Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-18
Solves the Mystery Of
Alleged Jackman Murder.
-Four Points Upon Which LauTi-
|soa, Senior, Claims Foul Play
WIN. {. Hesasssea Denies sta'sasak Which
Nj 1t Connect hin with Affair.

cording to the verdict Of the cOrOner'S
iurv in the case of the death Of Sidney
B. Laurison, which rendered verdict
of accidental drowning after an
hours elaboration.
A doubt still fingers in the minds of
the officers, and the father Of the dead
boy is beside himself with rage at the
verdict. but sufficient evidence of
substantial nature to prove foul play is
not at hand, and no arrest is forthcom-
ing.
-Four suspicious facts were clearly
developed in the course of the inquest.
First, there was no water in the body
when the autopsy was performed. Tues
day afternoon. This DIR. w. S. Stinch-
| field positively testified after a thor
| ouGh examination of the lungs and
stomach, and it appeared from other
evidence that there was no water came
from the body when it was found.
Second, I.aurison's rifle and axe were
| missing from the camp. His brother
testified to the fact that they were IN
the camp before I.aurison's disappear
arce. One witness testified that VIM. e.
| Henderson of Jackman told him at one
! time that he found the rifle when he
went UP to the camp. and that it was
broken, but this Henderson denies.
Third Laurison's canoe was found
| tied to an alder on the stream some nine
miles below the camp, n crack between
the stern seat and the thwart. and evil
dence Of scraping by some sharp in
strumert on the bottom. I.aurison could
not swim, knov little about handling a
canoe. and had promised when he fol-
lowed the party to go by land. There
was evidence that Henderson once said
that he had found the canoe floating
| and tied it himself.
| Fourth. Laurison's pack. the ordinary
| Iumberman's pack containing quanti-
| ty of moldy bread, an empty butter Jar,
| and one or two small tribes. was found
/ floating in a small .'lOgan," where the
/ water from the river flowed in when
\ the pitch was high. According to the
i testimony Of Mr.. LaurisOn. Sr. and his
son. Wilfred, it would be utterly impos-
| sble for any object floating down
II stream to be carried into this eddy.
Il The Jury based their verdict. so the
X Journal correspondent learned through
Il conversation with one of their number
II OH what they considered the ahsence
II of evidence Of any other method or
Il death. The length of time since the find
ling of the body accounted in%their opin-
II ion. for the absence of water in the
L lungs. The floating Of the pack into the
! eddy by back water they considered
highly probable. They felt that Lauri-
son. ST.. was too anxious for verdict
OF murder. and treated his testimony
with scant consideration.
| William r. Henderson of Jackman.
was the principal witness, and he was
submitted to a searching examination.
as he was the one who first discovered
Laurlson's absence from the camp. and
discovered the canoe tied to the shore.
One other witness testified that Hen
darson once said he found Laurison's
rifle. and that it was broken. 1t also APP
pcarcd in evidence that Henderson had
reported that he found the canoe float
ling and tied it. All this Henderson de-
MED. as also the intimatiOn that he had
lever had trouble with Laurison.
| Herdcrson's version Of Laurison's dis.
Iannearance. which is substantially cor
rohoratad by the other witnesses, is as
| follows:
| Sometime during the early part OF
October he was guiding sporting par
ty in the region Of the ST. John head
| waters. and called at the camp Where
The I.aurison boys We're. The party
stopued there one or two days. Wllfred
Harrison accompanied them on trip
20 Burnt Land brook. II miles below,
Sidney promising to follow in 10 days.
Three or four days later, Henderson
returned to the Laurison camp for sup
plies. On the way up he found Lauri-
CONS canoe tied to the bank OF the
stream. to an alder. The canoe was
broken between the stern seat and the
4hwart On arriving ut the camp Lauri-
son was not to be found. Henderson re-
turned and reported the fact, ami
search was begun. The pack was found.
but no other trace Of Laurison 1t came
on cold shortly after, and the river
froZe.
| From other witnesses it appeared that
Laurison's body was found stretched
iort legs crossed and arms folded. In
his pockets were a wallet with two 81
bills. quite unframed. watch which
| had run down. and two iackknives but
little affected. apparently. by the water.
I,aurison stronuously ccntended that
these circumstances showed that the
hoy was dead before he reached the
water 1t also appeared that the clothes
were filled with clay and sand, from
Which he argued that the body had beer
buried close to the shore and washed
out by the high water in the spring:
that the flesh was mucn harder ana
lfresher than II the body had been iii
the water all winter.
Henry Armstrong Of Jackman, testi-
fed to a loan OF money made some
three years ago by Sidney Laurison to
Henderson, He remembered it because
he was keeping LauTiscn's money at
the time. He thought it was $50. He
did not know whether it han ever been
Maid. Henderson admitted the loan in
his testimony, but claimed It was $2a,
and that it was repaid the same sum-
mer
| Unless further developments occur.
1.-THE Verdict of the coroners jury is the
| end Of the matter.