Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-04-24
l. Rufus Browns Answer
to Terms Of Warrant
Charging Him With Murder Of
VIM. knights, West Athens.
pleads Not Guity-Adnits the Blow
Hearing, Next Wednesday.


Brown. Jr.. Was arraigned, Saturday
afternoon. before Judge Bachelor on
rho charge of numbering William
Knights at West Athens, Thursday.
and pleaded not guilty. He confessed
10 striking the fatal blow. but OH hear
ing the language of the warrant. said
he didn't do ii just that way" The
btariug will be held, Wednesday.
Of the enormity of his offence the
man is as completely unconscious as
if he had presided at IL pfg-stickinS and
his parents seem us Indifferent to his
fate. Nothing could be weaker than
family ties among the BroWn-Tuttle-
Wentworth Corson people, yet invasion
of the sancity of home appears as the
only excuse for the violent outburst of
"Rufe" and the inspiration of Il blow
so vicious as to break off the stock of
a double-barreled shotgun. Incidental
" a kes of hard cider played Il part In
TIE tragedy.
The PRESSURE Of the law is no new
experience for "Rufie," ana to nuTer-
Gus members Of the party the county
Jail is not unknown. Not long ago
Brown WAS indicted for assault on a
passerby, throwing at him Il stone,
gouglng out an eye. The prisoner de-
clared his sister was the guilty party
In the present instance he confesSeS
his own guilt but he attempts to i'm
plicate two others of the tribe by
charging them with furnishing the
weapon and the ammunition. The in
vtstigation of the officers fails to sub
stantiatc his story III this and other
Important particulars. No evidence has
thus far developed to point suspicion
to anv other than 'Rufic.'
I'll" body was found lying face down
vard IL i lr"ol Of blood which had
oozrd from e hruisc over the left tenn
pie. No other marks CT injuries were
visible. Near by WIS the broken gun.
IN the gable end Of the house pcrla ps
80 feet from where the body WAS lying,
were marks of shot.
"Why didn't you shoot him instead
Of striking him over the head?" "Ru!ie'
was ashcd.
'non't you suppose would have il
temrtuous reply.
''Iut if Ill known it Was Uncle Will
liam" he added. "I'd have treated him
more like Il grntlcman.'
This is the nearest that "Rutic' has
approached to regret or re:norsc.
Rules residence ConSistSc of sin
gle room hoVcl. without windows. with
single door and with cracks and crev-
ices innumerable in the floor. walls and
roof. The interior and furnishings are
filthy. That human beings, and cspec-
tally children, can live and thrive i'll
such Surroundings through summer
and winter alike is beyond the under
standing of Il civilized man. The how
els that serve them as homes are the
poorest possible protection against the
cold, and the food supply apparently
the most mcagrc. The staple article Of
diet for men, women and children
seems to he tobacco
EufuS Brown. Jr.. is IL fair sample of
ms people. OF average height. lean.
unshaNen. with a cOuntenance open
ana chi,dlikc, he looks less Il wild
man than an overgrown child; in fact,
The entire settlement are docile rs
young lambs when an officer appears.
and stranEt visitors are viewed with
gaping eyes and mouths as objects of
Wonder
Alden Corson. whose house faces that
VI iiuhc' and is distant not more than
- ieet. was the only member of the
settlement who claims to have seen
the murder. He WAS i'll his bed in the
"'t of his shanty when "Rufie" came
rushing UP the stairs and seized his
sun hanging on the wall. at the same
time demanding cartridges. Corson
says he refused to let him have the
cartridges, and also forbade him to
take the gun, but he did not heed the
'o"'Iiland and ran out OF the house.
NorSon went to the window where he
'"uld look directly down on "Rufie's'
mouse He heard "Rufie" crv out to
hi'ShtS t" come out of the house and
ne'ird him fire. The door of "Ruiic'S'
MUSE then opened and Mrs. Brown APP
reared, followed by Knights. "Rufie'
men srrang At him and felled hin,
WIN one blow. the murdered man
making no sound. Rufus Brown. Sr..
anu ms wife. the parents of the muir
Continued on Page Two.)