Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-12-23


der of Mr.. Sawyer. l didn't know who
Mr. Sawyer was. but the murder having
occurred in Monmouth caused me to say
in laughing manner to Mr.. Young;
They II have good chance to lay this on
to me now, for have just come over from
Monmouth
Mr.. Young laughed, and nothing more
was said about the matter. One day after
that | met some workmen on the street
| who told me that they thought l could get
| job down In Richmond decided to go
down there but as my money had been
| about all spent l didn't think l could
afford to ride, so 1 walked the entire 10
miles. You must understand, however
| that we don consider 10-mile walk in
the country anything very great.
Mr. Young had been so kind to me at
! the hotel that really felt ashamed to tell
him that didn't nave money to pay hi III
knew that If l took my bag, in which
all my clothing and other things were,
that it would seem rs if | were trying to
beat him out Of his money, so l left every
thing behind.
Il didn't sneak out of the hotel, or skip
| as they say. l simply went to Richmond
and half dozen people knew that | was
going, and l thought that l would be able
to pay Mr.. Young the entire bill In few
days.
II forgot to say that | wore my old
| clothes when l left Monmouth, but had
changed them after getting into Gardiner
putting on my better suit, which was in
my bag. All of my old clothes and the
clothes which wore about the farm left
| in the bag
AT Richmond | got job in the ice
house and worked there for some little
time. l was not in hiding, anyone who
had wanted to find me could have done
so easily, for | wrote Ed, telling him where
| was.
Besides this there were dozen people
in Richmond who knew me. At the
lodging house where | stopped | told the
landlady who was on going there, and
on the strength of my relation to Ed and
my other brother, she allowed me to stay,
knowing that didn't have any money.
Il did not know that was suspected OF
being connected with the Sawyer murder
| until Il newspaper came out saying that
had been arrested in Boston. That was
| long time after | had left Richmond and
had gone to New Hampshire, where I was
cook in a logging camp and where l was
exceptionally well known.
Il was so surprised when l read the
story accusing me of the murder that |
hardly knew what to do. | thought that
on the night in question | was at Mrs
Buffers house, a neighbor, where l went
several times while in Monmouth. 1t was
so long after had left Monmouth that of
course | couldn't say positively. | wrote
! Ed a letter and in this letter | told him
that was at Mrs Buffers house. that
Saturday night.
| After had written them letter re-
called the fact that it was the Saturday
night previous that l was over there, and
so informed Ed.
We were all worked up about this ac-
ousation. Immediately after the Lewis
ton newspaper man came to New Hamp-
shire to see me- He said that if the story
| was not true 1t was libel and ought to
bring suit against the paper. He told me
that he wanted to set me right before the
public and asked me to tell all about my
self and all atout where | was ON the day
that the crime was committed.
Il told him what has already been told
you concerning my Gongs on that Satur-
day Then he went away, but before Co
Ing so, wanted me t, write up tho history
of my life and send it to him. was all
the be used he siid, to defend me against
the accusation.
Il wrote up little sketch and sent it
to him. Later on | met him in Portland.
He was with a man whom he introduc d
to me as a lawyer, ard whom he said
would look into my case and see if ne
couldn't bring suit against the paper that
, published the article. | was in NJ line
three or four times during the time which