Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-03
STUDENTS CASE.
The Story of Their Recent
Killing Of the Moose.
Evidently They Shot on the Spur
Of the Moment.
Authorities on The Track Of Serious Case
Other Game News.

a great deal is being said about The
case Of the students who shot moose
at Cancomgomoc lake, and the facts in
regard to the case seem TO he not fully
understood They are, according t.
good authority as follows: A party of II
young men and three instructors from
the Gunnery, u preparatory school al
Washington. CT, are in the Maine
woods this summer. not for the purpose
of hunting and fishing. bat for carrying
on the summer school. fitting the boys
to enter college in the fall. some of
them 70 enter at Harvard.
Two of the boys. Walter G. Merritt.
son of c. II. Merritt of Danbury, CT,
and Stanton w. A. Forseman OF Will
Transport, Pa, were looking for bear
which was known TO be near their
camp. While on the bear hunt, they
suddenly came directly upon Il moose,
and in their excitement and fright,
fired and killed the creature. before
really knowing what they did The
boys. realizing what they had done,
made bunglng attempt toconceal the
creature by sinking it in the lake. This
was failure; the moose rose to the
surface ana noated to shore, and later
the wardens found the carcass. half
devoured by the very bear that caused
all the trouble.
When the wardens questioned Prof.
Clark who has charge of the party Of
boys, he said he did not believe that
parties, but if any of them We're guilty
they would frankly own II. The boys
on being questioned confessed the whole
transaction AS is well known. they
were taken to Dover, before trial jus
tice, and bound over in the sumo of 500
each, to appear the first Tuesday in
August before the supreme judicial
court
The authorities say that, unless the
boys had made a voluntary confession
of killing the moose. they never could
have been convicted, as there was no
evidence whatever.
Now, some people demand that these
boys shall he given the fun penalty ol
the law, Which is four months in jail.
Speaking in regard to the matter, NJ.
Carleton said: Il believe the story
that these boys have told. They art
not boys of wealthy parents, the Mer-
rift boy. whose father is the hat man
ufacturer, is of course supported by his
parents, who are by no means wealthy
people, and the Forseman boy is an
orphan, and is being educated by his
uncle who is the attorney general Of
Pennsylvania. | have talked this mat
ter over with Governor Powers, and liz
agrees with me that it would not be
forwarding the ends of justice ta
severely punish these two boys, who in
their fright and excitement shot a
moose. i ne case - eHtiItlJ uIltftiii
from one where men, hunting for SUCH
game, shoot a moose in close time. and
in such a case as the last, / would b2
the last person to show leniency. 81
far as am concerned, before | would
be a party to putting these boys in
iaiI even for a day, | would resign my
position. | should not think that | was
doing right in any sense Of the word, t.
take any action that would put these
boys in a position where jail sentence
could be charged against them for theii
whole lives / believe the story of the
boys and that they shot the moose upon
the spur of the moment because OF
fright and with no intention of break
ing the law"
Those acquainted with the record u
Mr.. Carleton as public officer arf
aware that he never has been accused