The Portland daily press., 1895-02-28
II Prompted Him to a Dreadful Deed
Yesterday.
He KILLED HIS MOTHER AND
TRIED TO BURN HIMSELF.
East Lebanon the Scene of this Peculiar
but Horrible Killing-The Murderer
Captured and Confined in Alfred Jail.
(Special to the PRESS, J

Especial to tha PRESS.)
Sanford, February 27.-A horrible
tragedy of an unusual nature occurred
this morning in the little neigh borhood
near the post Office in East Lebanon. A
son murdered his mother with an axe,
mutilating her fearfully and then at
tempted to burn the body of his mother
and himself with the home.
Mr.. John L. FerDald was, in his life
time, man of some prominence in the
town, serving as a member of the board
of selectmen. At his death he left
widow, Mrs. Sarah Fernald and son Le-
roy. These two have lived together on
the home farm. Leroy Fernald is about
5S years of age. He has always been a
quiet, hard-working young man, about
whom nothing unusual seems to have
been noticed. 1t is remembered now,
however, that there is trace of insani-
ty in his family.
From such circumstances as are now
known, the murder seems to have been
committed about as follows: Leroy Fer
nald went to the barn as usual to do his
der, the milk, still warm, was found
In the pail. 1t is not probable that he
killed his mother before this. The mur-
der was done with some deliberation
and much brutality, an axe being used
to do the terri bile deed by the maniac,
who inflicted horrible wounds on the
head and body of his aged and defence
less victim. After the deed had been
done the murderer proceeded with what
seems to have been a com mbination of de-
Ii lberatiOn and insanity. He set fire to
the barn, in which were confined six
| COWS and two horses, and also took the
body of bis mother and placed it on a
mattresss In the house. This mattress
he set on fire. Then he went himself to
the attic, and pulling off some of the
bcaods OF the finishing hid himself as
completely as possible. 1t is believed
that he intended to burn himself with
the house. The harm was soon envel-
oped in flames the poer dumb creatures
Derishing. But the fire in the ma tttress
in the house did not burn so well and
when the neigh bors who had been at
tracted by the blazing barn, arrived. the
fire in the house had made no headway
at all. Seeing neither Mrs. Fernald nor
Leroy about, the neigh bors at once went
into the house. The mntilated body of
Mrs. Fernald at first met their gaze, ly-
Ing upon the mattress, and somewhat
| first that the son had been murdered
also, perhaps by some tramps, and that
his body might be burning in the barn.
The bloody axe, with which Mrs. Fer
nald had been killed, was found.an Then
further search was made of the house,
and finally Leroy Fernald was foaud
crocuhing in his hiding place in the at
tic. Il
AS soon as found Leroy acknowledged
| that he had set the barn on fire, and
| later confessed that he had killed his
mother. He was put under arrest, and
this afternoon was taken to Alfred Jail.
1t is generally believed that he is insane
| Lebanon is small town of about 1900
| Inhabitants, lying on the Portland &
Rochester railroad, and is bounded on
the west by the New Hampshire line
| 1t is about ten miles from the shire
| town of Alfred.
Mrs. Fernald, the victim was about 60
| years of age