Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-11-28
FOUND DEAD.
Brutal Murder Of Leices-
ter, Mass, Woman.
Mrs. Emma Richard Brigham's
Body found'in Swamp.
Had Been Missing Since Friday-sev.
erai Arrests Made.

Leicester. Mass. Nov 27.-Bruised
ana battered by fierce blows, with her
face pounded into an unrccorniza BILE
mass, hei skull fractured and her rirht
ear torn from her head, with Six ribs
broken and her hair and clothing. hat
ted, dirty ard blood soaked, the body
OF Mrs. Emma Richards Brigham. who
was missed from her home on Pine
street. Friday night, was found. Satur.
day morning. IN the alder swamp In
the rear of her house. Fierce was the
| struggle between a frail woman and
her fiendish antagonist If the mute
story of trampled leaves and scattered
henlock branches can be believed.
Bloody was the trail along which the
murderer dragged his victim. ssr4
A tramp who stopped at the Brigham
house two night in September. is sus-
pected Of being the murderer His del
scription as given by the aged motht
er of the murdered woman talIies with
that of the tramp seen in Leicester,
Friday and Saturday. He left Leices.
ter in Selteinber. with a blue shirt and
gold pen stolen from Mrs. Brigham's
house. Three tramps are held al
Spencer as suspects.
When the state police arrived in Lei
cester. Saturday. they Immediately no.
titled surrounding towns to hold all
suspicious persons and Deputy Shers
if H. p. Draper of Spencer, arrested
Patrick ]. Stanton Of New York,
Thomas Courtney Of Springfield. and
George Rivet of Huntington. VT. and
they will be held for investigation.
M mn No ..v1n To Lna
The first theory that she has been
robbed is not borne out by investiga-
ton. for n close examination OF her
clothing does not reveal any sign OF
robbery. Her mother, Mrs. Jane M
Richards. told the officers that she
SUPPOSED her daughter had $50 with
her when she left the house.
The weapon with which the crime was
committed has not been found.
tramp seen in Leicester. Saturday
morning who Is wanted by the police Is
described as being q years old. FIVE feet.
s irches tan; weighs zoo pounds. dark
complexion. red face, two weeks beard,
dark soft hat and tan shoes. Officers,
Saturday found a place where tramps
had recently had a fire. but the men got
away before the officers got there.
The selectmen of Leicester have offered
a reward Of $500 for the arrest and con-
viction of the murderer.
Up to midnight Friday night. the towns
people searched the woods in the vicinity
of Mrs. Brigham's home, and many peo-
pie must have passed close to the spo.
where the body lay covered with hemlock
branches
When the search was resumed, Satur-
day morning, for the missing woman
after a frutless nights work. Mrs. Sophia
Baker and Mrs. Joseph Chape found
a bloody trail leading through tho snow
into the woods and Henry c. Lee followed
ii into the swamp and across n stone wall
on the other side of which The body was
found lying with the head toward the
wall. The arms were raised from the
side. evidently as they had been left al
tr the body had been dragged to its last
resting place. tt
The town officers were notified and sent
for DR.. r. II. Baker Of Worcester. the
medical examiner and state police. The
autopsy was made at the Town hall. after
the medical examiner sad seen Il in its
original position.
TIL. verdic; was that there was no doubt
II was murder.