Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-06-18
Blown Up ia Powder l,ouse.
EDGAR j. RADCLIFFE OF PARIS VIC
: TIN OF SHOCKING FATALITY AT
CROKER HILL NINE.

CROCkER HILL NINE.
u About $50 O'Clock Thursday evening
Superintendent b. r. Batcheller Of the
Croker Hill mining plant, situated two
miles east of Paris Hill, was called up BY
telephone and informed by his night
watchman at the mine, Wallace G.
Everett, that he had caught man who
had broken into the powder house
where the dynamite and other explo-
Isives are stored; had locked the victim
into the house and that while on his way
Cured at the powder house.
Sheriff Hiram r. Hubbard was mott
fed and In company with Supt. Batchel-
Ter, Daniel Winslow and Elmer Cum
mings hurried. over to the mine. An
examination of the man who was in the
building proved 1t to be Edgar j. Rat
cliffe, SON of Joseph and Mary j. Rat
cliffe, young man about % years old,
who has formerly lived at Paris Hill,
afterwards at Norway, and has during
the past spring and up to the time of
this fatality been employed by SCOTT
Colby on his farm east of Croker Hill
DR.. James G. Littlefield and Coroner
William j. Wheeler of South Paris were
Immediately summoned. Radcliffe was
found to be still breathing when DR..
Littlefield arrived, but was terribly
mangled and bruised, one foot being
completely gone and the legs badly
maDgled. The upper portion of the
body was badly bruised and cut. The
body was thrown about eight feet from
the house. Radcliffe died about 1890
o'clock and Coroner Wheeler ordered
the remains taken to Paris Hill and i'm
paneled the following jury for an in
quest which was held Friday morning at
the Hubbard House: Sumner E. Newell,
George w. Cole, James L. Chase, Her
bert P. Hammond, and U. Hiram Head.
The jury visited the scene of the ex-
plosion, after which they met at the
Hubbard House, and after examining
several witnesses and celebrating until
2:30 P. NJ, brought in verdict that the
death of Edgar j. Radcliffe was caused
by an explosion of dynamite which oc-
Cured at the Croker Hill mine on
Thursday, June 18th, the cause of said
explosion being unknown, and further
more that the deceased had no legal
right to be on the property or breaking
and entering the buildings of the min
ing company.
The testimony given at the coroner's
inquest cannot be published as official
until signed by the witnesses. 1t show
ed in substance, however, that upon
various occasions the buildings of the
mining company had been broken into
and ammunition and other things stolen.
hn nf
Supt. Batcheller, has made earnest ef-
fort to discover the miscreant, and had
published offers of reward for evidence
that would convict the guilty parties;
that Wallace G. Everett, the night
Waterman, and general caretaker of the
property, had been instructed to make
diligent effort to discover the party who
had been doing the breaking, and that
on the night of this affair Mr.. Everett
was aroused by the unusual noises made |
by his horse; that he got up, and sus-
pecting something wrong, looked out !
and saw man providing about the mill,
saw him try several doors at the mill and |
finally, finding them all locked, 60 up
the road to the powder house.
Mr.. Everett says that he followed him, |
unobserved; that the man took some |
thing from his pocket upon reaching the |
powder house and "sprung the hasp,"
or succeeded in breaking the paddock !
with which the structure was locked;
that he went into the house, and Everett
came up nearer, that he stepped out and
lighted match and seemed to be look ,
ing for something on the ground in front /
of the house; that he again entered and |
soon came out again, lighted another
match and entered again and Everett |
then sprang up, shut the door and brac-
ed 1t with board that he found leaning !
against the side of the house. he then ,
got other boards and planks and after .
having barricaded the door SO as to keep
the prowler in, he started to run back to
the mill and telephone to Supt. Batch !
eller, whose residence is at Paris Hill;
that soon after starting he heard string /
of oaths from the person confined in the !
powder house and that before reaching |
the mill, be heard the explosion. :
This powder house was a small build .
ing some three by five feet and high
enough for a man to stand up in and
was covered with galvanized iron. The
evidence indicated that at the time of
the explosion 1t contained six sticks of !
60 per cent dynamite, a quantity of 80
per cent dynamite and box Of electric
primers. The 80 per cent dynamite, or ,
that containing 80 per cent of nitro
glycerine, did not explode, but the 90 !
per cent sticks and the primers did. The
building was badly demolished, being
blown into fragments.
The remains Of Edgar j. Radcliffe were :
taken to the home of his grandm other, !,
Mrs. Mary Buck, at Paris Hill, and
funeral services conducted Sunday after |
noon. The mother of the deceased is at |
Paris Hill, and the father, Joseph Rat |!
cliffe, is in Norfolk, Virginia.