The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-27
MIGHT HAVE BEEN MURDER
Isaac D. Merrill, the Plumber, AS
sauIted Oh Railroad Bridge.

BuuaUOU UN MftiEt Ulau Bl IVAUs
Knocked Down on His Way Home to Pleas
antdaIe--Left for Dead and Robbed
Constable Flynn Sees Him Home.
A case of highway assault and robbery
that it was no fault of the assailants, did
not prove murder, has just come to
light at Pleasantdale, Cape Elizabeth.
The story as told the PRESS by the in
jured mans son and one of his employees
is this
Last Tuesday evening, soon after 6
o'clock, MI. Isaac D. Merrill, the we'll
known Union street plumber, left his
shop for his home at Pleasantdale Be-
fore he started he took the money he
had collected during the day, amounting
to about $40, and placed the bills in
roll in one of his trousers pockets. He
proceeded along without incident until
the railroad bridge leading to Turner's
Island was reached.
When Mr. Merrill crossed the bridge
he did not note anything out of the
way, neither did he have any idea that
he was followed. All that he remembers
is that as he reached the vicinity of
Clark's ice house he felt a tremendous
blow which felled him to the ground
and then he lost consciousness. He
must have been lying in that state for
almost an hour: When o'clock had
nearly arrived, two men, one of them
Mr.. Richardson, stumbled over the body
which was lying not far from the
railroad track. At first they thought
the man must have been struck by
passing engine, but none had passed-it
afterwards proved-from the time when
Mr.. Merrill was struck down until his
senseless body was recovered.
The men managed, after considerable
effort, to revive Mr.. Merrill and took him
to building near by where one of them
notified constable Hugh Flynn of Cape
Elizabeth, who took the injured man to
his home. DIR. F. Fl. Gerrish of Port
land, was called and attended the in
jured man. There was slight cut and
big bruise on the left of the head, but
the weight of the blow had descended
with tremendous force on his left shout
der and breast. Mr.. Merrill could not
seem to recognize the members of his
family after arrival home, and his left
arm. side and leg appeared to be para
lyzed, as if the blow had injured some
of the nerve centres. The theory is that
some man, or men, knew Mr.. Merrill had
quite sum of money in his possession
and expected he would have more, for
lady at the West End, who owed him
quite bill, had requested him to call
that afternoon and get his money. and
lack of time had alone prevented his
following her request. This man, or
men, were lying in wait for him under
cover of the ice house, and struck
tremendous blow at him with a blud-
geon from behind. The blow was a
glancing one on the head, but even that
was so powerful that he was stunned by
its force. 1t, however, when it struck
the shoulder and breast also glanced.
which accounts for there being no bones
broken, but it paralyzed some of the
nerve centres. A knife also played some
part in the affair, for one of his hands
was slit in the palm by what was evil
IDENTIFY keen knife thrust. Of course
all is theory since Mr.. Merrill recalls
nothing but the blow
It is also supposed that the villains
must have been frightened off before
they finished their job, for they had emp
tied Mr.. Merrill's trousers pockets, but
failed to intuition his coat and loot his
inside pockets. In one of them was a SIS
bill which was untouched, and his watch
was secure.
Yesterday, Mr.. Merrill was much i'm
proved. He could move his left leg and
it seemed likely that in a few days he
would be able to use his left arm some
what. The town officers are looking
out for the men who committed the as
sault.