The Portland daily press., 1898-09-17

been found, Thursday morning, testified
The lining of the trousers pocket wa
| hanging out The pocketbook was miss
ing.
Two witnesses gave testimony which
tends to show that the murderer was Oh
| foot, and that he made his escape in the
riding home on his bicycle on the Watson
hill road, Wednesday evening. About
O'Clock he passed man on the road
about a mile and half from the scene
of the murder. He did not see the man
| till he nearly ran into him. He turned
out and shouted "Hallo," and received
gruff, indistinct response. 1t was so
dark Mr.. Rice did not get a good view
of the man, but simply noticed that he
was short and wore dark suit and q
| dark slouch hat He was walking rapid.
ly.
| Another witness. Eugene Gerry of
| North Hollis also met stranger that eve
ming Accompanied by his niece and
| nephew, Mr.. Gerry was walking toward
his sisters house on the Watson mill
road. The meeting occurred at the juno
tion of four roads. As near as Mr.. Gerry
can judge it was about o'clock. The
stranger asked him where the four roads
led. Mr.. Gerry replied that one led to
Portland, another to Buxton Lower
Corner, the third to the Heath meeting
house and the fourth the Thurston mill
and Dustan Corner.
Without engaging in further conversa-
tion the man started off OH the Grant
road which leads to Portland. 1t was
SO dark Mr.. Gerry could not see the face
of his inquirer, but he did smell the or
dor of whiskey when the stranger accost-
ed him. Mr.. Gerry says the mans voice
was gruff. He had on slouch hat and
his dark sack coat was closely buttoned.
These were all the witnesses examined
today. The inquest adjourned until Mon
day morning.
William Rice, uncle of the witnesses,
also met on the Watson mill road, We'd
uesday evening. a stranger whose appear
ance tailed with the description of the
SuDDOS6u ~ WAo 11S0o ~
minutes after Frank Rice had passed
him. Mr.. Rice said, "How do you do, !"
as he passed but received no response to
his salutation.
The local officers are working diligently
on the case but they all acknowledge that
it is an exceedingly blind trail they are
following. In their opinion the murder
was committed by highwayman who
improved every minute of the nine hours
which elapsed between the murder and
the discovery of the body. 1t is only u
miles from tho Parcher place to Portland
and he could easily have reached that city
by midnight.
According to their theory based on the
testimony of Mr.. Gerry and Mr.. Rice, the
m urderer left the main road few rods
beyond the bridge where he left his VIC
tim, and took a cross road which took
him into the Watson mill road, where
Frank Rice met him.
The funeral of the murdered man will
be held at the Boothby homestead Sun
day afternoon and it will be conducted
by the Rev. MIR. Mugridge, pastor Of the
North Saco church.
Mayor Lord called special meeting of
the city government tonight and re-
ward was offered for information that
will lead to the arrest of the murderer.
An officer who has been working on the
case eYsr since the authorities were noti-
fed of the murder, made trip to Port
land today and called at nearly every
farmhouse along the way. At the home
of Orrin Merrill he learned that Miss
Eleanor Merrill passed stranger on tine
Watson mill road Wednesday evening.
Her description of him corresponds with
the description of the man whom Messrs.
Gerry and Rice met. AS he passed her
he turned his head from her and he no.
ticed that the rim of his slouoh hat was
bent downward.
Arthur Fogg, who lives on the Port
land road, four miles from the Flag pond
road, informed the officer that tramp
who worked for him during the haying
season called there Thursday morning
and inquired the way to the nearest sta
tion of the Portland & Rochester rail.
road.
At John Messrve's farm two miles nearer
Portland, it was learned that tall tramp
with sandy mustaohe had called there
early Monday morning and was given
a breakfast. He said he was on his way
to Old Orchard and after being fed he
started Off in that direction.
Tonight word was received in this city
that tramp was seen walking on the
Eastern railroad track, near Oak Hill.
Scarboro, early Thursday morning, ard
was wiping a revolver. That clue Is
being followed up by Saco officer.
GEN. SCHOFIELD VISITS PRESI-
DENT.