The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-12-13
LINEHAN AT BELLOWS FALLS,
some Facts Here That May Throw Light
on the Maine Murder and Suicide.

Michael j. Linehan, who committed
suici lie after attempting to murder
Mrs. Grace Griffin at Orono, Me-, last
TUESDAY, formerly lived here and
worked AS spare machine tender for
the r. M. p. Co. He was man Of
lively temperament, well known about
town and generally we'll liked. He
passed. amongst most people as 4 single
man but that he had wife and child,
was known by some of his fellow WORK
men. His weakness for the opposite
sex was well-known and it caused his
arrest on account of Il young woman
here but the case was settled out OF
court upon the payment of sum of
money This reputation created con
siderable feeling against him and ulti-
matey led to his discharge from the
mills. Many of his friends here utter
~ dscredited the theory advanced in
the papers as to the motives of the
tragedy and are confident that there is
some other reason other than the il
fatuation for the woman. That he
should desire to have the woman clOpe !
with him is also improbable from the |
fact that he generally was without |
money and was more or less dependent |
upon his brother and he was not the
kind of a man to burden himself with
the care OF a woman, especially at that
time when he was out of work and had
no immediate prospects of job.
Taking all these things into consid
Grafton it is claimed by Linehan's
friends that time will show that some
thing besides unrequited love was at
the bottom of the row. In support of
this theory it can be said that a
special delivery letter, mailed at OroDo
several hours before the shooting, and
addressed to a man here, contained the ,
information the Linehan had lost all
his money and was strapped. He had !
been paid off day or two before, and
rs there was over 500 due him, it is i
by those in Il position TO know
of the inside of affairs at
)rono, that Linehan laid the loss of :
lis money to this woman and that the i
rouble arose in his attempt to make o
Ter give it up. Failing in this and in ,
fit of rage hesattacked her and final :
y attempted her life and then turned I
lis pistol upon himself. Linehan was h
nithe habit of carrying a revolver !,
With while here. as many knew but o
zone ever thought him capable Of o
uch Il crime Linchan worked for =
ONE time in Berlin Falls before com, o
ng here and it is said that Mrs. p
;riftin's first husband was deputy
heriff there at that time His name
'as Wheeler and it is possible that j.,
.inehan and the woman we're &C. :,
before the meeting in Maine. -
Wheeler and his wife left Berlin Falls
bout the time that the Law and Order i,
'ague was prosecuting liquor dealers
lere and one or two attempts were n,
lade to blow up the house of one of the p,
rtive agents in that crusade. Dyna- q
lite was rsed and considerable in
amage done. Just what connection,
any, Wheeler had with this case is
Ut known but it Was one of the
asons why the couple turned up in III
aine. The news of Linehan's death
I'd crime was first learned here from ,ii
c Boston papers and created great "'
;citcmcnt amongt the mill hands. y,
very paper containing any mention IN,
the case has been eagerly read and IN
scusscd, and the next issue looked
r in the expectation of learning more er
the facts. 1t is believed that the in
Dry herein told is substantially cor th
ct and will furnish a reasonable 60
olive for linehan's act. We