Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-16
LOCAL MATTERS.
ALIVE, NOT DEAD.
John J.. McG'ath Arrives in Town
After Death Is Reported.
An Evident Attempt to Secure Money
from His Family.

announced 10 Uc OSdu DIT IL "A. NJ,
and turned up safe and well at his
home at II P. NJ. That is the story of
Mr.. John J. McGrath's adventures
on Saturday, Nov. 14th. Mr.. McGrath
has been working as cook at Jackson's
camp, about 20 miles from Kineo, and
Saturday forenoon, shortly after II,
news came that some member OF his
family was wanted at the Central tel
ephone office. Miss Sadie McGrath
went to the Office, and found that a man
in Bangor, giving his name as John
WEIGH, was the party who had called
her up. WEIGH did no talking over the
phone himself, but had the operator do
it for him He informed Miss McGrath
that her father had been killed in the
woods, and he wished to know if the
remains should be sent home. He repre-
scented that he had been sent to Ban
gor, by the company to bring the intel
ligence. Miss McGrath ordered that
the body be sent home at once, and
went home to notify the family.
More particulars were wanted, and
John Murphy, a nephew, went to the
Office and called up Welch again. Mr..
WEIGH, had mere details, this time. and
Mr.. McGrath had been washing a cup
outside the camp, and that a tree had
fallen on him and killed him, and that
he had now been buried two days. The
company would pay the expenses of the
remains as far as Greenville, and it
would cost 500 to transport them the
rest of the way. Mr.. WEIGH wanted the
money forwarded so that the remains
could be shipped at once.
Murphy then fastened back to the
McGrath home to ask if the money
would be sent Mrs. McGrath decided
to send an undertaken for the body, In,
stead, and Mr.. Welch was told thar n
would be called up, laterl when the
question of money had been decided.
The undertaken was notified. and was.
told that the company would pay ex.s
penses to Greenyille ebnt was not told
of the. 800 propositiaa,, at frst.' He
tried to get Nj. DeIoh by telephone,
!. but WEIGH was entirely missing. He
then tried to get the company at Kineo,
or Greert14Mes III order to find out when
the body would arrive there and so be
able tO8meet 1t. He was not only UNI
able to doathis but was unable to get
any confirmation of the accident story.
No one in either place knew of any
such death. =
Then he got hold of the story of the
800, and his suspicious were at once
aroused, as it was almost exactly SINH
lar to a case he had met when in the
West, number Of years ago. Gle noti-
fled the family of this saying that no
did not wish to hold out any sdelusive
hopes but ne thought it best Tor them
to keepas free as possible frsusaanxiety
until Mr.. Jackson, the proprietor OF the
camp, could be communieat with;
and above all things, that no money
should be sent on. '%F ~
This was how the case stood when Mr.
McGrath rode into town on the Pullman.
Saturday night. all unconscious of the
fact that he was supposed to be dead. He
had not been in town long. however, be-
fore he ran into his own obituary pros
poets, and he Immediately started for
home where he was as heartily welcomed
az he ever was in all his life. The Nc
Grath horne was visited by Journal re.
porter, last night. and Mrs. 9lcGrath stat
ed that her husband had left the Jack
son camp, Friday. and Knew nothing of
anyone being killed there AS this was
after the time the.accidefit was, dated by
& Mrs4Welch. it stamps his story pretty
fpla5nay as a big hoax. Mr.. McGrath does
MNtt know of any accident in -the woods
whatever and knew nothing of this story
until he arrived in Augusta.
4 There is another feature of the case
which adds to the incredibility of Weleh's
story There is no reason why the COM
pany could not have telephoned the intel
lgence from Kineo to Greenvlle. instead
of sending a, man to Bangor. and appar-
telephoned EARLIER If, as he states, the
dead man. whoever he was. had been
buried two days. The whole thing looks
like q scheme to- cheat Mr.. McGrath
family out of money and it may be just
rs healthy fer Welch that he disappeared
early in the game.