Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-19
SEVERE BEATING
Undoubtedly the Cause Of
Martin Cragin's Death.
Inquest Being Held at South Berwick
Important Witness Missing.
IAN Stores Closed and Large Attendance at
cragin's Flu craI.

south"BdEwick. Me. July lS.-Acting
under iSk .rss tions from County Attor-
ney M;ltthews.. Coroner Freeman c.
Ham, today; :inisannelled jury and
began an insssstigation into the cause
of the death al Michael Cragin, who
died at the hothe3of j. Edwin Bennett
Tuesday nightsSssunder suspicious cir
cumstanoes. The jSry was made up as
follows: VA. Ham, George f. JOY
d. \. Hatch, 4Alphonso Carpenter, Geo.
W. Tibbetts. and Etea. A. Hobbs.
Accompanied by xhess oroner and the
county attorney tina Jury visited the
Bennett house and view asthe body of
Cragi.. and the barn In. WHICH the man
was found UNCONSCIOUS last Sunday.
and then returned 10 the selectmens
rooms here to consider the ease.
number OF Witnesses have been
summoned Tor the inquest. among them
J. Edwin Bennett and hisoWife Mary.
with whom Cragin boarded Isaac
Bennett. who was in company with
Cragin, Sunday, and who was found
lying III the cow stall =. with Cragin;
James ramsey. Harry w. Butler, JOS
Woods. Charles Benway. and John
| Cunningham. John Bennett the son of
j. Edwin Bennett. is also wanted by
the Stale as 4 witness but he cannot
| be found
Charles Benway makes the state
ment that. last Sunday morning. he
was going to the Bennett farm at 10 90
| A. NJ, with James Tansey when he saw
IAln l.
turned from service in the Philippines
| and crossed over to speak to him He
| heard John ScOlding Isaac Bennett for
| licking Cragin and he asked John what
| the trouble was. John replied that
| when he came out into the barn to
| hitch up the horse he found Isaac
licking HI out of Joker Cragin'" and
| he said that it was a good thing he
| came in, or Isaac would probably have
| killed the old man.
| James TanSey corroborateS Benway'S
| statement in every particular.
| When the story became noised about
| the county attorney attempted to reach
young Bennett to order him to appear
| before the coroner's jury. but he was
not to be found. This morning. it was
learned that a letter was mailed to him
| from the South Berwick post office ad-
| dressed to Rochester, n. H.. and the
| city marshal there was requested to
detain Bennett for the authorities
here.
| The coroner's jury met here today.
| and examined nine witnesses. then ad-
| jOurned until tomorrow morning. The
| witnesses who appeared before the
| jury. today, included Drs. Gerrish and
| Emerson. who attended Cragin and
| performed the autopsy upon his body
| and who testified that his death was
! due to violence. John Cunningham a
| nephew Of Mrs. Bennett who lived at
the Bennett house and cared for Crag-
in before his death. Joseph Wood. Mrs.
| a. l.. Goodwin. Harry Jenkins, Charl' s
| Benway James Tansey and Frank
! Lowell
Cragn was buried from the Metho-
dist church here at > o'clock this af-
ternoon. Rev. DIR. George Lewis of
South Berwick officiating. The funeral
was very largely attended. Among
those who followed the body to the
grave We're Sara Orne Jewett. the au-
thoreSs and her sister. Mary r. Jew
lett. Cragin had been employed around
many years. During the funeral all
the stores in the village were closed
land the streets along which the funer-
la cOrtege passed We're draped with
American flags.