Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-18
IT WAS SUICIDE.
At Least Jury So Decides
in Edwards Case.
The Killers Completely Exoner-
ated by the Coroner.
State Attorney Accepts Finding and Case
Is Probably Ended.

New Haven. Conn, Jan, 17.--With the
finding of suicide as the cause of death
and without. comment whatever upon
the evidence taken at an inquest last
ing nearly two weeks, Coroner Mix.
this afternoon. closed the case of the
mysterious death of Charles A. Ed
wards. of New York. at the Abigail Hill
Ter homestead in College street during
the morning of Jan. 3.
This formal verdict was fOrecasted
by preliminary one given last week
The finding is accompanied by a digest
of the evidence given by some of the
principal witnesses with Il statement of
facts by the Coroner himself descriptive
of his investigation into the movements
of Mr.. Edwards and or the affairs of
the Hitler family The evidence shows
that Mr.. Edwards was in poor health
and was continually a sufferer of phys
zeal pain and was morbidly in fear of
dying of aponlcXy. That he died by
morphine poisoning was shown by the
autopsy as the gunshOt wound in the
head was superficial and probably did
not daze him. The autopsy showed
that il was possible for the wound 10
have been sclf-inhictcd and close
scrutiny of Mr. Edwards apparel. the
bed clothing and the interior of the
house demonstrated beyond question
that the hemorrhage from the wound
was very slight.
The coroner fixes the time that Mr.
Edwards shot himself while at the
back door of the Hitler house. at about
5 o'clock on the morning of Jan 8.
From this point until death cnsued, the
coroner shows by evidence that it was
an easy matter for Mr.. Edwards to
have drunk the laudanum after throw
ing away the pistol and then walked
up stairs TO his chamber. a drop of
blood here and there OOzing out be-
tween the fingers of his hand as he
held a handkerchief against the wound
on the left side of his head. There were
no signs of Il struggle in or about the
house. nothing to indicate that any
stranger was near Mr.. Edwards at the
time he left his bed to go to the yard
for the purpose of killing himself The
evidence showed that Mr.. Edwards had
suffered from insomnia and that he was
also subject to spell of Sleep walking.
II the coroner found any other motive
for self-dcstruction on Mr. Edwards
part than that of ill-hcalth. he does not
make note of it in his condensation Of
the evidence taken at the inquest.
Coroner Mix completely cxoneratcs A.
Maxcy Hitler and his brother Charles A.
Hitler from having any connection
with the death of Mr.. Edwards. the
testimony Of Mrs. MaXcy Hitler proving
beyond question that her husband was
not out of the house on the night Of
Jan. ,. The coroner finds. by question:
ing members of the Hitler family, that
there were bitter disagreements over
property matters dating from time
previous to the death of Mrs. Abigail
Hitler. 1t was also shown that Maycy
Hitler had made many threats against
his brother Charles, his sister Mrs. Ed
wards. and her husband. but these
were not found to have had any bear
ing on the case when suicide was
proven to have been possible
AS State Attorney Williams accents
and fully agrees with the coroner's
finding. it is believed that this most in
teresting case is closed.