The Portland daily press., 1895-12-09

he insane OF NOU-A DIVERSITY OIL
Opinion.
: ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1
Biddeford, December S.-The remains
of James M. Hurd, who was SO foully
murdered by his son, Fred Hurd, yester-
day morning, remained at WI. Dennett's
undertaking rooms on Main street from
the time of their removal from the cham
Der of death till last evening, when they
were returned to the cosey little, brown
story land "a half house at MOI Oak street,
where for SO many years the members of
the Hurd family dwelt in ordinary cir
cumstances and apparent peace.
The undertaken had to spend considera-
BILE time in getting the body in presen-
table condition for the casket. The
wound on the right temple, which had
been made by blow with the pole of
carpenters broad bIaded hatchet, ex-
tended into the brain. The throat wound,
which had been opened with razor's
keen edge, gaped open two inches in
width and extended from under one ear
to the other side, just beyond the wind
pipe. Veins and arteries and chords had
been severed and the point of the razor
had grated the spinal column enough to
dent the blade.
The funeral will be held at the muir
dered mans late residence and will be
strictly private. 1t will be attended bv
Rev. DR.. Small, formerly of Portland.
pastor of the Adams street Baptist
church.
An air of desolation and sadness per-
vaded the Immediate vicinity of the Hurd
homestead today. The windows were
closely curtained.
A few neighbors went in and out, at
tending to little matters of assistance to
the widow, and the house was also visit
cd by several relatives Of the deceased
The police station, however, was the
place around which most interest CEN
tered today. In one of the dark, wooden.
temporary cells in the apart ents that
serve as police headquarters pending the
completion of the new City Hall, is CON
fined the self-con tessed patricide, Fred
Hurd, a ROSY checked, sandy -complezioned.
smooth-faced young man, of hopeful an
pearance and intelligent mien, the last
among q thousand whom you would nick
out for = murderer, notwithstanding the
statement of neighbors, former school
mates and acquaintance that he was
| "oranky'' and "odd." He has a high
forehead, and the only thing about the
shape Of his head that would seem to
strengthen the insanity theory Is the
| hatness of it's crown.
1t is more than probable that Fred
| Hurd has studied and thought over this
detect in his Uranium. for in his room
was found copy of Fowier's Phrenolo-
gy, with bookmarb indicating page
showing skull somewhat similar to his
| in shape, and containing minute an
alysis of it's bumps and depressiohs. Ii
was in perusal Of this scientific work
that the murderer passed much of the
evening preceding his horrible crime.
Today for solid reading the prisoner
has had copy of the Bible, whose pages
he has scanned at frequent intervals since
morning He slept we'll last night-so
he told the officers in the morning, and
his appetite has shown no sign Of wan
| ing Under its mental strain. He ate a
good supper last evening, had steak.
POTATOES and coffee for breakfast, lunched
on crackers at noon, and tonight for sup
per cleared his plate of fried potatoes and
sandwiches, washing them down with a
cup of tea His attendant took the pre-