The Portland daily press., 1895-03-01
5 well acquainted with
MRS. BUTLER, The WIDOW.

MRS. BUTLER, tHE WIDOW,
with whom Leroy was keeping company.
| She lives in Sanford in little farmhouse
with her aged mother and her son. who is
about twenty-eight years of age. AS the
Fernald house IS near the Sanford line it is
only about half a mile from the widows
house. She is a woman about forty years of
age and of comedy and attractive appear
ance and manner. She has lost two hus-
| bands. She was an Emma Douglass as a
girl, and married Isaiah Merrifeld of San
ford, who died after four or five years, leaI-
Ing her with two young sons Then she
married Eben Butler of Sanford. who died
about two years ago. He left no children
Mrs. Goowd in said that year ago last
fall it was rumored that Mrs. Butler was to
be married to Leroy Fernald. and she, Mrs.
Goodwin, charged her with it at that time,
and she denied it very positively.
1t was also rumored that they were to be
married last spring. Some years ago
LEROY COURTED A GOODWIN GIRL
and they were to be married, but some thing
prevented.
Mrs. Fernald's opposition to Leroy's
marrying Mrs. Butler was due largely to the
fact no doubt. that Mrs Butler had to care
|
the two aged mothers together in the same
house, to say nothing of the eighteen ear
old boy. The other son OF hers, Rutler
works in South Berwick we understand.
Arrived at East Lebanon station the
PRESS representative Immediately drove
to North Lebanon. distance of two miles,
on learning that County Commissioner
Isaac Hanscome lived there and that the
Fernald house was two miles in another
direction; that Mrs. Fernald's body was
in charge of keepers and that no one
would be allowed to enter.
| MI. Hanscome was found in his store in
the little village of North Lebanon He is
very genial, courteous man. His clerk.
MI. E. G. Hayes is the husband of one of
the Fernald girls. Leroy's sister, and lives
close by.
AIR. Hanscome got to the Fernald house
nerween eleven and twelve O'Clock in the
forenoon. they were hunting at that time
or Leroy, OF in the belief that he was the
inoendary anG murderer. but in the fear
that there had been Il double murder, and
his dead body was slowed away some where
or had eIhaps been burned with the barn.
| One man said: Leroy is either killed or
burned in the barn or has run away
TIE NEAREST HOUSE TO THE
! Felnald house is about a quarter of a
mile distant. and the road is not muo
travelled.
| Commissioner Hanscome, Constable Chas
p. Rowe of Sanford, son-in-law Edward @.
| Hayes, A. II. Kicker. W. 5. Hanscome and
| others. went up stairs to the attic and
searched that very thoroughly, and gave il
up, thinking that he was not there. They
came down stairs and again searched the
whole house thoroughly, but without sue
Cess. Constable howe and Frank Fall went
up attic again. They were particular about
the attic because
THE BLOODY AK WAS FOUND
wing on the attic floor close to the ego of
the aperture at the top of the stairs. This
time they thought they saw something Ivin,
in a small dark space under the foot of the
at tic stairs.
They sent for Mr.. Hanscome. Someone
reached in and found that the something
was a man and that he was alive.S Mr. Han
scome. who is very strong man, seized the
steps in his excitement and tore away four
of them.
There was Leroy Fernald, lying on his
right side at
FULL LENGTH WITH HIS HANDS
CLASPED
one over the back of the other. He had his
iur cap on and was in his stocking feet
The space where he lay about eight
feet ]ong and came to a point about five
feet high. The width of the space was only