Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-12-07
THE MISSING LINK.
SaWteII'S Head Found
in Maine Woods.
ISAAC MAY NOT BE HANGED.
Bullet Hole Disproves Testimony
Given at the Trial.

GREAT FALLS. y. H., Dec. ~ me
head of Hiram Sawtell has been found
Acting ON the suggestions embodied in
the latest admissions of the condemned
murderer, Isaac Sawtcll, thorough
search through the woods in the
ncighborhood Of the grave where
the mutilatcd remains Of Hiram were un-
earthed, led TO the missing link in the
great tragedy. The head was buried in
three feet Of earth.
The full purport OF the find Sl.Il be un-
dcrstood when, according 10 Lawyer Ed
gerly, counsel for Sawtell, il goes long
way toward establishing the assertion OF
Isaac that
Hiram Was Killed in Maine.
The disclosure incident To the finding of
the head makes the testimony of the
Wilcys, upon whom the government de-
pended 10 secure conviction against
Isaac, look rather shaky. These two wit
nesseS, father and son, testified to hearing
three shots fired On the road, between
Rochester and East Rochester, but an ad-
ditional bullet hole IN the head shows that
four shots were fired.
When the headless remains were resur-
rected from the grave in he woods of
Lebanon, Me, three outlet holes we're
nesses at the trial testified to hearing three
shots fired They were positive on this
point, but the finding Of the mead shows
clearly that
Another shot Was Discharged.
The searching party, under the direction
of Lawyer Edgerly, consisted of Sheriff
Goodwin, Sheriff IIud, Henry +. Walker,
George NJ Worcester and Charles n.
CO. ~, -
ing. the party, accompanied by force of
volunteers, started in the direction of
East Lebanon woods About IT, o'clock
Henry + Walker stumbled over pile Of
brush He uttered shout and the entire
crowd rushed To where he stood. \ hasty
pulling aside of the wilted branches dis
covered "A mound Of earth.
Crowbars were brought into requisition,
shovels were procured, and in n short time
the CHASTITY relic of the modern Gains
work was brought To view.
The head is now secure.n the possession
of Lawyer Edgerly, and the sensational
disclosure which will accompany this
latest development in the great case will
probably lead To
\ Long and Bitter Contest
i'm the New Hampshire courts. The cir
cumstances leading To the finding of the
head are of a highly sensational character,
and had il not been for the assistance rem
dered by the murderer himself its where
abouts would never have been discovered.
His description of the place where he
buried the head after the commission of
the murder bears out the confession which
he has recently made and upon which
he bases his expectations of new trial.
Isaac Sawtcll has made number of CON
hicting statements. Confronted by an eX-
cited populacc the object of universal eX-
ecratiOn, held up ~ the embodiment Of
human dcprayity, he has maintained u
wonderful rcticencc, and his numerous
versions ofthc affair have been moulded to
meet the different cXigcnCiCs in which he
found himself placed His last confession
is the crownng point in his desperate ef-
fort
To save Himself from the Galiows.
Murderer thnt hc il. sclfconfcssed
ficnd. who p"nro-."s no sorrow for his
crime, who talks over the details of his
coolly prcmcditatcd butchcry with the
greatest nonchalancc. he is cunning
enough to bring forward technical argu-
ments to avail himself of the embargo
against capital punishment in the Pine
Tree State.
If he can convince the judges Of the SUI
preme court in New Hampshire that he
kSaied his brother in Maine, the Concord
hangman will be relieved of disagree