Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-31
KILLS HIMSELF.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

June, he had been kept in almost SOL
ilary confinement and had been denied
the privilege of daily visits from his
family, they being allowed to see him
only once week. Although there have
been reports circulated that owing to
this confinement and the bad state of
his health it was feared that he was
losing his mind, the physicians and
Jail officials state that such was not
the case. During this time Mr.. Wood
bury had received letters from his
daughters relative to the disposal of
his horses, carriages and other prop
erty, and in reply had written lengthy
letters debating the carrying on OF
his business in such a manner that not
even the slightest arrangement was
noted He had required almost con-
statnt attendance by a physician dur
ing his confinement in Jail, for the pur-
pose of injecting opiates, which Wood
bury claimed he could not get along
without Whether it was a condition
of the mind rather than of the body,
which required the morphine, is of
course a question.
The circumstances regarding the
death of Mrs. Phoebe Maude Wood
bury We're as follows:
On Nov. 4, 1907, Mrs Woodbury. dis
appeared from the FoXcroft Exchange,
which she and Mr.. Woodbury. conduct
ed as a lodging house. For weeks
nothing was heard from her and her
people. supposing that she had gone
visiting or had left the State. made
no investigation. In the meantime her
husband was taken i'll with heart trou-
BILE and locked up the Exchange and
went to his sisters to live.
When questioned about Mrs. Wood
bury he always said that "she had run
off with another man." After three
months of continued absence Mrs.
Wodbury's brother from Milo juno
ton came to Dover to make an 1nvas-
tigation, as there had been more or
less talk of foul play. The county Off
Gals We're notified and the services of
Detective Richard Leader of Lewiston
were engaged. A search OK the hotel
was made and on Feb IS, Mrs Wood
bury's body was found suspended by
cord to a door knob of an unused room
on the fourth story of the building,
where it had probably lain for the
previous three months. The body was
badly discolored but showed no visi-
BILE marks of violence.
The door entering the room was fas-
tened by q Dutch lock- from the in
side. A piece of joist standing against
the door held there by a pile of mat
tresSeS in the room. Whether or not
the door was locked by the key, which
was also on the inside, is not known
as over this point, not only the coun-
ty officials but practically everybody
connected in the case. bungled Her
bert Woodbury. was Immediately ar
rested charged with the murder of his
wife. 1t was known that at the time
of her disappearance she had had trou-
BILE with Mr.. Woodbury. and that Sc
ries of Quarrels had resulted. A hear
ing was held at which Hon. Forrest T..
Goodwin of Skowhegan and Judge c
w. Brown of Dover acted as attorneys
for Mr.. Woodbury..
An autopsy of the remains of Mrs
Woodbury. was performed by several
of the local doctors for the State and
by G. B. McGrath, medical examiner
for Suffolk county, Mass, for the de-
fence.
The matter was considered by the
ma iority Of the people of these towns
as clear case of murder and Mr.
Woodbury. received but little sympathy
from his townspeople.
Herbert Woodbury. was very we'll to
do, having prospered in his livery bus
mess, which he had conducted for a
great many years. He owned the Ex
change hotel property in Foxcr0ft and
at the time the tragedy occurred there
was conducting a well-paying bust
ness. He also owned several other
houses about town. His age was 4S
wears. He was thrice married. Two
daughters by his first wife, Misses Bes-
sic and Helen Woodbury. of these
towns. to whom much sympathy is
extended in the series of misfortures
which have come into their lives. three
sisters. brother and an aged father
survive.