Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-16
full MURDER
Tried on Somerset juno
ton Logging Road.
bastard Cuts Snub Warp With
Seeming Intent TO Kill.
Man Against Whom Act Is Directed
Not Badly Hurt.

Somerset Junction, Me-, March Is
(SpeciaD.-Only by the greatest good
luck was John Peterson, teamster, al
lowed to return to his howell last even
anywhere prevented possible murder
being added to the list of backwoods
tragedies. The accident on ram
down on Squaretown recently evidently
provided a method by which a human
being might have sent an enemy to
death.
John Peterson has been hauling logs
during the past winter for Hollis &
Stowell on the Churchill tract Along
the main logging road, which also
serves as a tote road, there are two
bad ram-downS. The shorter of these
and the least precipitous, is about 300
feet long. Yesterday afternoon Peter
son set a load of 10 good sized sticks
at the top of the short ram-down.
While the hitch was being made, the
accident Oh SquaretoWn wherein
George Murphy was fearfully injured
was discussed by the teamster and the
SIlubIllftIl w ltll TIE TtilidTk tIltl H.
guessed he could hold Peterson's load
all right, the snubman paid out Il rea-
sonable amount of slack and gave the
word to start the team. Peterson
spoke to his horses, which gathered
into their collars and the load went
over the brow of the ram down.
AS the first bobsled went over the
brow of the HILL before the slack was
taken up, Peterson was startled by Il
cry from the snub man. Garrick, who
yelled: Ditch 'em! ditch EN-" Peter
son, understanding that there was dam
ger to himself and team, pulled the
leaders into the ditch, quickly following
with the pole horses. This was accom-
plished just as the rear bob went over
the brow of the ramdown and the load
began to speed.
Peterson jumped and the plunging
of the front sled into the ditch broke
the pole bar. releasing the horses The
load swung around and rolled over
scattering the logs over many yards OF
the logging road.
The srrb man states that just as
the team took the pitch stranger APP
parently Il Woodsman. dashed from the
tiSeo VIZ one sue Ol llle ROAD ana lll:tut.
a swing at the snub warp with an AK
and then disappeared in the woods on
the opposite side of the road Peterson
and the horses escaped without serious
injury.
GarriCk is n man of integrity, has had
no quarrel with Peterson and could not
possibly have made the cut himself after
the hitch had been made. Garrick says
he feels confident the man whom he saw
dash across the road is member Of a
crew which has been operating a few
miles from the Hollis e Stowell camps
Garricks description of the man ap-
pears to satisfy Peterson regarding the
identity of his would-be murderer and
Peterson has told several men hereabouts
that he knows where the man lives and
Churchill during the past winter. When
asked why the man should desire to end
his days. Peterson says that the reason
for it all dates back to when he lived in
Sweden and that is nearly 20 years ago
Several of the Hollis & Stowell crew
visited the camps on the north Churchill
last evening and inspected the men with
the aid of Garrick. Five men had left
camp that day for home or the settle
ments. and it is supposed the man with
the axe was one of these. Peterson
stripped his horses today and tonight
Will lead them on the cars for home. Pc
terson lives in Wilimantic