The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1905-04-27
DIVIDE DS PAID

Equitable Life Assnrance Society OF the Z >
Franklin X Bs1elton, Manager Tor MAint
Portland, hHlHt.
and why2 No one bas gel 5ern able Z, an
sWcr satisfactorily.
The people have beer n court ia SloAhe.
gan again and again ami occasionally one
gets as lar as lhomast9n. HE charge, have
included about all there arc On the calenaaf
he class IS known vel IN sko~hepan am
when they have a case there IS sure 10 be a
crowded house for the evidence is breezy and
spicy to the lunn. \ All sentence carries no
shame, apparently, hut Is taken much "a a
boy takes licking Tor fishing On sunday.
Amid such surroundings and among such
people then, the latest murder in Maine ha,
been committed Rufus Brown. who IS nov
charged with the crime, IS the son II Rufus
brown and is young man. He J., known l.
the Somerset county court records and in a
city might be marked by the police. His
vile is but "a years old and they were mar
ritd last August, when she was not much
more than I3. He has followed the bent Il
the men OF his kind and she Of the women.
Her father lives Just across the yard from his
daughter
William Knight, the man who was killed.
lived IN bingham, but not far from West Attn
ems, perhaps six miles He Ras the father Of
twelve children, SIX boys and SIX girls, all now
out in the world shifting for themselves.
hey are not part Of The Browns AMI
luttIes, but knight has been accustomed to
VISIT them and it was on one Of thes visits
that he met his death
ust how the trouble started is difficult 10
determine and must finally be sfted out IN
court, with all the aid Of legal knowledge ami
skill, II 1t is ever known. But that hard
cider had prominent part IS commonly ac-
cepted n the town, "a hard cider ambJrcr7
being the summary Of one man.
The iather-in-law of Rufus Brown tel,
the story practically like TINS, after explain
ing that Rufus had been imbihing heavily all
day.
says he: "Rufe was in my place long
bolt O'Clock in the evening and went off.
had gone to bed and settled down for the
night. There come a big humping on the
door and says / Who's there2 Then |
hears RUFF yell Open this door. says l.:
NO, Ruie, you can't come IN here again to-
night. Gou 60 home where YOU belong and
go to bed.
"Says he, Lemme in. I've killed old Bill
Knight and want you to 90 see him. was
scared and knew if didn't let him in he d
smash the door down, so got up and opened
it. He had the barrels of an old gun in his
hand and when he sees me he grabs me by
the right shoulder and says he, Come an
see him. Says ! : No, | don't want to
see him. But he grabbed my arm tight and
see had to humor him so | went
al tell you it was an awful sight | shook
in every lint in my body and my stomach
turned sick. Don't yer tech him, says he.
ANY man what teches him is mine. tell
yer | wouldn't have teched that man then if
you'd ha' given me $500.
oils wife had been over 10 my place.
She'd been IN the brook cause She was wet.
She didn't stay long but went over to Ied's.
Putty soon Rufe comes back to my place ask
ing for his woman. she amt here, says /,
she's gone. where is she2 says he i
don't know where she is says l. Now,
RUFF, you would not harm her. would you p
No. says he, Il wouldn't, but | killed that
old. Where's my woman?'
al got him in and put the tea to him and
sot up with him the rest of the night.
eyed him every minute, for ! was scared to
death Of him. You won't believe it, but |
watched him snug long time and ! couldn't
see him wink once His eyes were that set
and CLASSY. The froth hung in the corners Of
his mouth as big as that indicating with the
larger part Of his thumb.
"lle got up once and walked around me
but didn't let HIM get behind me but swung
around quick and kept my eye right on him
No one could control him then and ! believe
he'd killed any one who tried II on
he above IS not intended as a verbatim re-
port of the interview with Mr Wintworth,
but rather to give an idea of what it was.
From various sources il was learned that
while Rufus was away from his home Tempo
rarily during the evening. knight called there
and when Rufus came back he found him
there and something aroused his rage and
jealousy. He hurried to the house # Alden
Gorson, and rushing in, seized his gun and
made Oft with it.
As nearly as can be learned, when Knight
came out Of Rufus house he was struck with
the butt Of the gun and felled to the ground.
Ihon II is said that he was struck several
times. nine, one said, and kicked, the life be-
ing literally hammered out Of him His face
and head were badly crushed, showing the
cause Of death all too plainly.
The body lay where II fell IN the mud of
the trodden yard until the officers arrived
from Skowhcgan. When orders had hecn
given to remove il, it was carted away in a
farm wagon, 1he face being covered with
quilts.
Lying in the cart, IN dooYari, the feet
encased in heavy lumhermans u5hcrs, pro-