The Portland daily press., 1897-10-30
INDUCED BY GHOSTS.
Into Deseerating Grave Of Mrs.
John Roberts.
JOSEPH ROUNDS SAYS HE Is
GUILTY OF GHOULISH ACT.

He is a Weak Minded Boy and says
| Spirits Are Responsible for His Terri
| BILE Deed-Aneged Solution of West
| brook Grave Robbery Not Credited Dy
| Some People.
! Yesterday, City Marshal Knight OF
Westbrook, went to Kennebunk and ar
rested Joseph W. Rounds, eighteen years
old on the charge of having robbed the
grave of Mrs. John Roberts in Saccarappa
cemetery, some weeks ago. The arrest
was brought about through the discovery
Of the inscription plate of the casket IN
which the body of Mrs. Roberts was
buried. This inscription plate was found
a few days ago by Mrs. Augustus Kenni-
son beneath the door steps of house on
Union street where Mrs. Martha KIM
ball and family had lived until recently.
| When Mrs. Kimball moved out of this
house to go to Kennebunk, where she in
tended to reside for the future, the door
steps were broken by the weight of some
was found the silver inscription plate
which had been stolen from Mrs.
| Roberts's casket. Mrs. Kimball has a
son, by former marriage, named Joseph
w. Rounds, who is considered by many
people to be half witted. The police of
Westbrook on learning of Mrs. Kennison's
discovery followed up the clue thus fur
nished to the ghoulish mystery and young
Rounds's arrest was the result
| The young man was found at Kenne-
bunk at his mothers house, and City
| Marshal Knight informed him that the
coffin plate had been found beneath the
| steps of the house on Union street recent
ly vacated by his mother. 1t is claimed
that the young man then broke down and
made full confession to the officer. His
story adds another chapter to the details
of this sensational case which has so long
mystifled the people of Westbrook ana
the officers who have been engaged upon
it. Young Rounds is said to have said
that he had been troubled for many
months by spirits who haunted him
constantly and gave him no peace. They
visited him almost every night and told
him that he could only obtain relief from
4 their prosecutions by violating some
grave and removing therefrom somebody.
For days, young Rounds told the mar
shall, he had hung around the Saccarappa
cemetery and at last decided TO deseorate
the grave of Mrs. Roberts, although he
did not know at that. time who was
buried there. The boy said he had been
In the cemetery the day that Mrs. Pennell
had seen man there and that he had
tried to keep out of her sight by hiding
behind the mounds over the graves. On
the night OF. the day on which Mrs. Pen
nell had seen him in the cemetery the boy
said he disguised himself by putting ON
one Of his mothers old dresses which
hung in the shed and about eight o'clock
went to the cemetery taking shovel and
an axe with him. He then dug out the
grave until he came to the coffin and
forcing the casket open with the axe re-
moved the body. This he carried to the
banks of the small pond near the cemetery
and there covered it up with the grass
which had been cut from the graves
during the summer by the men who cares
for them. His work was completed by
ten O'Clock that night and he was at
home and in bed without his absence be.
ing noticed by his mother After return
ing home Rounds said he burned the old
dress in the stove. Young Rounds told
the marshal that he performed this
ghoulish act alone and unaided. and that
since then he had not been bothered by
the "spirits.'
Mrs. Kimball was nearly overcome by
her sons arrest. She told the city mar
shall that he had been injured by fal
when he was four years old and since
then his mind had peen weak. She be
lieved that if her son had committed this
act of desecration he had done SO through
! some ones influence over him and thai
! he was not alone responsible for the act.
Young Rounds was brought to Portland
: by City Marshal Knight, having, it Ii
said. signed statement similar to the
above story at the officers request. Or
arriving at Portland the city marsha
proceeded at once with the prisoner tt
Assistant County Attorney Allans office
where the boy having been examined was
committed to Jail for safe keeping. 1t IL
probable that Rounds will be arralgnee
today either in the Westbrook Municlpa
court or in Portland.
The arrest of the weak minded boy
J caused great sensation in Westbrook
1t is believed by many people in that CITY
, that the Lac is not the real culprit ano
that some sensational developments may
, grow out of his arrest.
The police and county officers art
thought to have in their possession ln1or
nation which may complicate mat1er'