The Portland daily press., 1898-09-16

" questioned him. He said he had spent
last night at Frank Dyer's farm on the
Hearn road, going there as early at
O'Clock in the afternoon, and remaining
till morning. He readily consented to
accompany the officers to Mr.. Dyers 8
home. Mr.. Dyer, prominent resident
of that neighborhood, fully verified
Wade's story.
The body of Mr.. Boothby was borne to
the Boothby homestead, where his BROTH
ers live. Coroner Bradbury will begin
an inquest tomorrow. his jury being made
up of two North Saco citizens and the
others from the city. He has also ar
ranged for post-mortem examination' as
matter of precaution.
The most important clue the oincers
have obtained comes from Cnaries
Pullen, farmer living on the Portland
road, 2 1-2 miles from the bridge where
MIR. Boothby was killed.
Between 10 and o'clock Tuesday night
he was awakened by loud rapping at
his door. Raising his bedroom window,
he asked what was wanted. He could
see the indistinot form of man. stand
ing in the yard. The man said his horse
had fallen in the road near there and he
wanted some assistance in getting him
back on his feet.
''Where is your .horse?" asked Mr..
Pullen.
"Down here at the fork of the roads, "
was the reply.
SIT seems to me you have come a long
way to get help" continued Mr.. Pullen.
"You have passed two or three houses. .
'I know that, but I couldn't get any
body to come out was the strangers s
response.
Mr. Pullen said his teeth had been
troubling him lately and he didn't dare
to go out in the chilly air.
The midnight caller still pleaded, and
said his wife was out there in the wagon,
waiting for him to get the horse up. he
added that he would be willing to pay
Mr.. Pullen well il he would only render
the solicited aid.
But MIR. Pullen clung to his resolution
ItOU W ~ O0U, bh0 uAC SUAchSSOA
off in the direction where his horse was
stranded.
The next morning MIR. Pullen looked
for evidence of the accident at the fork
of the roads, but could find none.
Speaking today of the occurrence, he
said: 81 am satisfied that the man who
shot Ivory Boothby was. the same chap
who tried to get me out of the. house the
night before. didn't suspect anything
wrong, but pitied the fellow and if it
had been in the daytime I would GER
tainIy have gone out to assist him. But
did not want to go out in the dead of
the night on any kind of an errand. l
had been suff sring from toothache and
it gave me good excuse for declining
to go out. But the fact is my courage
isn't very good at that time of night
That is just why did not leave the
house,
Mr. PulIen can give no description OF
the man except that he had clear voice
and seemed to be rather tall.
Mrs. Parcher and Miss Merrill. from
whose home Ivory Boothby was lured
out to his death, looked out of the dining
room window, when he and his caller
were leaving the yard. BY Mr.. Boothby's
lighted lantern they. y.could see the forms
of the two men, and they noticed that
Mr.. Boothby was taller than the strang-
er.
At first it was supposed that the muir
der was committed by somebody acquaint-
ed with Mr.. Boothby, who knew that he
was accustomed to carry money in his
pockets; but Mr.. Pullen's experience
seems to lead to the belief that the mur-
derer was tramp or professional high.
wayman.
Eugene Mills, who lives near Mr.
Pullen, was also aroused late Tuesday
night, by a noise that sounded like rap
at his window but he took it for granted
that he was mistaken about its origin
and dropped off to sleep again.
The murder is one of the most mysteri-
GUS ever known in York county. The
officers who are investigating it declare
it the blindest kind of a case to work
on, and there seems to be little hope that
the murderer will be run down.