Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-09-16
A BRUTAL MURDER.
Aged Farmer, Ivory Boothby
Of North Saco, Shot.
Robbery Evidently the Motive as
Pockets Had Been RiAed.
Enticed from House BY Stranger, "Wednesday
Nighttime Glue Yet.

Blddefoi+l, Me-. Sepe. 15.-Ivory
Boothby. farm laborer. aged so years,
who has been living at the home Of
Mrs. Abbie Parcher on the Flag Pond
road. North Saco, was found dead in
the road, this morning. bearing evil
dence Of foul play
He left the house, last evening, at Z
O'Clock. in company with stranger
VINO had called. saying that his wagon
was stalled near the bridge, about a
quarter Of a mile away and he wanted
assistance.
Mr.. BoGthby did not return, and this
morning, his corpse was found by two
women of the household, lying beside
the road. about an eighth of mile
from the house. with mark Of bull
let which entered the right ear and
passed out by the left eye.
Death must have been almost instan-
taneous. There We're no marks OF 4
struggle. The dead mans pockets were
turned inside out and his pocket book
was missing. So far no clue to the
identity of the murderer has been dis
covered
The cause of the deed is a mystery.
It is not thought that Mr.. Boothby had
more than s25 OF $50 with him.
So far as is known, he had no enc
mics. The only one who testified to
having seen the man whom Boothby
went off with is Mrs. Rena Merrill, a
servant in the house, and she can give
no description of him whatever.
Js~ax Il
North Saco. and the mysterious affair
has caused profound sensation in that
section.
the police, tonight. were no nearer an
opinion as to the identity of the murderer
than when they started. What promise
to prove link in the case proved only an
incident.
1t was the detention of Hiram Nathan
Way. rowing character VINO came here
from Vermont. in July. and who had been
staying in the Flag -'ond neighborhood
since that time. Way easily presented an
alibi and was released. The officers have
been unable to find a person living in the
vicinity of the murder who saw a stranger
in that section. last night.
1t Is not thou~ht revenge was the mo-
tive for the crime. as every resident of
the neighborhood declares that it is i'm
probable that the murdered man had an
enemy. Ii also seems strange to the OIL
GERS that a hishwayman should select
Mr.. Boothby as a. rich prize, for he was
not reputed to be wealthy. and as far as
could be ascertained never carried over a
dozen dollars in his pocket at one time.
The tragedy is denounced by the officers
at work on the case as one of the most
brutal and cold-blooded ever perpetrated
in Maine.
1t has been learned that stranger
called at the residence of Charles II. Pull
len. on the Portland road. Tuesday night
and asked Mr.. Pullen to leave the house
by telling him that his horse had fallen
and could not get up. Mr.. Pullen refused
to go with the stranger and the fellow
went away. A man also called at the
house of Eugene Mills, on the Portland
road the same night. and tried to get Mr..
Mills to go up the road by the same ex-
cuse. Mr.. Mills. however, would not ac-
company the man. 1t is thought by the
officers that this was the man who MUIR
dered Boothby.
An inquest into the murder will be
opened, tomorrow morning.