Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-31
WHO ARE THEY?
Samuel Trafton Has Mystery
Which He Wishes Solved.
Wants to Know Parties Making Re.
cent Assaults on His House.
One or Two Parties With Whom Mr.. Trafton
HAS Had Trouble.

Waterville, Oct. 30.-(SpeciaD.- Who
are the parties who have been harrass-
ing the lives of Samuel Trafton and the
members of his household? That is
question that bothers Mr.. Trafton very
much at this time and he is anxious to
have the mystery solved. The sooner
the better he thinks. Today's develop
ments leaves the authorities somewhat
in doubt as to the object of the attacks
on the house. The Journal on inquiry
has learned that there is possibility
of the disturbance being made by peo-
pie whom Mr.. Trafton has had more or
less trouble with in certain matters.
Mr.. Trafton was born and raised on
the farm where he now resides. and has
been more than ordinarily fortunate
in the accumulation of this worlds
goods. He owns a magnificent farm
of 100 acres or more and is a buyer of
large amounts of hay and other farm
produce thatshe sends to the Boston
and New York markets. In the past
he has had some differences with GER
tain people who live on the same road
and such ones have, as he says, made
some threats against him. but he did
not think they would go to the extent
of shooting at him or any of the in
mates of his household. In converse
ton with the Journal man, today, he
said:
4 want this matter investigated
fully if it is a possible thing. | was
not at home on the nights when the
assaults took place and know only of
the matter from what l have been told
by my people whom ! left in the house
when l went away to Boston one week
ago last night. The young lady who
took me to the depot tells me that she
came out to the station once or twice
to meet me, but 1 did not come, and
that it was while on her return from
the station that she saw man skulk-
ing around the house. and it was that
night that the first attempt was made
to enter the house. The old gentleman
Mr.. Mason, is about so years old, the
young lady about e. years of age. Ny
home is about five miles from this
post office and nearly two miles back
from the River road. I was born on
the farm and have lived there all my
life. with the exception of a very short
time
Have you ever had any trouble with
your neighbors, Mr.. Trafton?' asked
the Journal.
well, / have had a little trouble
with one or two over matters that were
of Importance to me-"
What was the trouble about?"
We'll, one tried to have a road
thrown over on to my land and l OBJ
jected. ] also defeated him in the
scheme, and since that time he has
made threats against me, but l do not
want to think that he has done this
to me. | have thought that it might be
for robbery. but it don't look reason
able that robbers would be so careless
as to return to the house night after
night. 1t is evident to me now that
the parties are those who know of my
whereabouts all of the time, and have
taken advantage of my absence from
home to try to brighten the people
whom l left in charge. There is an
other man in that section who has ill
feeling against me and is at cross
purposes with Miss Herrick.''
What has the first man to whom you
have referred said or done to make
you think that he is down on you?'
all he could and that he has got me
now right where he wants me, al
though for the life of me l do not know
what he means by it,
Has he made any threats against
your life, that you know OFF"
Il have never heard that he has ever
made any threats against my life, but
cannot help but think that he might
have had something to do with this
matter
How about the other man."
well, he is a relative of Miss Her
rick. and they are down on each other
very much. Wednesday, he came over
to the house and accused the young
woman of having fired out of the WIN
dow to make a disturbance. and while
he was looking about the house the
bullet which Miss Herrick had found
upon the floor of the hail. and had laid
on a window sill of the parlor. disap-
peared. Mr. Mason says that the shot
came from the outside of the house
that he saw the flash of the pistol, and
he is a truthful man, his word will
never be doubted by anyone that
knows him.
Have the disturbances continued
since your return home?'
No, there has not been the slightest
disturbance of any kind since l came
Mme''
Ss"Do you think it is the object of
someone to drive you away from the
neighborhood
u don't know about that, of course.
/ shall not go. anyway, no matter what
they do. There is nothing by which we
can identify the parties. Mr.. Mason
saw a man on the piazza of the house,
one night about II O'Clock. when he
was sitting up watching. because he
did not think it safe to go to bed. The
last assault was made last Tuesday
night, or rather Wednesday morning.
between and 2 O'Clock. I am willing
to pay something to have this thing
looked into and settled once for all, for
it is not safe for me to go away and
leave my people there
nj