Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-05-22
A FEARFUL DEED.
Joe Holt of Mechanic Falls,
Murders His Baby,
And Then SIashes the Keen Butcher
Knife Across Own Throat.
Was Jealous and Is Thought to Have Been
Mentally Unbalanced.


mnnths-old child by cutting it's throat
with a butcher knife from ear to ear
He also cut his own throat and is not
expected to live. The act was premedi-
| tated. Coroner True has the case in
| charge.
The tragedy occurred at $50 this
| morning. Holt seized the child from its
mothers arms and then committed
the deed. Jealousy is supposed to have
| been the cause. Neghbors say that
the couple have not lived happily to-
| gether.
| Holt has threatened this several
| times, but no attention was paid to
| his talk
The mother was removed from the
house to a reighbor's soon after the
| tragedy and was in such a state of
| mental prostration that it became
| necessary to administer opiates.
Holt was 25 years old and had been
| married one year and eight months.
So far as the neighbors knew there
had been no serious trouble in the
| family. Some of the citizens who have
known Holt for many years have of
late noticed some signs of moodness
| and of alteration, but took no par
ticular stock in anything he said.
His wife is generally regarded as an
| estimable woman and no one believes
that she has given him any reason for
his doubt or charges. Hon. Jesse
Libby. in anticipation of a possible
| coroner's inquest attempted to inter
view Mrs. Holt but she could not con-
verse intelligibly. 1t will be a wonder
if she ever completely RECEIVERS from
| the awful shock. Her sister said that
from what she had been able to gather
| from her sisters disjointed rankings,
| she had been witness of the whole
| horrible scene.
At o'clock Mrs. Holt, it appears
went up stairs to dress the baby. Just
| what occurred between her and her
| husband who was in their bed broom
when she went up is not now known.
1t is certain however from what the
wife has said in her meanings that
Holt took the baby from her arms as
she was about to dress it.
AS he snatched it. the little one think
ing its father was playing With it.
looked back at the mother with a
gureal of delight and then turning
smiled up at the father. At that mo-
ment even while the smile was on its
face, he drove the knife into its throat
Whether Mrs. Holt saw him cut his
| own throat or whether he made an at
tempt on her life no questioning has
yet ELECTED from her.
He has threatened to do this be-
| c,;c Ia
Last Sunday he showed me a
loaded revolver and said that he should
use it on some one. had been staying
with my sister for a little while but
he seemed so grouty and mad about it
that l left the first of this week
He told my sister several times dur
ing the past few weeks that unless
she would consent to leave Mechanic
Falls with him and move to some
other place he would kill himself and
the baby. He seemed to grow worse
and to have brooding spells.
He didn't speak to me all the time
| l was there at the house and as |
thought / was making trouble for my
sister | went away.
My sister was a good. little woman
and faithful and long-enduring wife
Poor thing! she never gave him cause
for a jealous thought But he wasn't
willing she should put her head out
of doors. He particularly objected to
having her go to see her Uncle James
| Grady, who lives in the village near
here He was good friend to her and
J5e had no reason at all to have such
| a grudge against him but he threat
| ened to shoot him time and again.
My sister partly packed her trunk
| last night and intended to go to her
uncles, Mr.. Grady, today, and leave
Joe for awhile for he got SO violent
| and abusive that she feared for her
self and the baby.
She didn't tell her husband she was
going. She may have told him this
morning when she went upstairs to
dress the baby"
The Hollis lived in a part of the Mason
| house, a story and -ahalf structure on
Lewiston street They rented the up
| per portion and several rooms down
stairs of Mr. Mason and moved in two
weeks ago.
| Mrs. Holt gave the dreadful alarm
shortly after o'clock. Almost immed
| ately she was Frustrated by a par
oxysm of grief and could give no fur
Their information, replying to questions
! by inarticulate means and pitiful la
ments for her poor baby, her darling
baby
| Mr.. Mason, leaving the frantic wo-
man in charge of his wife. rushed up
| the narrow stairway to the rooms occu-
pied by the Hollis. In the low-ceiled
bedroom in the ell the sleeping room of
the couple. he beheld horrid spectacle.
On its back on the tumbled bed, lay
Hollis little S-months-old boy. appar-
emily dead Its throat had been slashed
with so savage a cash that the knife
had cut to the vertebrae. Evidently
the child died almost instantly, for its
face was peaceful and on it's pretty
features was half-smile.
Beside the dead infant on the bed lay
Holt. He was extended on his breast,
his arms were spread out and his head
was twisted around sideways. Mr..
Mason looked more closely at him and
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