Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-12-09
AXE AND RAZOR
Figure in a Most Horrible
Murder at Biddeford.
James W. Hura Killed by His Son
Fred, Who Confesses.
May Be Insane-says Was Tired Of Fathers
Continual Nagsing.

the mead with an axe and his throat cut
"A razor and an axe We're found in a closet
OF the hallway. Fred S. Hurd, son of the
victim, is under arrest charged with the
crime.
Young Hurd is "a years old, telegraph
operator, and two years ago was station
agent at East Somerville. He has been
respondent and out of employment for two
years. He discovered the body of his
father lying in bed, and notified the cor
0ner first, who sent him to the police
When taken to the room where the re-
mains We're, he showed no emotion and
made no remarks.
The young man confessed in the cells of
the police station to City Marshal Har-
mon, Saturday afternoon. Just before
this, local newspaper man had left the
CELL where be had interviewed Hurd. The
prisoner was shrcwd and very close
mouthed, and didn't. disclose any facts
about the case But in a few moments he
called the city marshal into the corridor
and said:
You re the man who arrested me and
with whom | did business, this morning
/ want to talk to you and l want to say
that your theories are correct. | killed
my father with an axe and a razor. took
the axe, struck him with it while he was
asleep, after my mother had gone down
stairs to build the fire for breakfast
stunned him and then went into my
room, got my razor and cut his throat.
1.-THE razor you got is not the one
used You'll find the real one under the
,,;o 4 4 a. r
noyed SO much at home. was SO exas-
perated that 1 lost all consciousness of
right and wrong and so committed the
crime. Father has kept reproving me and
reproaching me because was out of work
He told me repeatedly to leave home and
go to work
81 was so exasperated, l say, that I
murdered father. l have done now and
know the conseq uences, and l must bear
them. l realize what l have done. There
was blood on one of my hands but
washed 1t up stairs, threw the water out
of the window, finished dressing and
came down stairs.
Young Hurd told considerable more of
the particulars of his crime, the most hor,
rible and unreasonable of any which has
occurred near here for many years. He
said, after being asked by the officer, that
he was sorry for doing such terrible
thing. But he had to be asked before
saying so two or three times.
Young Hurd acted very coolly in the
morning. His mother arose first about
$50, and Went down stairs to prepare
breakfast. Her husband and son failing
to come down when 1t was ready, she
called them. Fred came down She
called her husband again, but he didn't
answer, and finally she sent her son after
him.
Fred came down stairs, put on his coat,
went down town and told Coroner +. S.
Warren that his father bad been murdered,
went to the police station and said his
father had committed suicide. He went
home and found his mother weeping, hav
ing made the awful discovery of her hus-
bands death.
He was cool then and said but little
when the officers arrived and viewed the
scene. searched for and found the weapons
and put him to the test He didn't finch
once and hasn't yet He was as stolid as
a log all day until 80. Insanity which
was to have been set up in defence, will
fall short of its pupose now, for he is
clearly in the possession of his faculties.
City Marshal Harmon says it is one OF
the most cold blooded cimes he ever heard
of. The confession was witnessed by two
other officers.
Young Hurd is "a, OF good personal ap-
pearancc He was rather surly and inso-
lent when station agent at East Someville,
and had considerable trouble with the
officials. He was an Omniverous reader
He had book that he pored over for
hours. 1t was "Phrenology. or Human
Science y by Prof .. S. Fowler. He
read this intently, and it is not particularly
lively reading for young man. He was
a fellow who never had chums or com
panions of much intimacy.
Coroner Warner impaneled the follow
ing iury: G. W. Donnell, Horace Ford,
r n. Banks. W. J. Gilpatric, b. f.
Cleaves and Col l.. H. Kendall, but no
inouest will be held now that Hurd has
confessed. Mayor G. 5. Hamilton was
retainedIas his counsel
Mavor Hamilton said: "There Is not
shadow Of doubt that the young man is
insana His mental arrangement dates
back to when he gave up his, position as
night telegraph operator at tne raliroaa
station IN EnSt INV N>'N"SN
will he a plea of insanity. He will PROB
ahly be arrai gned, Monday or Tuesday
,ftcr the coroner's inquest is concluded.
He will waive an examination and allow
the court to bind him over and commit
him to the county Jail, pending the SIT
ting of the grand jury in saco, next month.
When the January term OF supreme court
conyenes, application will be made for his
commitment to the State Insane hospital
at Augusta.
James NJ. Hurd, the murdered man. wss
a native of Lynn, and had lived also IN
Saco. Berwick and Boston. He was twice
,,,arr;ed his second wife being native OF
Parsonstield. Though man OF genim
disposition. there has alwavs been GER
tain mystery connected with his career
His "a Al name was Murphy, but shortly
after the death of his first wife he had bis
name legally changed to Hnrd.
Tine oldest inhabitant, Ct Biddeford ana
S.co raoo,lsct that there was suspicion OF
foul play surrounding the death OF nus
first wifs. A coroner's inquest rendered