The Portland daily press., 1894-12-15


blood. when Seleotman Mcclellan arrived at
S.15 that evening. Ard he was the first
official TO arrive. The blood had run dow
upon the floor and made large stain.
After viewing the body, the county
officers. in company with DR.. Straw of Cor
ham, drove to the.scene of the murder. The
PRESS representative saw Mr.. Joseph
Coburn in Gorham, the cousin of the
murdered man. He could say little about
it. He had not been on intimate terms with
Mr.. Coburn, and had not visited the house
as often as once year, not because of any
quarrel with Byron Coburn. but because OF
differences with the lattter's father. Byron
had not got along very we'll with his own
father and mother. He could see no motive
for the murder.
At the Cohurn house, yesterday after
noon, Mrs. Kimball was interviewed at
length by County Attorney True and Sheriff
Cram. She is a sad-looxing woman, past
! middle life and the terrible tragedy has
evidently affected her very much. She ap-
peared utterly worn outsand cast down and
hopeless. SeIee tman Mcclellan says that
when he arrived, SO soon after the murder,
she gave every evidence of
THE MOST INTENSE GRIEF,
moaning like a mother that has lost child.
Mrs. Drown of Gorham, Mr.. Columns only
child, was also at the Coburn house yester-
day afternoon. She was very sick woman
and could not be interviewed.
Young Mr.. Lowell, son of Abn6r Lowell,
who lives just across the street, about a
stones throw from the Coburn house, said
that the two hired men, Lewis and Cole
man, had come over to his house at about
six o'clock that evening, just after supper.
He was quite positive that Lewis came first.
This does not coincide with what the
PRESS representative learned at his inter-
view with the two men at midnight. Lewis
declared that he went over first, but Cole
man declared quite as strongly that he
went over first, and was in the sitting-room
and saw Lewis 60 by the window on his way
to the door. There was some little differ
ence of opinion about it.
AT all event young Lowell says, and
everybody seems to agree. that after stay
ing about an hour, Lewis left the Lowell
house at about 7 O'Clock and Coleman did
not leave it till about fifteen or twenty
minutes later. when Lewis retui ned. with
the news of the murder, which fact seems
to establish Coleman's innocence of the
crime.
Lewis says that lie went over to the
Coburn house and finally Mrs. .Kimball asked
him to go to the barn to find. .Coburn, result
ing in the finding of the dead body. Of
course there are some minutes there, be-
tween the time that he left the Lowell house
and entered the Coburn house. the number
of which isn't Just clear, and during which
there is nothing but Lewis's own statement
to indicate Just what he was doing. 1t was
during these min utes OF short time pre-
vious that Mr.. Coburn met his death in the
barn close to the houes. These seem to be
the facts in regard to Lewiss whereabouts.
Aas yet known
HE WAS THE ONLY MAN,
who was out doors close TO the house at
time when the murder might have occurred.
This is said not with any purpose to con-
meet Mr.. Lewis with the terrible affair, but
to state as near as possible the exact facts
in regard to his whereabouts. Now as to
Mr.. Lewis, himself,
SOME FACTS ABOUT MIR. LEWIS.
Young Mr.. Lowell said yesterday that
about the last of last June, or when he was
engaged in hoeing. James Lewis and Ed.
Graffam came to Gorham. They had come
lTOu OONeIs 4Ns 4Ass WAol0 LuoJ uou dIl ifco
on the Charles H. Trickey, with coal from
Norfolk. Va. commanded oy Captain
Flckett of Portland. Ed. Graffam is about
twenty years of age. He was born in Cape
Elizabeth has no psrents or family. and
goes to sea good deal. Last fall he shipped
at Portland on the BENZ. q. Cromwell,
Captain Jim York, for the River Platte.
Games Lewis came aboard at Montevideo
and worked his passage to Baltimore. Then
the two shipped on the charles H. Trickey
and go came to Dover. Graffam was
acquainted with the Lowells, and went to
their farm to work, securing chance for
his friend Lewis on Coburn's farm. across
the street. Lewis worked there all through
haying, and short while after. Then, ac-
cording to Mr.. Drown. son-in-law of Coburn,
he made the statement that
HE COULD EARN S25
a week as interpreter, since he could speak
several languages. Then he disappeared.
but about apple-picking time. in September,
he came back destitute and fairly begged
for chance to stay on the farm.
According to young Mr.. Lowell, Lewis
said that he was going to Massachusetts, to
see his sister who was ill. Shortly after his
return to Mr.. Coburn's, Lewis went &c work
for Charles Hanson in Gorham. Soon ter
he and Graffam shipped on a vessel in Port
land, but they did not sail in her and
Graffam secured Lewis a job with Hanson.
Lewis went back to Coburn's and has been
there ever since.
Coleman, the other hired man, came to
Gorham in October, with part 1er, who
secured job with Frank johnson. Young
Mr.. Lowell secured Coleman his job at
Coburn's. He and his partner had been
working for Mrs. Boothby, at Stroudwater
and she discharged them.
Mr., CobuIn kept three or four horses and
only one cow. His principal products are
apples, cider and hay, cutting about fifty
tons of the latter. There was no need for
two hired men at this time of the year. A
boy could have done the chores. This seems
to lend proof TO a statement that the two
young men were paid little or nothing more
than their board.
The PRESS correspondent learned yester-
day that the day before, on the afternoon of
the murde Lewis drove to Portland with a
load of produce. He was seen to drive