Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-22
Rufus Brown Jr., Kills
VIM. Knights at Athens.
Drunken CarousaI and Atten-
ton to Browns Wife Cause.
All Parties Of Bad Character-Neioh.
bcrhooc a Bad One.

Another murder was added to
Names lengthening list, Thursday
night. when William knights "f
Bingham, was killed by Rufus Brown.
Jr.. 1T West Athens, in the notorious
Brown-Tuttle settlement three miles
from Athens village.
The tragedy was the outcome of a
drunken quarrel and domestic melee
in which Brown and his wife and
Knights We're the participants. The
murdered man was 50 years Of age and
had his residence in Bingham but had
passed more or less of his time in the
Erown-Tuttle settlement. He was
called uncle" by the murderer and his
brothers and sisters, but the relation
ship is probably imaginary. A widow
ANA six sons. all grown to mdnhood,
survive him.
The murder occurred about II
o'clock. according to the best evidence
obtanable. The reputation Of the Wit
nesscS for veracity is not Of the best.
| ana the stories are far from consistent.
but in a general way the facts APP
pear TO be the following:
''Rdfie,' as the murderer is familiar
| ly called by the settlement. is the son
| of Rufus Brown, ST., and both father
| and son have Il criminal record. Rufus.
| Jr., lives in shanty not more than
| two rods distant from that Of his ia
| thcr. On the evening of the murder Ru
| fus and his wife and Knights We're ca
| rousihg in the house on hard cider
| which they had bought from one of
| the neighbors. "Rufe's' brothers and
| sisters, as well as his parents. state
| that be had threatened Knights pre-
viously that if he did not refrain from
! his attention to Mrs. Brown there
| would be trouble.
Exactly ,,hat took rlace in the
| silalty that evening will probably new
| or be known. but it seems to be I'M
questioned that Knights aroused "Ru-
Ge y" jealousy to such an extent that
he rushed to the house OF his father
| in-laW, Jack Wentworth. seized a
gun. procured cartridges ana returned
| Will! the avow"d purpose of killing
| knights.
Three witnesses. including "Rufie's"
! father and mother, heard him call to
| Knights to come out of the house and
on his failing to comply. 'Rufie" dis
! char ged the shotgun at the house. the
| shot lodging in the roof Knights then
came out and Brown assaulted him BY
| clubbing him over the head with the
stock of the gun, killing him instantly.
| Alden Corson, whose house is near
that of brown, says that he saw the
assault and that "Rufie" struck him
two or three times. Knights falling to
| he ground wit hOut q grOan.
! "Tuiie" Immediately notified his IA
| ther-in-laW of his deed and he cOmmu-
| nic;lted with one Of the neighborS. who
notified Deputy Sheriff Ernest II. Cook
| Of Athens Cook went to the scene Of
| the accident Immediately and arrested
| Brown. having notified Sheriff Smith by
telephone.
The sheriff, with Coroner L. ]. Add
ton ana the Journal representative, left
| Skowhcgan about o'clock. Friday
morning. and visited the scene of the
murder. After Il thorough investigations
| the coroner deemed an inquest unne-
| ccSSary.
| The murderer confessed that he
| struck the fatal blow. though his story
| is materially different from that of the
| witnesses, and tends to impliCate 9TH
I prS. lie was arrested anu l)icuSiIt "
| SkoWhcgan to await a hearing before
| the municipal court. which will proba-
bly, take place, next Wednesday.
| The affair is considered by the whole
| nciehhorhoOd as 4 good joke. and it
| appears to be Il matter of entire indIi-
| ference to both "Rufie" and his parents
whether he passes the rest of his d.tys
| in TIL Onaston or not. The murder is on
| ~ the elimination of a series Of deeds
| which have wrought long on the pa
| tience of the people of Athens. and the
| end of the settlement is not far DIS
| tant. None of the families have "ny
more sense of decency. morality. or
| cleanliness thar cattle, ana though al
| ways dOcile when confronted by the Of
| ficers of the law, they are little better
| than wild beasts when under the in
flunce of liquor.
The officers think that n relative fur
nishpd the cartridges intended for the
murder of Knights, knowing the use
| to which they were to be put, but evil
| dence of that fact is lacking, and ii is
| probable that "Rufie'' will be the only
| respondent to be called to account.
Calais Lumbermen are Worried.
Calais. Me-, April 21.-Lumbermen
.,.,l