hidden
unter the branches of a small tree.
II MAS about midnight when Coroner Tucker
and iiarty found The body the second time 1t WAS
In enc u the most inaccessible p rts of the island
After leaving road way in the woods the route
was for q long distance through bog where the
water stood in small pools. The shrubbcrv and
underground almost impenctrable. The body
WAS placed in blanket, and four men taking 1t by
the corners carried it along While the others car
rled the lanterns The weird one.
The hour was the WitChing one of midn ght. The
iar1ncs- Of the forest was intense the wind sighed
through the trees. the rain poured down in tor
rents, and The lanterns cast their lickeriug rays
among tile shrubhery, producing ghostly shadows
which lifted about and followed the party. After
lifting the body over stumps, fallen trees and
pools OF water, the open fields were reached. The
body Was taken 10 the house where il laid until
morning. Coroner Tucker deemed an inquest un
n""o--ary anA delivered the remains to the town
authorities.
Mrs Dow and Mrs. Nickerson made some hot
"o&ec and gave the parry a midnight lunch. BY
thl- time the tide had ehbed that a passage
could hc made across the bar. Mr.. Nickerson har
messed hi- horse, took the coroner, Mir. KouiStone
and the newspaper man and carried them over to
the main land.