The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-01
Orders To Detain Him
Came To Late.
Officers Believe Him To Be In
Vicinity of Portland.

AlITtu, ApTli AGO poAieo W ooobsA
western Maine and southeastern New
Hampshire are making a careful search
for n man who was released today from
the county jail, after serving thirty
days sentence, for vagrancy and who Is
suspected of being Paul A. Mueller. who,
1t is alleged killed three members of the
Newton family at Brookfield, Mass, in
the winter of 1898. The suspected man,
who has been known at the Jail as John
Smith, answers in many ways the je-
scription OF the much wanted Mueller.
He admitted that he formerly worked on
a milk farm and that he was cabinet
maker. Chief Wade of the Massachusetts
detain the man. but before Ithe message
reached here the jailer had released him.
The Brookfeld murder, of which this
man is suspected was one of the most
terrible crimes in the history of New
England 1t was committed at the farm
house of Francis n. Newton, near Brook
field. Mass. Friday night January 9TH,
1895. The bodies of the three victims re.
llHlueu bhO luii dtnyc III buo AaAAA hodoo
after the crime was committed before
they were discovered, and Immediately
the murder became known the police all,
over the country began search for the
farm hand who was suspected as being
the murderer. Many arrests were made,
but none of those arrested were identified
as Mueller, and until Sunday no clue to
the murderer's whereabouts were made
public.
The Newton family lived on farm
about three miles from the little town Of
Brookfeld. Saturday and Sunday af-
ter the crime was committed the
nei ighbors,o of the Sewton's who passed
the house, heard the cattle lowing in the
barn but thought nothing of 1t. Sunday
night young man named William Eaton
began to worry about the Newton family
and obtained the assistance of three COM
pani0ns to search the premises. They
went to the farm house and raped on the
doors for some time without arousing any
one. Finally one of the number orawled
in a window and opened the door for his
companions. They obtained lantern
from the shed and by its dim light saw q
scene of the widest disorder ON entering
the sitting room of the house. Scattered
abouts.this room and the parlor were
bureau drawers turned up side down, the
floor strewn with clothing and every evil
denoe that the house had been hastily
ransacked by some one.
This aroused the fears Of the searchers
and Oh looking into the little back bed
room scene Of horror was revealed by
the lanterns dim rays. There upon the
bed lay the body of Mrs. Newton and be-
side her the little daughter. both covered
with blood. The bed clothing saturated
with blood had been thrown over the
heads of the victims and on pulling them
away 1t WAS found that their heads had
been smashed By blows from an axe or
other instrument. The lower parts Of the
bodies of the woman and child had also
been frightfully hacked and mutilated.
Upstairs in one of the chambers was
found the body of Mr.. Newton with gap
ping wounds in his head. Mueller the
hired man was not to be found, and he
was naturally suspected of having COM
mitted the crime.
No trace of this man could be found. 1t
Is presumed that the three persons were
killed In their sleep and ROBBERY was tne
motive for the crime. NO money coulh
h ave been obtained by the murderer, as
MIR. Newton kept very little in the house.
Tbs murderer attempt to set fire to the
house fter the murder was not successful
Had 1t been very few of the details OF this
most horrible tragedy would have been
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