Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-28
TWO MEN DISAPPEAR.
a Horse Was Also Missing and the
Officers Searched.
Now Calvin Brooks Story Of The Affair is
Wanted.

"o"uS IN .ie supuTDS, were all on the
programme with the police depart
ment, Friday morning.
10 begin at the beginning. Melvina
Shelhurn of Belgrade keeps two horses
and has a nephew named Calvin
Brooks, who lives with her. Mr..
Brooks wished to come into Augusta,
Thursday, and his aunt let him have
one of her horses with which to make
the trip. The nephew drove to the
home of Melvin Z. Smith and the two
came to Augusta together What was
done in Augusta is disclosed only by
what Mr.. Smith has to say about the
matter He declares that about noon
Brooks said he had got to go away on
the train and asked him (Smith) if he
would not drive the horse home.
Smith was willing to do so. and ac-
cording to instructions from his COM
panion, he gave the animal two quarts
of corn and two of oats shortly after
noon, Thursday.
The next thing he did after hitching
the horse to a post on the street, he
said, was to go and get a drink. When
he same back he said the horse was
gone and he does not remember any
thing until he awoke, Friday morning,
and found himself at his home in Bel
grade.
He says it was about p NJ when he
returned to where he left the horse, and
that he walked home.
City Marshal Morse has good chain
of evidence to support another view of
the matter.
This evidence shows that Smith
started for home. or at least that he
went to as far as Coombs' Mills and
that he deserted the team there and
went into Mr.. Scribner's barn and I'D
down for a sleep. When Mr. Scribner
drove his COWS up at night, he found
Smith there, awoke him and told him
to get out of the barn. The intruder
said he would not. and made some
loud talk on the subject. Mr.. Scribner
called to his assistance William
Knowles, a neighbor Smith there
upon, boldly announced that there We're
not enough men in Augusta to put him
out of that barn. Mr.. Knowles kicked
him once, however, just to see if he
could be moved, and the experiment
proved a perfect success. Mr. Smith
got into Mr.. Shelburne's wagon and
started along.
Further on he drove into the door
yard of William Conant's house, but
instead of stopping there he went a
half mile down across the fields, to
a valley, behind a piece of woods.
During the night the women of Mr..
Conant's household thought they heard
him return to the highway but the
next morning the people of the neigh
borhood turned out and hunted through
the woods and pastures.
George Bean came into the city and
notified City Marshal Morse and that
official and Deputy Marshal Grover
went out and joined in the search.
The team was found and cared for
but no Smith was in sight. There were
a pipe, cap and two cuts of tobacco
found in the wagon.
When the party arrived at police
headquarters Mrs. Sheburne and
Smith were there.
Smith was questioned sharply by
Marshal Morse. He denied all knowl-
edge of the Whereabouts of the team
after he gave the horse his grain and
said the first thing he knew he was at
home.
He did not claim to have been hyp-
Noticed but just could not account for
the fact that the team was found on
the road that he would have taken
home.
Mrs. Shelburne did not wish to say
much as she seemed to fear that she
would get her nephew into trouble.
The whereabouts of that young man
is unknown. He is about % years old
and of temperate habits. Still Marshal
! Morse says he does not wish to be
hasty about pushing any case against
Smith until the full influence of Mr..
Brooks conduct and words on the mat
ter have become more fully understood.
Nathan Knowles, neiShhor to the
interested persons, was with Brooks
and Smith, and heard Brooks give in
structions about feeding the horse.
Mr.. Smith says that the cap. pipe
and tobacco are his He recognized
the pipe and cap and concludes the
tobacco is his because he bought two
cuts at 10 cents each.
Mrs. Shelburne had both of her teams
to take home. so she had Mr., Smith
drive one for her.
Marshal Morse will get the advice