The Portland daily press., 1895-12-09
A HU Man FIEND.
James Hurd Brutality Killed With a
Hatchet.
HIS SON ARRESTED FOR THE
CRIME.

Creeping to the Side of His Sleeping Faith
er, He Dealt Him Cruel Blows with a
Hatchet-The Mother Found the Re-
mains of Her Murdered Husband
With Cold Blooded Carefulness Young
Hurd Details His Terrible Deed.
Biddeford, December Ton of the most
atrocious murders ever committed in this
state was enacted here this morning.
James. Hurd, carpenter, tor many
years a respected citizen of this city, lies
cold in death, while his son, Frank, "a
years old. is III the police station charged
with committing the homicide and has
confessed.
This is the story of the crime. Some
two years ago young Hurd, who was then
station agent and telegraph operator for
the Bos ton and Maine railroad at Somer-
ville Mass, lost his position. The cause
of this was his peculiar actions, he often
being SO obstinate that he would refuse
to receive dispatches from sendars He
returned home as soon as he lost his po-
sition and has remained there since do
ing no work at ALL His father often
asked him to try and get employment
and told him if he was unable to secure
work in Saco or BiddefoId to go away
from home and work. Evidently the
young man feared that his father would
turn him out of the house. The father
had such conversation with his son
only last evening and the young man
| listened with apparent unooncern.
This morning Mrs. Hurd arose about
g. 80 O'clock She went to the kitchen and
commenced preparing breakfast. MIR.
Iiurd, senior, was still in bed Mrs
Hurd went to. her sons room and calling
him told him to 60 to his fathers room
and notify him that the morning meal
was ready. She then returned to the
kitchen. What happened in the next few
minutes young Hurd told when he made
his confession. After committing the
murder. Hurd went to the Office of DR..
Frank S. Warren, coroner, and told him
that
MURDER HAD BEEN COMMITTED
on Oak street. The doctor supposed
Hurd was joking, but finally asked him
how he knew it was a murder, to which
Hurd replied that he was certain as he
had committed the deed himself. DR..
Warren took no stock in the story and re-
entered his house for breakfast Hurd
| then proceeded to the police station and
told City Marshal Harmon that his faith
er had been M ordered during the night.
Harmon, in company with two officers,
went to the Hurd residence and found
Mrs. Hurd lying on the sofa nearly dis
tracted. She said that as her husband
did not come down to breakfast she went
| to her sleeping room and found her hus-
band dead. She then went to Franks
| room. but he had gone City Marshal
Harmon then took Hurd to his fathers
room AMI pointing to the CHASTITY wound
in the head said, "Who do you think did
that?" Frank replied that he had no
| idea, but the person must have been cold
blouded. Harmon then asked Frank if he
was not the one and Frank said, "Mr.
Harmon, l am not going to say anything
to iniure my case" The officers then
took him to the station Coroner Warren
was then notified and the officers return
ed to the scene Of the crime The officers
vainly tried to get story from the pris-
oner but were unable to do so until near
ly six O'Clock tonight. Then Hurd vol.
unteered statement which was substan.
TALLY as follows:
81 committed that murder. You need
not look around for more evidence for |
will tell you all and tell the truth. 1
was exasperated. didn't know what l
was doing, in fact, was unconscious of
the horrible deed 1 was committing. NY
father told me last night that | must
| choose between two things, either obtain
work at home or go away to work
could not bear to leave home and all my
| friends and was unable to OBJ ain work
here in either the two cities. This morn
ing when my mother came to my room
and told me to come to breakfast and also
| to call father, got up and putting on
my trousers went to my fathers room
l saw the old man lying on his left side
| facing the wall, with his back toward
me, and asleep. The first thought that
entered my head was to
KILL THE MAN
| who had threatened to send me from
home. That is the last remember until
l came to my senses and realized what I
had done. was standing over the pros
traie form of my father with the Ratchet
in my hand. l suppose that as soon as
saw my father sleeping and thought it
would be the best time would ever have
| to kill him. Returned to my room and Sc
cured the Ratchet. I had that in my
room for long time, and kept it in the
closet. After had struck father / decid-
ed to cut his throat and went at once to
my room. 1 took the Ratchet with me
and placed it in the closet again. I then
took an old razor from the bureau drawer,
removed the case and returned to the
room. STOPPING over my father I cut his
! throat from ear to ear and rushed out of