Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-18
Of George Skill
Iings at limington.
Body Found in Well on Mans
Own Farm.
Gardner and Jason DalrympIe, Father
and Son Arrested, Charged With
Crme-Rum Believed to Be at the
Bottom.

sy performed, yesterday, by order of
County Attorney Emery OH the body
of George Skillings, found in the well
on his farm. Thursday morning, proved
that he was not drowned, but was dead
when he reached the water.
The autopsy was performed by DR..
MoultCn ana DIR. Plasted of Limington.
They found the lungs free from water.
| The neck was broken. the nose broken
and the upper lip cut. There were three
deep Gashes OH the head, two of them
on the right side, and the third on the
back of the head. The gashes were of
Il depth ranging from Il half-inch to
/ two inches.
| The doctors say that in their opinion
| the wounds were inflicted by some
sharp instrument, but not knife. A
hoe, found OH the premises, Saturday
/ afternoon, is believed by the prosecu
ton officers to have been used in the
assault.
| There are on its blade several stains
thought to be blood, and several spears
! of what appeared to be human hair
were on the point. Jason Dalrymple. a
neighbor, 40 years of age, and his ia
Their, Gardner Dalrymple of West Bux-
ton, are held in the custody of depu-
ty sheriff pending the investigation.
| They Were summoned as witnesses and
! are still held as such, but the county
! attorney says he will not release them
until after the conclusion of the corO-
| ner'S inquest, at least.
| The Dalrymples are, so far as the Of
| ficers have been able to find out, the
| last persons who saw Skillings alive.
| The stories which the father and son
| told are said to vary in some important
particulars.
| Skilings was IS years of age. The
| farm, located in the district known as
| "Hardscrabble," is reached by Il half
mile drive through the woods, off the
main road from South LimingtOn to
Limington Corner. 1t belongs to Gard
ner Dalrymple, and had been leased d
/ year by Skillings.
| The buildings consist Cf a small house,
ell and shed and d barn. The only wa
ter OH the premises is supplied by the
we'll in which Skillings' body was found.
1t is located about 60 yards from the
house, i'll Il deep ravinc, and is reached
I Skillngs, who peddles provisions, made
a trip to Portland with load of blue
berries. and brought back quart OF
| whiskey and quart of alcohol.
| Wednesday, Jason Dalrymple called
| and the two men, according to the story
Of DalrympIc and his father, drank Il
quantity of the liquor.
Mrs. Mary Hall, Skillings' house
II
the plains with her children all day,
i Wednesday. They returned shortly be-
fore 6 o'clock. Skillings was not there.
She went to the well and drew a pail OF
water and is sure that his body was not
then in the well, as there was a depth
OF but 20 inches and she had no diff
Guilty in lowering the pail. About dark
she went to Dalrynple's house and re-
ported the absence of Skillings. She felt
alarmed at his not being home. she said.
Jason Dalrymple and his 16-year-Old
boy went to the farm with her and
made fruitlcss search for the missing
man.
| Mrs. Hall and her children went back
/ to DalrymDle's and passed the night
there. Thursday, the search was re-
sumcd and the body found in the well,
the feet protruding. The well is about
Is feet deep. of circular form, and
topped by wooden platform through
which is a hole about is inches square.
| The elder Dalrymple says that a part
of the grow ing crops on the farm are
his. and he was engaged. Wednesday
afternoon, in killing potato bugs. He
saw his son and SkilIngs about there.
4 I, p yt-1,f &c
kew and alcohol. but he declined to
drink any. He and his son left the
premises about O'Clock and Skillings
was then i'll the yard.
Both the Dalrymples say that just as
they were leaving they saw a carriage
approaching the house by the back
road. They didn't see who was in it.
| Sheriff Fogg and County Attorney
| Emery are endeavOring to find out who
were i'm that carriage or whether the
story about the approaching vehicle Is,
as they suspect. a fake, fixed up to di-
rect attention away from the neighbor-
! hood
There was IS in Skillings pocket. and
! his watch was hanging in the house.
| Nothing is missing from the premises.
| The officers are inclined to the be-
lief that the death was the result OF
i drunken brawl. and that the assailants.
still under the influence of liquor. but
sober enough to realize the seriousness
! of the situation, undertook to conceal
the crime by throwing the body head
foremost into the well.
Mrs. Dalrywple. wife of the younger
man under detention. says she hasn't
the slightest doubt of her husband S
, innocence.
She was in a happy mood. Saturday
afternoon. and extended to the officers
in charge of the case general invita-
ton to put up their horses in her barn
/ and to share her supper.
The inquest. conducted by Coroner
Hobson of West Buxton, assisted by
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