Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-10
HEADLESS BODY
Of Young Woman Found Near
Chelmsford, Mass.
Scanti|y Clothed and Undoubtedly
Left There by Murderer.
Badly Dccomposed. Clue or Even SITS
picion as 10 Identity.


and dccomposed body of young wom-
an was found under heap of brush
IN a patch of woodland in Chelmsford,
f, this afternoon. Murder had been COM
mitted in a horrible fashion, for the
head had been separated from the
trunk by a series of slashes with dull
weapon. The meagrc clothing affords
no clue to the identity of the unfortu-
nate. and the circumstances offer a
case of interest outside rather than di-
rectly in the community, as the theory
quickly set up is that the body had
| been taken to the woods and thrown in
a spot that offered some seclusion.
With little delay the case has been re-
ported to the state police for invcstiga-
4 ton.
| The body was found on the wood
road leading from the so-called North
l,llcrica road. which branches off the
main road running westward and
! about two miles from the village of
| Chelmsford Center. 1t was found by
! Elmer Hildreth, superintendent of the
town farm, and VIM. Balscr, who We're
! searching for a stray calf. on the wood
| road was Il section of cleared land,
! then a narrow belt of timber. and be-
| yond another clearing. in which stood
| Il logger's cabin and a board camp,
both having been in use last winter,
| hut deserted for a number of weeks.
ON the edge of the standing timber
| were piles Of cordwood.
Hildrcth and Ealzcr noticed the odor
of c2rrion and decided to locate the
obnoxious body and in so doing walk
| ed around a pile of wood. They saw
a pair Of human limbs protruding from
| a heap of brush and while considerably
| frightened, did not hesitate to inves-
tigate further. The partially dressed
body lay stomach down and the head
| appeared to be gone. They returned to
the village and notified Sclectman John
| l.. Warren and Constable George
| Wright, the four men then returning
| to the brush pile to make a more care
! full examination. The body was terribly
! dCcomposcd. The clothing consisted of
long brown stockings, fleece-lined
drawers, a petticoat carriers, corsets
and Il chcmise. Nothing else having
| had to do with the body WAS found.
| Two of the men remained at the
place while the others drove TO the
village. and notified the police of this
! city, and Assistant Medical Examiner
| j. V. Meigs, the latter going out to
Chelmsford and granting permission
for the removal of the body to Lowell.
1t was than dark, so that search Of the
| woods was abandoned for the night.
The autopsy will be held in the morn
ing.
| AS it appeared after the body was
found the protruding limbs in the brush
pile could have been seen from the
| wood road and q number of persons
| have driven over the road within the
| past few weeks. chiefly transfers to
haul sawdust from L saw mill some
distance beyond the deserted logging
camp, adds singular condition. Sew
eral OF these men. who belong in the
village. did not see anything out of
the ordinary. probably because they
| We're not looking for it.
| The logging crew during the winter
| We're in charge Of Foreman John
Coupcy, who is still at work in another
wood lot half mile distant, but who
of late has had no occasion to go to
the old camp. Even had he gone there
the chances might have been as with
one of his workmen who only few
| days ago went over the wood rold and
1 Dy tne WoOu pie III question TO tne
camp without noticing the brush heap
| The logging crew scattered with the
| warm weather, but the foreman re-
| members no women who have had any
| reason to go into the camp, save to
have made brief visit to carry in
| clothing to relatives. for most of the
| men appeared to be married and had
| families or friends in Lowell
DR.. Mcigs on viewing the body where
| it was found thought it had lain there
| four or five weeks and the camp had
been locked longer than that.
Tomorrow the entire section will he
carefully looked over. chiefly in the
hope of finding the womans head.
The body was hastily viewed at an
undertakers in this city by Dr. Meigs.
He judged the woman to have been %
to 80 years of age, 5 feet, four inches
in height and to have weighed 40
pounds.
Whether or not there were body
body wounds remain to be shown by
examination. An abrasion near the
heart may have been from violence,
but insects evidently had made some
inroads in the flesh. One of the men
who assisted in removing the body
from its first position hastily conclud-
ed that the abrasion was from Il bull
let. but as to this the autopsy will de-
termine.
The police know no missing woman
in Lowell or neighbOring towns.