The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-06-02
"POOR MISS BORDEN. I"
A Strange Tale Which Connects Fall
Rivers Two Mysteries.
ANOTHER QUEER YARN ABOUT A
MAN WITH A KNIFE.


Told Them He Had Killed a Woman
Still No Definite Clue to Bertha Man
chester's Murderer-The Polieei Have
Arrested a Suspicious Negro,
BosToN, Mass, June IA Fall River
despatch to the Journal says: The Jour
nal is in possession of some startling in
formation, which, to say the least singu-
larly applies to this case as well as the
Borden mystery. If the student of that
celebrated case will recall the evidence
therein presented, he will remember
that one Joseph Lemay, a Frenchman,
living on the road through Steep Brook
to Middleboro and New Bedford, met
two days after the Borden murder in the
woods singular stranger, whom he
found asleep on his wood road, far away
from any human habitation. This morn
ing the Journal reporter has been over
that very same path traversed by the
Frenchman, and stood beside the spot
where the Frenchman's dog shifted out
the hiding place of the tramper and re-
vealed him to his astonished master.
The woods are thick and tangled, but
more secure hiding place could scarce
ly be devised anywhere SO near crowd
ed city. Standing there as he did, he
seemed shut out of the world, as it were
and yet, as the Journals buggy pursued
its tortuous course out to civilization, it
was astonishing to find that this retreat
was, in reality, but mile and half as
the crow flies, from old Stephen Man
chester house on the New Boston road.
We were fortunate in finding Joe Le-
elder Canadian in his rougn patois. II
did not see him; it was he the dog W no
found him out, he started up so,' imita-
ting the spring up of man intensely
surprised from sound sleep most graphi-
cally.
sHow many days after the Borden
murder?" we asked.
"Oh, two, three, - was the reply. II
had my axe so, and he drew revolver
on my dog. He had not seen me then. I
stepped ont quickly. He did not shoot.
With smile ] said, Tres chaud, very
warm. He did not reply 1 said, 'Qui
faites vous?' He said nothing. He was
no Frenchman. Then he leaped the wall
so spry.'
The elder Lemay then described the
stranger who SO startled him. He was
rather short, thick set man, light skinned
wearing brownish moustache, nicely
dressed, wearing dark coat and vest.
and a. pair of brownish, almost red,
striped pants and laced shoes. The man
was about to fire at the dog with the gun
which he drew from his hip pocket,
when he discovered him Nemay) and
desisted. He gazed steadily at Lemay
and shook at him foot long hatchet. on
the end of the handle of which was
blood He could not have been over 33
years old.
Lemay told the story of his discovery
to his family and to Mr.. Thomas Thurs
ton and his family, after reporting to the
police, and the male members of the two
families have made several excursions
to the place where he was found, but
have not seen the man. He strike his
breast so, two, three time, and he say,
poor Miss Borden, poor Miss Borden
There was one, two, three spot of blood
on his Shirt" said the voluble Canadian.
The elder Lemay illustrated all before
his auditor, fixing accurately the ex-
act spot where he had seen the tramp
sitting, and then going back a little and
the queer man did, and striking his
DAOoou oi1oA Ply o hIiiioO1 " Soy
ing: "Too bad, poor Miss Borden"
Now this was nearly a year after the
event described took place, and yet so
vividly was it impressed on this mans
mind that he forgot no single detail and
accurately went over the scene just as
he did 12 months since as proved by the
| files of the daily papers published at the
time.
Two policemen investigated the story
to the extent of searching the woods for
two hours, but they have never been
there since. These woods extend from
| point just back of the Manchester
house to the Wilson Road and then
| across from that road clear down to the
border lines of Middleboro and New
Bedford.
It would certainly seem very strik-
| ing coincidence that Fall Rivers latest
and most CHASTITY homicide should occur
but less than two miles from where this
certainly eccentric stranger had been
seen within 4S hours after the Borden
tragedy nearly year . ago, and the
woods have never been searched. There
would seem to be a call for an immed-
late and rigid examination of every par
ticle of this locality.
ANOTHER STRANGE STORY.