Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-29

death from this bullet must have been
instantaneous. The body Of Mrs. Ready
was clothed in a loose wrapper but
had on no shoes or stockings.
The body of Keith lay on the oppo-
site side of the kitchen near a small
stand, with the feet almost in front of
the door and hardly three feet from
those Of his victim. The body lay on
it's back, at full length, with the arms
resting on the body almost as though
they had been laid there after death.
In the side of the head a few inches
above the ear, almost exactly cores
ponding to the wound in Mrs. Ready's
head, was a bullet hole which I'M
douhtedly caused instant death.
Keith's body was fully clothed in a
black suit.
Mrs. Collins, who occupies a part Of
the house, and who. with little Clara
Ready discovered the bodies of the
man and woman, was in the house all
night and was not awakened. Her YER
sion of the tragedy as far as she
knows, is the following:
81 got up this morning at 5 o'clock
and did my. usual work, getting break
fast and looking after Mr.. Overlock's
Office which I tend for him. Just before
Z o'clock one Of Mrs. Ready's children.
little Clara, who always gets up In
the morning and looks after the fires
FOR her mother, came to me and said:
'Mamas sleeping awfully late this
morning and / can't wake her. The
door into the kitchen is locked and L
can't get in ! tried the door and
found as the little girl had said. that
they were locked, so we went out back
of the house and by luck the back
kitchen window was unlocked.
pushed it up for her and Clara climbed
| in and unlocked the door and then the
I bodies met my sight.
"'This Keith had been counting Mrs.
Ready for the past year. He was that
| jealous that he wouldn't let anybody
look at her and many's the time
have told her that she would be sorry
| if she married him. He wanted to mar
nv her and she wouldn't. She was
Catholic and he was a Protestant and
she refused to change her religion.
II can tell you that Keith had no
cause for jealousy, for Mrs. Ready
was a good woman. She attended
church and it is just a little while ago
| that we went together.
IT never knew her to lock the kitchen
doors before. OF course she usually
| locked the outside door but those that
60 into any part she never thought Of
bolting. Keith must have had it all
MANNED out and locked the doors himv
SELF
Keith, the murder and suicide, lived
with his three children, Annie. Lena
and Earle, on Hancock street, in
house belonging to BARLEY Millett, and
according to one of the daughters, he
| has been a kind father.
The children were stricken in their
grief over their fathers death and the
circumstances surrounding it, but they
were willing to tell Of their home life.
HE was always pleasant to u.s." said
Annie, the eldest of the two daughters
here. "and was a good father We
used to live in Houlton and moved from
there about eight years ago to this
city, We lived here while then. and
afterwards moved to Ashland, where
we made our home until two years ogo,
when we came back here.
Father was general agent. and he
sold picture frames, jewelry. He was
not employed by any firm but did his
Town framing. He canvassed from
house to house.
II never knew of his relations with
Mrs. Ready, ard didn't even know that
| ha knew her until a little while ago,
when we found out that he was going
there regularly. He never said to us
that he intended to marry Mrs. Ready.
| hut we heard from her children that
he wanted to.
| 1.-TWO or three weeks ago we found
ont that he was carrying revolver.
but we never said anything to him
about it, nor he to us. 1 never kne"
him to carry a revolver before.
Last night father went out about
G. 20. and while not in the best of humor
he did not appear to be excited or ner-
vous He didn't say where he was go
ing.
| 1--WE 60 to bed early and did not
know that he had not come in until
this morning when we found that ne
had NOT slept in his bed"
| The daughters cannot account for his
deed and are heartbroken with grief.
Keith was born in the Provinces and
Ibesides his three children here has
,7aush.er in Bellville, N. H.. Mrs
Jennie Betteridge. A sister. Mrs. La
vice Wilson, lives on Larkin street. and
! ,Cortinued on Page TWelve)