Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-22

West Forks, Me, Feb. 21.-,(SpeciaD.
A terrible double tragedy occurred
here late Thursday night, when James
A. Dean, aged 20 years killed Mrs
Charles Mckay. aged 25. with an ak
and then committed suicide by cutting
his throat with a knife. The door
yard of neighbor, where Mrs. Mckay
had fled when Dean broke in the door
of her house, was the scene of the
crime. The dead woman was the wife
of Charles Mckay, who at the time of
Der camp OF Frank H. Haynes at Dead
water, Is miles away.
The story of the crime, the worst
which has ever occurred in this sec
ton is as follows: About 10 O'clock
Thursday night, Dean. who was a
woodsman by occupation, and who
lived farther up the road, went to the
Mckay home and knocked upon the
door. Mrs. Mckay answered and Dean
asked her if Percy Doughtney was in
side The reply being in the negative
Dean at once became angry, said he
knew better and demanded that he be
admitted. Mrs. Mckay had not opened
the door, but in answering the knock
had called out from the inside, Who's
there?" Dean threatened to force an
entrance and was ordered by Mrs. Nc
Kay to leave the premises at once.
Dean stepped at once to the choppine
| block ir the rear yard and. seizing an
| axe which lay upon the ground, re-
turned to the door of the house.
"Open that door, d you, or | vii.
smash it in!''
Don't make a fool of yourself. Gu
| away, l tell you, was the reply mad,
| by Mrs. Mckay.
Lean at once swung the axe, Settina
its blade deep i'll the panel. The blow
| was repeated time and again, the doc
| yielding under each stroke applied b,
| the muscular young man. 1t was tn
only outside door of the Mckay house
| AS the door gave way under on
| final, powerful blow, Mrs. Mckay, clad
| lightly, dashed through the doorway,
passed the Infatuated man, sprang
Iacross the dooryard and fled in the di
rection of the home of Henry Kennedy,
| 4 near neighbor. Her shrieks rent ths.
| air, startling the inmates of the few
houses closely adjacent
| AS the woman fled past him. Dean
| turned and threw the axe in her di-
| rcction, but missed her. He sprang
after her, and, Selling the axe soon
overlook her. Mrs. Mckay dashed in :
| to the yard of the Kennedy home, bu
she had proceeded only a few step:
along the walk when a vicious blow
given impetus by the force of the as
sailants speed, struck her down. Thi,
blow was made with the bit or edg
of the axe and took effect in the back
of the woman's neck. As she fell il
the snow Mrs. Mckay was heard Il
| scream:
80, My God, Jimmy, Don't kill me-
Those were her last words, for Deaf
| with powerful force swung the axe
again and again, raining blow after
| blow upon the fallen womans head
Then, feeling sure he had accomplished
| his purpose, he took from his poke.
n large knife. which has a strong keen
blade and. plunging it into his throat.
severed the jugular vein and dropped
beside the dying woman.
OF course. the cries of the woman
| had reached the interior of the Ken
nedy hcme and Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy
| had rushed to the door. Opening It
| they were just IN time to witness the
fiendish deed of the young backwoods-
| man. Mrs. Kennedy was overcome by
the horrible sight and became hysteri-
| cal MIR. Kennedy was obliged to de-
] vote his whole attention to his wife,
and for nearly an hour the dead and
dying lay outside upon the cold snow
of the dooryard.
In the house at McKay's at the time
the tragedy occurred were Percy
Doughtney and two young children OF
Walter Bloom. Doughtney during the
past winter sustained a serious injury
to one lower limb and is obliged to
use crutches in moving about He
i therefore was unable to render any as
sistance to Mrs. Mckay and conse-
| quently remained indoors during the
whole affair. Little Hattie Bloom,