The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-08


Wounds-Blows on Her Head Were
Made After Death-Interview With
One of Suspected Boys-Arrangement
for Funeral
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1
Maplewood, October 7.-The motive
and authorship of the murder and at
tempted burning of the body of Mrs.
Betsey r. Hobbs at "Taylor City" con-
tinue to be as deeply hidden in mystery
assw hen the orime..was discovered. up to
tonight no arrest had been made.
Tie physicians employ ed in the case
succeeded today in settling two import
ant questions regardingsthe affair. They
established the fact that death was due
to the gun shot wounds. and that the
wound over the right temple and the
burning of the chest came after her
death. The other important disclosure
made by the doctors dispels the suspic-
ions, maintained by not few of the peo-
pie OF the border towns. that the motive
OF the murder was more tlendish than
that of robbery.
The autopsy, which was begun in the
middle OF the forenoon and was oonclud-
ed about $50 o'clock was performed in
a unfinished apartment of q gorge Beal' .
residence in the village. DR.. J. ". Dear
born of Maplewood, DR.. j. M. Leavitt
Of Effingham and DR.. E. D. Chellis of
Maplewood were in attendance, while the
door was guarded by Deputy Sheriff
d. 8. Beaoham of Limerick.
The details of the examination will be
made known only to Coroner +. C.
Bradbury of Saco, who as charge of
the case. The inquest will probably not
be resumed before the middle of next
week.
Charles A. Hobbs of Foxboro, Mass,
night, and will remain till the investi-
cation Is concluded. He is 40 years of
age and his features considerably resem-
bles his mothers. His manner Is re-
served, and while he is seeking to gather
all possible Information regarding the
brutal crime. he makes very little talk
concerning his suspicious or theories,
He and his sister, Miss Susan A.
Hobbs, today made arrangements for the
funeral. Undertaken Cutting was given
charge of the remains and the services of
Rev. D. w. Stevens of the Union chapel
at West Parsonfleld were secured for the
occasion. The ceremonies will take
place at the Beal residence. The remains
| will be taken to the Philb brick cemetery
on Province Icounatin, in Effingham
and buried beside the grave Of her hus-
band, who died 1852.
| The people of the surrounding towns
are impatient for the officers to get down
to business in ferretinK out the murder
ers. Naturally, much enquiry has been
made as to the use of firearms in the
woods within radius of miles Of the
scene of the murder. AS was mentioned
in the PRESS Tuesday morning; two
young men wore seen going into the
| woods from the road, not far from the
Hobbs homestead, about an hourssbefore
the house was discovered to be on fire.
1t has been generally known since the
day of the murder that Charles Savage
and frank Palmer were out cunning
that forenoon, and some of the rumors
in circulation connected them with the
meeting in question.
The PRESS correspondent found Saw
age at home, this. afternoon. He lives on
the New Hampshire sids, about mile
and half from the village, in hand
some house which Stands on bluff over
looking Province pond. The Savage
family came here from Cambridge, about
eight years ago, and are said to possess
ample means. There are two sons. both
intelligent, active boys. The younger,
Charles. 20 years Of age. is the one who
was out cunning Monday. He received
the reporter oourteously and expressed
surprise and regret that his name had
in any way been conneoted with the
brutal affair which has been the towns
chief topic during the past two days.
"Yes, SIR" said he, nFrank Palmer
and I did go out cunning Monday. He
came over here from the direction Of the
mountain, about O'Clock, and had
some talk with him about going to work
| picking apples for George P. Davis. He
had engaged to work there, and I
thought l would go over and get job,
too, but it seemed SO likely to rain that
we decided not to go. He wanted me to
take my gun and 60 out into the woods
with him. I went into the house, got
the gun and some ammunition aid we
started out for the woods. We were gone
from home till about O'Clock that af-
ternoon, but all that time were In faith
ers' woods, over there in a north wester-
ly direction. At NO time were We with
in two miles of the Hobbs place. We
can prove just where we were. We did
not 60 near the road, and If George Tay
lor or anybody else Gays he saw us there.
| he is mistaken.
"Were you acquainted with Mrs.
HobbsP" as asked.
"Yes, sir, I was.' replied the young
man, land ] considered her an excellent
woman. worked for her short time
| AGO hauling and QUITTING her WoodD