Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-14
CAARRED BODIES IN RUINS OF HOUSE.
Murder, Arson and Perhaps Worse
May Have Been Communicable
Clue to Perpetrators.

quantity of gray hair, just the color of
Mr.. Aliens hair and beard.
1t also appears that the house and
barn We're burned separately, as
large pile of wood cut which stands
just to the north of the house and be-
tween the house and barn was not even
scorched. If the fire had passed from
the barn to the house or from the
house to the barn, this wood pile surely
would have been partly burned.
The Allen farm house was an Ordi-
nary story and a half wooden building.
with an ell ajoining. 1t was of rather
| ancient style. low posted, and stood
! within a few feet of the road. Just
| west of the ell was a large carriage
/ house and the barn, large and COM
/ modious building. was fully six reds
| from the house The farm consits Of
| abount 100 acres of fertile, Well culti
waited land.
:, In this house Mr.. Allen and his wife
had made their home for nearly 40
| years. and they We're known and re-
| spected by everybody for miles around
! the countryside. Mr.. Allen was known
\ as prosperous but very conservative
| man and those who knew him best say
he never kept any large sum of mon.'y
| i'll the house.
Thus, they say, the motive for the
! crime could not have been robbery.
| He was not known to have an enemy
| in the world, and from this they argue
| the motive could not have been re
venee for any real or fancied wrong
| one of the neighbors, this Afternoon,
expressed the belief that if the fire had
not destroyed the bodies of Mrs Allen
and her daughter motive for the crime
might have been found lie said that in
his opinion Mr.. Allen was called from
barn was attacked, where the patches OF
body was then carried to the barn and
covery of the crime
Then the murderers went TO the house
where the two women We're alone. What
probably. but in the end two more vic
time We're left either dead or dying and
a second building fired in the hope THAI
traces of the crime would lie obliterated
When found the remains of one of the
women was lying in what had been the
hitting room and the other was in the ell
the most distant part Of the house. All
now lie in the same position as when first
found and will not he removed until the
county officials have visited the scene.
What time the tragedy occurred is not
known TO certainty. but from informa-
ton given by one of the neighbors il is
believed to have occurred. carry last even
ing. This man said he saw a reflection
as OF fire in the direction Of the Allen
house. about O'Clock last night He
thought nothing more about the matter
at the time. and it did not occur to him
again until the news OF the death of his
neighbors came to him. today.
1t was not expected that the county Of
ficials would arrive here much before
midnight and ii is probable that nothing
will be done until tomorrow. At that
time. however. it is expected an inquest
VIII be neld and Il thorough examination
of the affair made.
The tour men the officers are looking
for in connection with the crime are
thought to be the same gang that par
ticipated in a sensational stage robbery
at Willimantic, last Friday.
This affair was carried out in a most
methodical and careful manner. The
and had proceeded only short distance
when a man stepped from the bushes at
the side of the road. seized the horses by
the brides and announced that he was a
deputy sheriff.
VINE the stage driver was engaged in
conversation with the stranger lie was
dealt terrific blow on the head from be-
hInd. which rendered him unconscious.
and when he returned to his senses the
visitors Were nowhere to be seen.
An express package containing liquor
appeared. and the drivers wallet contain
~. a small sum Of money was missing.
The stage driver said the man who held
the horses was an Indian, and he also be-
lieves he could recognize one of the 9TH
ers. of whom he thought there were four
in all.
The fact that Mr.. Johnson. who encoun-
tered four men at Bunker Brook. today
described one OF the men, as an Indian
leads to the belief that they are the same
quartet that took part in the h.'idup OF
the Willimantic stage That the men
We're intoxicated strengthens the belief
as the stage robbers secured consider
able quantity OF liquor in the express
package.
The only connection between these four
men and the Shirley tragedy, SO Tar as
now known IS that they were the only
STRANGERS known to be in this vicinity at
the time OF the crime and i'll their intOx--
icated CONDITION they might have INDUCED
In excuses beyond men in their right
senses.
There are only % daily runs Of 100
miles and upwards on the whole