Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-24
BEATEN AND CUT.
Murderous Work of Drunken
Burglar at Kittery.
Mrs. Tar|ton, Aged 83, So Beaten and
Cut, that She Will Die.
Fred Parks, Aged rs. Under Arrest Citizens
Talk Of Lynching.

kittefy, Me, Jan. 23.-Mrs. Elvira
Tarlton, one Of the oldest residents OF
this town. is dying, tonight, from fear
ful wounds about the head and shoul-
ders. received in an encounter with a
burglar. this afternoon, while Fred
Parks, % years of age, who was seen
to Jump from the window of Mrs. Ta:l-
tons lonely house, is locked up in Jail,
charged with the crime. i he entire
community is wild with excitement,
and. tonight. after Parks had been ar
rested at his home. he was openly
threatened with lynching as he was led
through the wrathful crowd to the Jail.
Mrs. Tarlton. who is So years old,
lived alone in her little house, which is
on the river bank, not far from the fer
ry. and has always lived a quiet, un-
cventful life, with but few callers, al
though her friends We're many.
George y. Williams was walking
along the road, this afternoon. when
some one told him that there was a
drunken man in the vicinity of Mrs.
Tarltons house, who appeared to be act
ing rather peculiarly. Williams hast
ened to the house and tried the door
but could not get in, so he ran across
to one of the neighbors for assistance.
He had scarcely reached the house,
which was only a few hundred yards
away, when he heard u crash and saw
Parks leaping from one of the windows
of the first floor. Before Williams
could give the alarm Parks had run off
i,. s.t,.A Jix..,f nj int. he
woods.
With one or two of the neighbors
Williams ran back to the Tarlton house
and after two or three Intellectual at
tempts managed to break in the door
of the kitchen. 1t was Il grewsome
spectacle that met their gaze, for on
the floor lay the unfortunate woman,
her head bruised and battered. her
shoulder slashed with Il butcher knife.
that was near her, covered with blood,
while the crimson fluid was also scat
tered in every direction.
1t took some minutes for Williams
and his companions 10 ascertain that
the poor woman was alive. and when
they did SO one of their number hasten
ed for the doctor. While the others
bathed her head and shoulders The
physician. upon arriving. after care
full examination. gave but little hope
for Mrs. Tarlton's recovary but she was
nevertheless tenderly @arried TO Il
neighboring house, and every effort
was made to revive her. Meantime,
the police had been notified and a
searching party organized for the pur-
suit of Parks.
i.,y, .tr fl,a Il
that while everything was in fearful
disorder, very little of value had been
taken although most thorough search
for money had been made. Within
three hours after the police had been
notified of the affair they had Parks
under arrest. He was found at his
fathers home at Spruce Greek and was
readily given up by the family. Hew was
handcuffed and brought up to Jail. but
a great crowd had collected and all
sorts of threats We're hurled at him.
while his captorS We're unlocking the
Jail door. Once inside, he was locked
into a Cell. While two men We're sta
toned as guards. The authorities DO
not expect any trouble from the citi-
Zens although popular feeling is at a
white heat. He will be taken to Alfred,
tomorrow, and lodged in the county
Jail.
Parks was apparently somewhat un-
der the influence OF liquor, and bottle
of whiskey was found in his pocket.
None of the articles from the Tarlton
house were found in his clothes. He
talked but little regarding the affair
but did not deny that he committed
the assault.
The physicians attending Mrs. Tarl-
ton hardly expect her to survive the
night, as her wounds. especially about
the head are deep and of a CHASTITY ma
ture.
The room where the encounter took
place gave every evidence of being the
scene of a fierce struggle, and appar-
emily Mrs. Tarlton did not succumb un-
til her head had been pounded almost
into jelly, and her shoulders and arms
cut and slashed as if by butcher.
Nearly every part of the room showed
spots of blood, and even the ceiling did
not escape being Spattered
Parks has already served time for
other offences.