The Portland daily press., 1896-10-07

communicating with the woodwork. He
procured pail Of water at the well and
attempted to quenoh the blaze, but it
was beyond his control. Then he ran
home and summoned his parents, who
followed him back to the fire. His
father, mother and grandfather suocesded
in removing the body and carried 1t to a
grass lot two rods away.
Charles h. Littlefield, father Of the
drst witness, testified more In detail re-
earding the scenes at the fire. 1t was
only by prompt and hazardous effort that
she body was rescued; in less than five
minutes after 1t was transferred to a
place of safety the burning Iafters fsll
When found the body was upon its back
and the skirts had been folded upon the
chest, evidently to facilitate the work of
the flames. The limbs did not appear to
be burned, but the chest was wrapt in
dames when the body was raised from
she floor. After DR.. Leavitt's discovery
Of the gun shot wounds, the body was
conveyed to Mr.. Beal's house.
Mrs. Littlef1eld, wife of this witness,
and Daniel Littlefield. his father, gave
corroborative testimony.
Then DR.. j. M. Leavitt of Effingham.
the principal witness of the afternoon,
was called into the presence of tn 9
coroner. and was questioned at great
length regarding his examination Of the
body. AS the autopsy has not yet been
held, DR.. Leavitt's testimony is the
most important evidence regarding the
murder. He said. in substance, that he
had been attending patient about a
mile from "Taylor City" and noticed
evidence of fire in this direction. He
oalled the attention of several others to
it, and eight people. crowded into two
carriages, rode over to find the fire.
When they reached the Hobbs house
nothing but smoldering ruins and the
big. bare chimney remained to mark the
site of the widows home. The body OF
Mrs. Hobbs was being tenderly cared for
some distance away from the ruins. He
made a hasty examination and remarked
on the singular fact that the hair was
not singed when the chest was 80 badly
burned. He had supposed, as all the
neighbors did, that she had been burned
to death by her clothing accidentally
taking fire.
A second and more scrutinizing look at
the fact convinc DR.. Leavitt that the
victims clothing caught fiie after her
death. To reassure himself he made n
careful examination and discovered
several small spots Of blood about the
neck which marked the opening of
wounds. Many more such spots were
found OH the back of the head, and he
announced to the parties In charge of the
body that Mrs. Hobbs was the victim of
shooting affair.
The body was then moved to the Bea]
house, and at the request of Selectman
Davis, DR.. Leavitt continued his exami-
nation. He found seventeen shot wounds
between the shoulders, as high as the
shoulder blades. Fifteen more were
located on the back of the head and on
the left side OF the face. Behind one ear
there were found, within the space of a
square inch, the marks where five shot
had penetrated. He probed quite num-
ber Of these wounds and in every one tho
point Of his instrument grated against a
lead missile. One wound penetrated the
back, under the right shoulder blade, to
depth OF three inches.
Another important itom, which the
jurors had noted when they viewed the
remains, and which DIR. Leavitt laid
special stress on, was that over the right
temple is a mark of linden tation as deep
as the thickness of mans thum b..
There is no abrasion on the skin or blood
clot there. That, DR.. Leavitt explained,
Indicated blow received after death,
either by fall of the body to the floor or
from cudgel, but the depth they had
penetrated constituted the basis of his
estimate.
Austin Glidden testified regarding his
observations at the fire.
At $50 o'olook the inquest adjourned,
subject to the call of the coroner. To-
morrow an autopsy will be performed by
Drs. Dearborn, Leavitt and Chellis.
The theory that robbery was the only
motive that prompted the crime is rapid
ly taking the place of other more fiighty
Impressions formed by the towns people
on the day OF the attempted oerema alton
There are those, however, who believe
the autopsy will disclose another motive
more heinnus than. that of robbery.
Whether there is ground for the suspicion
will be definitely known tomorrow.
Tramps don't have shot guns to assist
them In their foul deeds. The tramp
Theory, therefore, does not seem to apply
TO this case.
Now as to the robbery. Who could
have supposed that "Aunt" Betsy Hobbs
had money about her house? Hers had
not been a life full of sunshine and roses
Her husband died forty -eight years ago,
and she had to provide for a son and a
daughter till they reached the period of
being able to shift for them selves. The
son, Charles Hobbs. had left home many
years ago, in quest of work at the car
penter's trade. The mother and daug hter
have kent houae tooathar avar sipca