The Portland daily press., 1894-05-23
MONMouTH's MYSTERY
No Clue to the Murderer of the Hermit of
Purgatory Mills.

Monmouth, May 22.-The more the circum-
stances surrounding the death of Augustus
Sawyer, the hermit of Purgatory Mills. are
investigated the more mysterious they be-
come. There can be no doubt that the old
man was murdered by shooting, and it
seems evident that robbery was also COM
mitted. Beyond that much, nothing is
known of the crime, and there is no clue to
the perpetrators The selectmen have
decided to offer a reward of $500 for the de-
lection of the perpetrator. Not single one
of the papers, or bank notes or any of the
money which Mr.. Sawyer is known to have
possessed, can be found anywhere about the
premises. Everything about his person,
even the jack knife, is gone. The funeral
occurred at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
The verdict of the jury empanelled by
Coroner Kilbreth, is that the deceased came
to his death from the effects of a shot from
a revolver in the hands of party or
parties unknown. The autopsy indicated
that the pistol was held very close to the
face at the time of it's discharge and the
direction of the bullet being so nearly hori-
zontal indicated also that it must have been
held at the level of the face.
At the inquest, Messrs. G. H. Pease,
Ethan Little and +. S. Rideout testified to
finding that Sawyer was missing, searching
his premises and finding the body under the
hay in the barn, the doors to the barn being
fastened on the outside. Mr.. A. A. Judkins
told the story as follows
ssToday, about O'Clock, Mr.. Little came
to my house and asked me when I had seen
Mr.. Sawyer. I said could not remember
exactly. but IL was one day last week. was
passing his house and stopped and spoke
with him. Mr.. Little said he had been there
in the forenoon and could not find him. He
said, I guess we'd better go up.' He said
he had also notified others who were
coming up. When we got most to the house
a team with three person, I think, came
along in company with us.
81 asked Mr.. Little if he had been all over
the barns and he said, Yes, except on the
scaffolds.' He and 1 and several others
went into the ban. Went up ladder onto
the scaffold, but saw nothing there. Came
down and went into the horse stalls on the
west side of the barn. As turned round to
go behind the horse stalls, stubbed my toe
against something, and saw something
buried in the hay. Stepped out and said, Il
think I've found him. Went along and took
pilO
going to take some of the hay off with the
fork when Mr.. Sawyer said hold on He
reached down with his hands and took the
hay off, and found Mr.. Sawyers body. Mr.
Little came in, and several others. The
body was lying nearly on it's face, partially
on the side. We did not move the body.
'.Was well acquainted with Mr.. Sawyer
Went to his house occasionally, but not
oft In 1v Say biG GxJino Tho
dition of his house was as good as would be
expected for man of his age living alone.
l never knew that he had revolver.
Knew of his house being broken into three
years ago. He came to me quite excited and
complained that some one had broken his
glass. had a man, William Small, working
for me, who said today, that he heard the
report of a gun or revolver, Saturday,
about dark, and that it sounded in the
direction of Mr.. Sawyer's house,
DR.. II. NJ. Blake testified that he was
present when Detective True and Coroner
Kilbreth arrived at the Sawyer house. He
was requested, with other physicians, to
make an examination of the body. 1--WE
made our first examination in the barn. On
examining the head carefully we found a
small opening in the upper lip, just below
CuS hOoUi1lo, cppolOAuAy 1iietAO NY OullcGs
Upon passing probe through this opening
we found that it passed below the floor of
the nasal cavity and above the hard palate,
passing through this to the brain in the
| direction of the cerebellum.
| DR.. Blake identified the bullet and added
''This was found in the cerebellum, slightly
| to the left of the median line. We found the
powder blown into The face on both sides
| MI <lo4 IL L.
close to the face at the time of discharge
and the direction of the bullet being SC
nearly horizontal, Indicated that it:must also
| have been held at the level of the face. The
| wound would cause almost instantaneous
| death"
Doctors M. O. Edwards and E. T. .Marston
who were associated with Dr. Blake in the
| autopsy, corroborated his testimony
| A Possible Cine.
| Lewiston, May 22.-Among possible clues
| in the Monmouth murder case is that of two
| tramps who spent Friday night in the Mon.
| mouth lookup. These two had worked on
| farms adjoining the Sawyer farm several
| years ago, and at least once within d yea1
| both have been seen in that vicinity Satur.
| day night, about eight. Charles Warren and
| William Mahoney were arrested in Auburn
for drunkenness and assault, and com
mitted to Auburn Jail. Monmouth people
| identify them as the parties who spent
| Friday night in Monmouth lookup, and sus
picion is Strengthening against them. There
| is some doubt whether the men could have
reached Auburn at the time of the arrest
| if the Monmouth men are correct in theil
statements as to the last time Sawyer was
| seen alive.