Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-28
NOT BRAlMERo's WIFE.
~.
inspector Pickett Says Mrs. Brainerd Mas So
Admitted to Him.


al piece of information has just been
given out by 4 member of the Port
land police department. 1t relates to
the case of George H. Brainerd, fore
man of the New England telegram
4 Telephone Companys construction
crew. who, in the telephone office
building in this city, April "a fatally
shot Chief Electrician l. Henry Farm
ham of Wellesley, Mass. and Electro
cian Earl NJ. Buxton ot Springfield
ana seriously wounded Electricians
James II. Wadsworth and Elmer y.
Lane.
inspector Pickett of the police de-
partment. who was detailed to gather
evidence in behalf of the State in the
prosecution of Brainery. makes the
statement that the young woman with
whom Brainerd was keeping house in
Dcering at the time of the shooting,
| and who has claimed to be his wife,
was never married to him. and that
the stories she has told to the news
papers about his insanity do not coin
eide with the statement she made to
the investigating officers soon after the
tragedy.
Il have her own admission. and the
admission of the prisoner. too. for the
statement that they were not husband
and wife" said the inspector. Il have
been in possession of this information
ever since the day Erainerd was taken
to the county Jail, but fer certain rea-
sons did not deem it wise to make it
public. l should not mention it now.
We're it not for the fact that the alleg-
| ed Mrs Brainerd has seen fit to give
out to the papers statements contrary
| to what she has tCld me and others in
my presence.
| My attention has been called to her
| interview with a reporter in Augusta.
where she went To visit Brainerd, who
| has been temporarily committed to the
| Insane hospital for official observation.
| That interview is so different from
what she stated to me. l think it only
fair that the public should be given
some new light on the case.
ION his way from the police station
to the county Jail, two days after the
murder. 1 talked with Brainerd. lie
said he was sorry for what he had
done, that he fully realized his posi-
ton and hcd n long and rocky road
| ahead of him. i asked him if the wo-
man who called herself Mrs Brainerd
| was his wife, and he said she was not;
| that he took her out of pity for her.
and she was chiefly responsible for the
| trouble he was now in.
| THAT evening l called at her horne
on Fairmount street, Deering. accom-
| panied by officer Brown of the Wood
ford station. l told her what Brainerd
had said to me and she acknowledged
that she and BraineTd We're not mar
ried. though they had been living to-
sether three years. She said she could
have married him, but she didn't want
| to.
| Il asked her if she had ever noticed
in him any indication of insanity. and
she replied that she had not: that when
under the influence of liquor he was
ugly. but when sober was all right.
| She said she had frequently heard him
threaten to fix Farnham. and had
heard him say they We're trying to do
him.
| Il asked her about his carrying re-
yolver. and she said he was not ac-
custoraed to carrying one, but he took
it that morning. In the course of her
! conversation she Sali Silt uihh va =
Il snap about Brainerd, and she should
| have nothing more to do with him now,
but intended to leave town.
an view of her admission to Officer
Brown and me before the question OF
Brainerd's insanity had been formally
raised, her contrary statements now
made for publication seem rather
| strained
| Officer Brown of the Woodfords sta
! ton. who is referred to rs being pres
| cnt when Inspector Pickett interview
ed Mrs. Brainerd. read the inspectors
statement of what took place at the IN
terview and fully indorsed it.
An attempt was made SATURDAY
evening 10 locate Mrs. Brainerd, III Or
der to give her an opportunity to reply
| to Inspector Fickett's statement. but II
was learned that she had not been IN
| Portland since Monday. one of the de-
| Tending attorneys in the case says she
| will be on hand to give her testimony
whom the question of Brainerd's sanity
comes before the court in September.
The attorney said he had never qucS-
| toned the domestic relations OF MI.
and Mrs Brainerd and that the on!
| issue in the case is whether braiheru
| was sane or insane when he shot down
| hie fellow DlOyCS.