The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-01
UNHAPPY LOVE.



and said LEROY, did your strike her more
than once?'' He just lifted his eyes quickly
from her and glanced at the doctor and
said: 'No didn't"
There was only one wound on the head
and that was on the back of the head on the
right side. 1t was made by the back SIDE oil
the axe. and the skull was crushed in. The
terrible wound was about three inches long,
just the length of the axe. 1t was a small
axe, with broken handle. repaired by
band of leather. Mr.. Hanscome had the
axe in his possession. In regard TO Leroy
he said: We always knew that he was odd.
His gra udmother on the mothers side, was
insane, and
HE'S HAD TWO INSANE AUNFS
One of these aunts, Mrs. Susan Harvey,
bout 65 years ola, was living at the house
with them. She has been insane by spells
for years. She lost her drst husband, named
Kincaid, by drowning. and her second hus-
band died some twenty-five years ago. She
showed symptoms of mild insanity after his
death.
There are evidences that Leroy intended
to kill this demented aunt. She occupied
the same chamber with Mrs. Fernald, but
hey had separate beds.
ANOTHER AXE. LERoY's BEST AXE,
was found leaning against the casing of the
door of this chamber. The demented woman
was inside that room. She did not usually
get up till about noon She was asleep that
morning and did not know of the fire till
t he neighbors came and woke her by calling
fire. She was taken to neighbors and
cared for.
Mr.. Hancome's theory of how the terrible
deed was done is as follows: Leroy had
gone out and finished doing the chores, and
his mother had finished the dishes and gone
into Leroy's bedroom just of the kitchen.
She was standing there back to the kitchen.
making the bed, when her son crept behind
her. with that little axe. dealt her the one
blow and she fell upon the bed where she
was found. There was little wound on her
nose that might have been made by falling
against the foot-board.
Mr.. Hanscome thinks that it must have
been a premeditated murder. He had been
acting queerly for some time. LEROY was
road agent for the town. a week ago last
Saturday he met his nearest neighbor, Louis
Weeks. on the road and said that he had laft
his highway list in Weeks stable and
and settle the accounts with the selectmen.
Weeks in much establishment asked him
why.
BECAUSE DON'T KNOW WHERE
I shall be- in few days." replied Leroy.
Mr.. Hanscome said that the coroner's jury
| will sit today at East Lebanon. 1t is made
up of himself. Richard II. Goodwin. John
r. Chamberlain. Charles B. Goodwin.
James S. Wentworth and George D. Emery.
| From other and reliable sources the
| PRESS represen tative learned that the
| farm was left to Leroy with the provision
| that he should give his mother home
| during her life. She had $4,000 besides
| 1'hi ee daughters were willed one thousand
dollars apiece, it is stated. They Mrs.
E. G. Hayes of North Lebanon, Mrs. Harvey
! A. Hanscome of Maiden. Mass. who with
her husband has been spending some weeks
| in Lebanon, and Mrs. Chauney G. Boynton
of Monmouth, who arrived with her husband
yesterday.
| It has become known in the neig hborhood.
either from statements by Mrs. Fernald or
| Leroy. that in the course of their differ
ences in regard to Mrs. Butler, Mrs. Fer
maid told her son not only that if he married
her they must live in separate apartments
| in the house. but that she
SHOULD NOT LEAVE HIM A CENT
of her $4,000. But if he would marry the
Goodwin girl, whom he had formerly paid
attention to, she would leave him every
dollar of it. AS result of this Leroy went
to Mrs. Butler and told her that he could
not come to see her any more.
| Last Saturday he received a letter from
Mrs. Butler that he perused in the entry for
half an hour. 1t is currently reported that
she considered herself engaged to him and
| was not disposed to give him up.
| At all events he has recently said to
several of the neighbors, in sort of queer
and almost pathetic way;
"YOU KNOW Fam IN A BAD MESS,
or in trouble or something similar. when
| they did not know it at ALL
| 1t is hoped that that letter from Mrs. But
Ter can be found. 1t is believed by some to
contain threat of suit for breach OF
promise.
| A man who knew him we'll says that he
was weak-minded. and that he could not
stand any trial or tro uble, and always be-
came very nervous and excited such
occasions. OF late years he had been more
nervous than usual Anything sudden
would cause him to start violently. This
man had seen him in store start in that
way and stare about wildly. when suddenly
addressed. He was considered one of the
best boys. and most promising young men in
the community. AS farmer he always did
two mems work every day." and was a
most excellent manager. Both he and all
| his family we've looked up to as among the
very best people of the community. and
every body is shocked beyond measure q his
awful crime, and declare that he never
could have done it in his right mind. No
body has anything but praise for him, and
his mother and all declare that the entire
family were united and prosperous. That
| his frightful act the result of the
hereditary faint III his reason there can be
no doubt. Why this faint should make itself
manifest at the present time in this way
| the reader must judge for himself
A dispatch to the PRESS from Sanford
last night. says that when Constable Rowe
took Leroy to Alfred, Tailor Wentworth in
quired if he had been searched. and re-