The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-05-13
Doctors Find No Evidence Of Foul
Play.
A BURIAL in THE DARKNESS OF A
STORMY NIGHT.

On the Other Hand, 1t Is Conclusively
Proved That Britton Was Drowned
| Harry DeIean Smiled When He Heard
| the News-SheriffP P1ummer and County
| Attorney True Fortunately in Ray
mond When the Body Was Recovered.
Raymond, May 12. The body of the
unfortunate Henry Britton was found
In the little stream known hereabouts
as the River at s.30-this morning. The
place where the body was recovered can
| be seen from the windows of Britton's s
house and is only few yards from the
foot, bridge lfrom which there is now no
doubt the man SO long missing fell as
| he was trying to make his way home
| from the house of the Deleans, on the
| stormy Easter Sunday four weeks ago
| today. Early this morning Eugene
Hayden, Jere Berry and Lorenzo Plum
stream. These logs are hauled during
the winter to the field opposite the Brit
ton house. They are from there foated
down the stream to the lake. AS the
three men were at work, Mr.. Berry
looked up towards the foot bridge and
tween the place where he was standing
and the large white rock which affords
support for one end of the bridge. The
thing which he saw showed clearly
against the white bottom of the stream
which is, at that place, now not over
three feet in depth.
us the water falling?n asked Berry,
thinking that the lowering of the river
had brought the object to view. Then
he looked again.and this time saw that
the object was floating slowly down
with the current.
81 believe it Isl Britton," said Berry
and then the three men W atched until
they could see that the object was the
body of man, floating face downward
and with arms extended. 1t drifted to-
wards them until it had nearly reached
the floating timber. Then it struck a
submerged log and stopped. Word was
at ocne sent to the village clile away,
that Brltton's body was in the river
and soon there was ailittle knot of his
| former townsmen standing on the bank
LOOKING AT THE BODY
plainly visi BILE in the stream below.
| 1t was at once decided to send mes
senger to Portland to notify Sheriff
| Plummer and horse was being har-
messed when, by a fortunate coincidence,
Mr.. Plummer, County Attorney True
and Deputy Sheriff Dresser drove into
the village. They had sdecided to visit
Raymond in view of the talk which has
been made about Britton's disappear
ance in order that County Attorney
True might go over the ground and see
for himself the state of the case. The
officers at once took charge OF affairs
and under the direction of the sheriff.
the body was tlOated to the shore where
piece OF canvas was slipped under it
and it was carefully lifted from the
water by number of the by-standers
and taken to the bank above. From
there it was carried to the undertaking
rooms Of Sumner Plaisted. Friends
of the dead man had no difficulty in
recognizing the body as that of Britton.
but single glance at the discoiored
and bloated features, the water-soaked
and mud-stained clothing. and the
hands and wrists already badly decom-
posed, gave evidence that the body had
lain long time in the water.
Of course the first question that pre-
sented itself to the village people who
have been SO deeply concerned over
the disappearance of the young man
and the suspicious which have since
been entertained, was how the bodv
could have remained in the water flnr.
ing all the searching that has nean
done without being found before. n
will be remembered that the river frono
the foot bridge to theslake was draooed
again and fagain in the hope of tinding
the body. Men in boats rowed up and
down probing the bottom. neatly ali of
which was visible after the water had
been drawn off. On the Sunday week
after B1itton's disappearance, fully loo
:aen were engaged in the search. But
there was one place where the bottom
OF the little stream could not be seen.
That was hole few feet below the
foot bridge. Here the bottom was care
fully examined by probing and dragging
but
NO BODY WAS DISCOVERED.
and it came to be tile general opinion
that if Britton had fallen into the river
MS body must have been swept far
into the deep waters of the lake by the
freshet of Easter Monday. This theory,
while it was the only one that seemed
TO explain how the remains could have
escaped discovery in the water, did not
appear probable Ito people here because
ls almostsan unheard of thing Tor the
i9ss 10 driftfover the bar atsthe mouth
~ tue river. Still. in the absence or
S1, Seny other explanation except that or
toui play, this was aboutsthe. only theory
tuo account for Rritton,s CisapDearapCe.