Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-11-28
TlI[lGCIl|GySGS.
Second Act in the Paris
Hill Tragedy.
says He shot whitman
While Trying 70 Es-
cape from Newell.
Over Four Hundred Dollars In
Money and Quantities OF
Goods Recovered.
THE STORY OF THE cLsw.
THE STORY or THE clsw.

Abner ID. Thorne has confessed!
The veil OF mystery which enshrouded
the Paris Ilill tragedy has been lifted. :,
With the binding over aud committal
TO jail Of Abner ID. Thorne last Monday
afternoon To await trial at the February
term Of the Supreme Judicial Court, the
curtain dropped ON the hrst act OF the
most sensational aud dramatic tragedy
that Paris has ever seen.
IL was not then thought that the sec
ond act would follow so soon, but the
unexpected has happened and on last
Friday afternoon In the presence OF
Capt. Cyrus Ripley aud other witnesses,
Officer Chandler Garland confronted
Thorne with some Of the stolen goods
and obtained from him a confession OF
the part he played In the drama OF the
previous saturday morning.
IL should he said here that Mr.. Gar
land has bcsu un,lring In his efforts to
clear up ihi, sad case. The case was
placed la his hands originally and with
his assistants he has worked upon u
night aud dsy, early and late, discover
Ing a great quantity Of stolen goods In
the boys possession, over four hundred
dollars In money stolen aud hidden away
by him and other evidence connecting
him with this affair. and In view OF the
manner In which he has been abused anu
iusultcd BY some, and OF the false re-
ports which have been circulatei 10
injure him, his triumph IL but Just vim
dication Of his official conduct, aud In
saving this We wish to dstrsct nothing
& ou, the aid given by other otiic"rs.
Abner Thorne was nineteen years Old
GU the 18th day Of October last. lie
MAS bound out by the selectmen OF
Woodstock at an early age to Capt.
Cyrus n. Ripley, living about three
fourth. Of "A mlle north of Paris Hill,
and has since resided there, where Capt.
Ripley aud his family have tried to give
him good home aud a good bringing
up. Capt. Ripley found that the boy
was Of very Ingenious aud nechanieal
turn of mind and encouraged him In u
thinking some day he would become an
expert mechanic. IL Is but justice to
say here that his burglsries and ILL
gotten plumber have been carefully con-
ce,led frnm Capt. Ripley and Ills fimiiy'
aud thrt as soon as they understood mat.
tiers In their true light they have offered
all assistance To the otll,ers AMI have
been "a anxious as anybody that the
truth should be found out.
IuE CONFESSION.
Last Friday evening, seated upon the
edge OF the cot In his cell In the county
aiI. Young Abner Thorne, the picture OF
pity, al. head hung low In shame and
rrmors., presented one Of the saddest
scenes ever witnessed In the experience
~ the writer as, In answer to questions
propounded, he slowly made the follow
Ing sad confession In the presence OF
J iiler Chandler Garland, County At
torney Eugene =. Smith, Trial Justice
Herrick G.. Davis and George NJ. Atwood
OF the Democrat:
Thorne says: II first commenced TO
take things out Of Hutchinson & Newelrs
store during the last OF the winter or
first of the spring Of 1898. cant re-
member exactly when u VAS aud cant
tell what I took at that time. l think 1
took no money at first.
"rhe second time I went into the
store was not long after the first. rhe
first time went IN took ladder from
near the Uniy,rsalist church and put II
up against the back end Of the south
aide of the store aud entered through an
upper window. I went out the same
way. did not take much at that time.
went In by the same way on my
second visit, not long after the first.
This time I took the lock OF the front
store door and had brought a kew partly
blocked out which fitted TO the lock
there. I went out by the front door that
time aud locked the door with my key
which had made. I put the ladder
back where found II. Don't remember
whether took any money at that time.
~ first went into Atwood & Forbes
building quite while after went into
Hutchinson & Newelrs store. l don't
remember how long after.
"After my second visit to the store ]
used to 20 In once In while, guess as
often as twice a month. l think i first
took money from the store at my third
visit. found the money In the safe.
That WAS the first time ever opened the
safe. Itook 500 In an envelope. The
cafe Was not locked aud the key To the
money drawer was In the key hole In
the middle drawer aud think the other
keys we're on the same key ring hang
Ing from the lock. I took the money
from the left hand drawer In the safe.
There was money In several envelopes
In IN. safe and I took only one OF them
containing 500. When l got home
put the money under the nOor In the
open chamber upstsirs, next the chin
new. Phi Il away la the envelope just
as I took 10.
"Atter~apis I took more money.
took smaller sums from the same place
and continued to do so. They kept the
I'LL OF the money drawer In the safe.
found u there and used to take
change from it. l did not take all the
money. u.ed to leave some" In
answer to the question "why did you
take only = part Of the money each
timer' rhorne hesitsted some and
finally replied: ~ thought perhaps ]
might want to get some more some
time"
THE "swAG."
We viii break the narrative OF the
confession here to say that In their
,earch the officers found. besides n great
quantity OF stolen goods which Mr..
Newell has identified M his, In an OBJ
,cure hidiDg-plsce ingeniously fitted NJ
With concealed door, a wallet contain
ing s2il In bills and small sized ex-
tension sstchel containing slls.5 In
coin, Sa.is In postage stamps and bank
hook showing thst Thorne had deposited
In the South Paris Savings Bank 600
in two items Of ESQ, each, the frat de-
poslted last April, the second on July 4.
1888, making about elsa found.
A FRUGAL BURGLAR.
Thorne continued: "rhe money put
into the south Paris Savings hank In
April, %, was part OF the 900 ! had
taken In the envelope. The go thst ]
deposited In the hank on July 4, % was .
part Of the 600 In the envelope and
partly silver change. did not take
my large smount at any timet after ]
took the eiO0.
III only found the safe unlocked once
afterwards opened the safe by the
got the combination By
seelng Newell Open 10 once vbeu ] Got .
few OF the numbers auL Chen when
found Il open found The key to the
written out ON . paper |
lnside the safe; Il wss figures on blank
form. think took the biz stock at
one OF the frat vislts. I don't remember
which. went In AFTER nothing in par
ticular; GOT . fsw tools aud some
money. 49,, .. al