Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-05-01
DOUBLE MURDER
tContinued from page ~

the family a good deal, and Mr.. Samuel
Lane. a distant relative who had taken
a fatherly interest An young John ever
since his birth, both say that the re-
lations of husband and wife were In
every way pleasant. Why then had ne
done this terrible thing, as the revolver
at his side, with its two empty cham
bers, the bloody marks on the box of
and the newspapers spread
out to protect the parlor carpet from
his blood. all indicate that he hal
done?
On the table in the dining room was
the first clue to the fact that the tragedy
was premeditated. There were some
legal papers, one a deed to some land
Lane had recently bought, some tax re-
ceipts a pOcketbook containing $3.50 in
money and a sheet of paper containing
the following: Samuel McNinch, 1So
fremont street, Boston. Mass. Margaret
N. Lane. $40 Massachusetts avenue.
Northwest Washington, d. c. M. s.
Spear. Private funeral. Bury me just
as am"
The note was not signed. but 1t was in
young Lanes handwriting. Samuel Nc
Ninch is an uncle to Mrs. Lane and Mar
garet is the dead man IS only sister who
made her home with him and who is now
in Washington visiting A dispatch bear
ing the terrible tidings was sent her, this
morning.
Examination of the dead bodies showed
that Mrs. Lane was shot at least three
times. one bullet entering over and in
front of the left ear and showing itself
in a purple bunch in the top OF the head,
and q third in the edge of the hair just
above the nape of the neck. one bullet
had passed directly through the head of
the baby boy and was found on the pill
low where was the indentation of his
little head.
In the sleeping room We're marks of a
terrible struggle Six bullet holes We're
found in the ceiling and partitions, and
blood was scattered everywhere large
number OF stains being found on stand,
the drawer of which was also freely
stained.
Selectman Sturgis after the most care
full examination of the premises, came
to the following conclusion He thinks
that young Lane arose from the bed and
dressed himself with unusual care. Yes
terday, he wore his working clothes. a
flannel shirt and no collar When found
he had on his best suit, a fine shirt, col
lar and satin tie. Having thus arranged
himself for the grave, he proceeded to
find writing materials and wrote the ad-
dresses and final direction to the under
taker, MIR. Spear. He believes that the
baby, John Gordon Lane, who would
have been year old in June and who
had just learned to say papa and
"mamma" was the first victim, for in
the bed there was no sign of his moving
after he fell asleep. The shot which
killed the child, Mr. Sturgis thinks,
awakened the mother. struggle en-
sued in which the infuriated man emp
tied his revolver without succeeding in
inflicting a fatal wound upon his wife.
Hp then went the stand in the
drawer of which box of cartridges was
kept to replenish his ammunition, and
there the wounded and bleeding wife
made a heroic attempt to prevent him
from carrying out his awful purpose. 1t
was unavaling and she turned and fled
for her life In the dining room she was
overtaken by the fatal shot and fell.
where she lay in her night clothes and
where Mrs. Dodge found her.
Then Mr.. Sturgis thinks Lane went
back to the sleeping room. took the dead
baby from the bed, carried It to the sit
ting-room and there arranged the papers
and took his own life. Mr.. Sturgis, how
ever. is as much in the dark as to the
motive as are all the neighbors.
1t is remembered now that young Lane
had been i'll with cold and had Doctor
Weeks from Buxton Lower Corner a
short time ago and it is generally believed
that the deed must have been done in a
fit of insanity induced by the grip. His
money affairs were in good condition.
Lane got $500 a year from the estate OF
his uncle the late John w. Lane OF
Portland and Mrs. Lane received a
check for $40 every week from the trus-
tee of her fathers estate. She was May
| Fullerton of Boston and they were mar
ried two years ago last September. This
| income with the money made on his lit.
| tie farm. kept the Lanes in comfortable
l circumstances.
1 Yesterday. Lane was busy making ar.
rangements for his springs work with
| evidently no idea of the nights work II
his mind. He got out his wheels and pre-
pared his cart for hauling dressing anC
then taking Gerald Dodge. a son of tht
! woman who was first at the house. ht
/ went to Moderation to see a constable
i about some men who had been setting
| fires on his property. During this ride
l Gerald says he seemed in his usual gooC
! spirits. Arriving home he went for Mrs
/ Dodge to go to ride with Mrs. Lane ant
while the women were gone ne passed
his time In taking care of the badly
: wheeling him out In his baby carriage
and chatting with Mrs 8. w. Lane abou
1 the youngster.
mother was not just right all the time
while his grandmother Is said to have
been a confirmed lunatic for years.
Mr.. Pitt Sawyer. one of the neighbor.
and one of the first to arrive at tn.
house. says that he heard shooting las
Lane also heard the shooting but he say
1t was nothing strange. He declares tina
Johnnie was always freaky; that h,
| always slept with revolver at his sid
and when he heard an unusual noise h
was always out and firing into the al,
When he heard the shots last night h
said to his wife johnnie is out cunning
again.
He says that he should think II wa
about 20 minutes from the time he hear