Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-12-12
Murder i||. Porter
DAVID VARNEY OF THAT TOWN
SHOT AND ROBBED.
Wesley Chick, Ills Granddaughter,
Held on the Charge of the
Atrocious Crime.

Held on the Charge OF the
Atrocious Crime.
A robbery and murder, which mus
have been deliberately planned and re
lentlessly carried out, was committed i
the town of Porter last Wednesday night
The victim was David Vsrney, farme
about IS years of age, who lived on
farm on the road to Freedom, N. a.,
mile or two from Kezar Falls village.
Mr.. Varney and his widowed sister
Mrs. Sarah II. Day, lived on this farm
together. Wednesday night just befor
dark, Mr.. Varney went to the barn to d.
his chores. Mrs. Day usually accom-
panies him at such times, but that nigh
she did not 90 until several minutes
later. When she reached the barn, il
was getting quite dark inside. She saw
or heard nothing from her brother, anG
after calling him two or three times she
became somewhat alarmed. Finally, in
the tie-up, she stumbled against his
body on the floor.
Thinking that he had fallen in faint
or had an attack of heart trouble, Mrs
Day returned to the house and got a
lantern, and went back to the barn with
it. Then she discovered that blood was
pouring from wound in her brothers
head.
Mrs. Day Immediately went to neigh
boris for assistance and Mr.. Varney was
carried into the house and physician
was summoned. Mr.. Varney breathed,
but was unconscious. 1t was found that
a charge of shot had penetrated the
skull, making q ragged hole back of the
left ear. The charge had evidently been
fired at short range, and all the shot had
gone through the skull.
1t would seem that the deed must
have been done by some one who had
concealed himself in the barn for the
express purpose of shooting the old
man, and the indications are also that
it was some one who was somewhat
familiar with Mr.. Varney's ordinary
movements.
The motive was undoubtedly robbery,
and a pocket-book containing quite a
sum of money was taken from MIR. Var
ney's pocket. Just how much it con-
tanned is not known, but he had sold
some cattle not long before, and Mrs.
Day thinks he must have had about
$4,000.
Mr.. Varney did not regain conscious
ness, and no hope of his living was en-
tertained from the first. He died at 40
o'clock Thursday afternoon.
Deputy Sheriff F. C. Palmer of Kezar
Falls was at once put at work on the
case, and before noon of Thursday
Sheriff McIntire of Waterford and COun-
ty Attorney Barnes of Norway arrived
on the scene to investigate the matter.
On the night of the murder, and not
long after it was committed, Wesley
Chick, young man of % or %, was
placed under surveillance. Chick is a
granddaughter of Varney, and had work
ed for him some, as we'll as working in
other places in the vicinity. What first
directed suspicion to him was the fact
that he had large amount of money in
his possession. The day before the
shooting of Mr.. Varney Chick went to
the Stanley store at Kezar Falls and
bought some goods in the clothing line,
which he left at the store, saying that
he did not have the money with him to
pay for them, and would get them later.
Wednesday evening he came after the
goods, and also bought some more, the
whole bill amounting to little over
twenty dollars. In paying for them he
used a twenty dollar bill, and was seen
to have quite an amount of money addi-
tional. Before going after the clothing,
he went to the Bachelor hardware store
and tried to buy revolver, but found
none in stock.
After the shooting, posse of men
went to find Chick, and found him at
the home of young woman to whom
he was paying attention While they
we're getting him into the wagon he
tried to break away, but did not succeed.
On his person was found Sl4S in money.
Chick says he can explain where all this
money came from.
Chick has a record of term in Jail.
At the term of Supreme Judicial Court
for Oxford County in October, 1908, he
was indicted for breaking and entering
and larceny. He pleaded not guilty
when arraigned, but later retracted his
plea and pleaded guilty, and received a
sentence of ninety days in Jail, which he
served.
A suit of clothes, said to be the one
that Chick wore on the day of the muir.
der, and which he afterwards changed
for the one he bought that evening, was
found Friday in the woods about half
way between Kezar Falls village and the
Varney farm. A gun containing an
empty shell, a coat and dinner pail
were also found in the woods few rods
back of the Varney barn. Evidence was
also found that the murderer disguised
himself, when the officers searching
along the brook on the farm discovered
a kettle in which water had been heated,
box of backing, cup and piece OF
rag.
Chick was placed under arrest Friday
night, and was arraigned Immediately
before Trial Justice Llewellyn A. Wads-
worth. By his counsel Chick pleaded
not guilty and waived hearing, and he
was held for the March term of Supreme
Judicial Court. He was brought to Jail
at South Paris Saturday.
Tho antonsv Disclosed a wOund which