Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-30
Authorities at Work or
Matte HaCkeH Murder.
Careful Census Of the Entire
Vicinity Being Made.
EegOne Must Explain Whereabouts That
Night...faa| String and Knots.

Eqdiicld, Me-, Aug. 29.-(SpeciaD.-
assistant Attorney General w. c.
rll.brook Of Waterville, arrived on
r. 40 train, this morning, and was
,I-t M the station by Deputy Sheriff
H. ~. Rrpvn. Mr.. Philbrook was at
,..r. .!ri.cn to Rcadfield Corner, where
NJ. ,eaa closttcd with f. +. Peacock,
chairman uf the board of selectmen
KIN. quarters Of an hour. At the
,..cm ION Of this conference, Mr..
fhrlnu.t and Deputy Brown visited
NV. .,"tl" Of the Matte IIackett MUIR
WYNN II is understood that Mr.. Phil
nr.pl ia undertaking further investi-
cation ~ this crime at the request 81
Attorney General Hamlin.
lr.y after day IS now passing by
AMI tA, officials are Stiil assiduouSly
endeayoring 10 ferret out the mystery.
50 far as the general public is con-
cerucd but few developments have
come To light. There is Il general feel
.ug that an arrest will be made, but
when is an open question. In certain
CHARTERS. however, the idea that any
arrest ever will be made is scoued.
~
committed the crime developed there
has been much speculation as to how
r... person alone might have done the
d.-i aud Il great deal has been said
about 'wcavers knots" as it seemed
a4 though the string about the muir
d,.-d girl was tied with knots Of that
fuM. In fact, so thoroughly has the
ii"iug Of weavcr'S knots been discus
,.d ana so many trials at tying them
lIv" Dcen made that about every man,
"uman, or child in town know how to
IT,. them and all would be wcavers If
man mere knowledg" of ticing a
t,rhver'S knot would make them such.
\ careful study Of the string which
...4 tied about Matte IiackettS neck
HlG The knots by which il was tied re-
v..ls thrs. facts.
The knots are not WcaverS knots;
there was a slip moose in the string;
Ihr string must have first been tied
bout the girls neck from behind.
1t reveals more than that. that the
GIN was the victim Of premeditated.
,r,ilish plot which originated either
~ liz brain Of degenerate or an in
sam" person.
~ begin with. the cord used was
TIL. ordinary string used 10y express
,u.u. .tc.. III tying up bundles. Stretch
- 10 its fun length. the string must
have. been al least four feet in length.
m one ,md 4 loop about IL inches in
length had been made by means of Il
10" line knot and on" end of the bow
line. whether by accident or purpose
'.Ntcud'd nearly Il foot beyond the
I,upt. TIL" other end Of the string or
a ~f,l in. t1n
long lpup thus formed. This formed
th,, lip moose and Il most terrible one
ruu.
Jh" moose was thrown over the girls
E.ri and the string drawn tight and
trnI by means Of growing knot at
Tire back Of the neck. the bowline be
ing "u one side of the spine and the
Gr"~iuI knot on the other. leaving
two strands Of cord about eleven
t~"lths Of the length of the string
.thouI the neck and one strand Of
.'rln. the remaining distance, or one
mona The end Of the string on the
hpNIiur and the end of the string on
IN" granny knot wer" then passed
around III" neck and tied.
When the moose was put around the
r,i's neck the first knot was tied in
.'l'' lhitk tl lut neck, WHICH lnulCItpS
ln.t the girl was either thrown down
ui h.r rae" when tho knot WAS tied or
Mle held ~ someone while the knot
.as ti,'i. Then. if on the ground the
l"'dy WAS ~ the ground the body was
iptu"d over and the knot tied under
nnaih the chin.
l"th Pr. Millikcn ana Sturtevant
stuffed That the marks upon the girls
'us were possibly made by being
tNp.i from behind. This would in
"''3i' that tw" PERSONS wer" associat-
~ NJ The crime: one doing the hold
INK i HE girl. and the other. tying
we cord This is hut mere matter
~ q! rulati"n and the active way il
Nu',h il was don" will probably never
L. known
Thu bushes around the vicinity
WISER" the crime was committed have
wee" rut down and search is being
'''luily made for any trinketS, etc.
''At may have been dropped by the
"urd, rrr.
VA" officials have caused a thorough
'''''HN "t IN" town Ia be made in tho
'Nn'iY Of the crime in order TO make
Very m"mhcr OF every family account
'' ms "h"reabouts upon the night OF
I'D" murder. This is process 81
ANIMATION and will ascertain wha
person or persons are unable TO ac.
count for themselves.