Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-07
Death Of Man at Oakland
Not Yet Explained,
Dr.. Holmes Says Il Suicide, the
Strangest He Ever Saw.
l)ldertaker Wheeler Thinks Man Was Dead
Before Rope Went Around Neck.

Oakland. Me, Aug. 6.-(SpeciaD.-
The untying of the moose which was
fo,,nd Sunday morning around the cold
neck of the man supposed to be Ed
ward McNally and the taking Of the
remains to Portland. has by no means
settled in the minds of many citizens
Of Oakland the question as to whether
or not a murder was committed. Spec
ulatipn is rife and as many people can
he found who stoutly maintain that the
man was dead before suspended from
the beam as there can be found others
10 state the opposite. The Journal in a
careful recanvass of the town Monday
failed to find one person who, having
An opinion to express, did not confess
himself greatly perpleXed, whichever
hvpothesis he would attempt to rea-
son upon.
After the remains had been sent to
Portland on the early morning train,
Dean Wheeler of the firm of w. II.
Wheeler IL Sons, undertakers, received
a telephone message from parties in
Lewiston stating that the deceased had
relatives in Lewiston, a mother and a
brother. and also another brother in
Boston. The informant upon finding
that the remains were no longer in
Oakland, did not volunteer any fur
Their information and the names of the
relatives are not kOwn.
The ideas of reliable witnesses who
were acquainted with all the gruesome
of no
coming from the lips Of prominent cit
liens of the town who arc willing to be
quoted by he press, will he of inter-
est: Dean Wheeler. the junior member
Of the firm Of undcrtakers whom CorO-
ner Smell summoned, after his inveSti-
gaticn, to take charge of the remains
said:
al saw every Indication to lead me to
think that the man was dead, or at
least stunned before the moose closed
about his neck"
"What were the indications 2" was
asked.
"Wcll you see. tho floor was covered
with a layer of nay chaff and if there
had been any indications whatever Of
any kind of struggle the chaff would
have told the story. on the contrary
there was nothing traceable on the
floor except the mere tracks of feet.
Another thing was the mans posi-
tion. His feet were well together and
his hands hanging naturally down.
ward. If the man had made any strug-
gle il seems to me that his lower limbs,
at least. being on the floor would new
CT have been drawn together in such a
natural fashion,
Did you see any marks of viOlence?"
There was mark above the temple
and one on his side and blood on mis-
}cft hand and underneath the left side
of his moustachc. The mark over the
temple was a dark colored spot which
appeared to be a recent injury, but that
on the side was Il mere discOlora ton.
The left hand was marked with blood
which appeared to come from the
mouth.
1T seems strange to me that the
mans hat was resting squarely on his
head, derby at that and it seems
strange too. that such extensive prep
arations rs those which were made for
the deed. could have been accomplished
by one man in the dark. when Mr..
Gleason himself has declared that he
spent some time in trying to olsen
gage that same block from the hay
fork and was unsuccessful. operating
in broad daylight. We found the sum
Of S24 in the mans pocket and while
there seems to have been no motive
Tor taking the mans life, it is strange
how 1t all happened"
DR.. M. S. Holmes. the physician sum-
moned when the body was found. was
then interviewed. DIR. Holmes words
were the same in effect as those of
Mr.. Wheeler. He said:
1T Is strange case. 1t certainly
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