Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-05

Brunswick, Me, Oct. 4.-(SpeciaD.-
BY hanging himself in Cell of the
Brunswick lookup this morning Syl-
vester j. Campbell practically confess
ed to being one of the worst criminals
in the State He saw that the game
was up and that it was either a case
of making way with himself or of
passing the remainder of his life at the
State prison at Thomaston.
The crimes which Campbell COM
mitted are with few parallels in the
criminal history of the State. He has
had his brother arrested. tried and
convicted Of committing a felonious
assault upon his wife. His brother.
Willard F. Campbell, was brought inlo
the superior court in Portland Thurs
day to be sentenced. but upon the pre-
scntation of some newly discovered
evidence Judge Turner ordered q stay
of proceedings until an investigation
could be made.
Saturday Sheriff William NJ. P,nnel'
and County Attorney Joseph p. T.
Connolly spent in brunswick and at
noon Sylvester j. Campbell was ar
rested charged with subornatioH ct
perjury. After that events moved
swiftly and in tn" evening the county
attorney informed Campbell that the
crime on which he would probably be
tried would be incest, the victims be-
ing his two little daughters, Belinda
aged 10, and Bertha, aged eight. THESE
two children have lived with their
father since their mother Mrs. Ida \.
(Yorll) Campbell, formerly OF Gardl-
ner was committed to the Augusta
Insane hospital earlier in the year. a
Younger child Ruth. aged five has since
lived in Freeport.
Campbell was to have been taken
to Portland this morning, where he
was to have been given the Third
Degree in an effort to secure a con-
fession. He saw that the game Was
up. The statements and questions put
to him by County Attorney Commonly
last evening demonstrated that tn
man had committed his last crime, and
in the early hours Of the forenoon
probably about o'clock, sylvester
campbell had taken the chain, when
sunported the upper bunk in the CELL
and bv making moose and passing
the chain around one of the bars Of
the cell, above the door. he had hung
himself. He had evidently stood on
his tip toes and placed his neck IN the
moose, then drawing up his knees mao
SLOWLY strangled to death. me pous
was discovered about O'Clock by VI
ficer Herbert L. Robertson, VINO hau
zone 70 the lookup with Camppeli
breakfast,
Sheriff William L. Pencil and Couii-
tv Attorney Joseph f. Connolly arrlV-
ed in Brunswick on the noon tram
from Augusta, where they went inns
morning to interview Mrs. Ida Camp
hell the wife of Sylvester Campbell
who Is at the insane hospital at Az
g,sta They were met at the train
Nv Deputv Sheriff John Leonard ano
Coroner w. F.. Gordon. The four held
d. hurried conference, at which 1t was
decided that no inquest would De nee
essary. County Attorney Commonly ~
on the same tram LOT IoI lidi" "iiN'
he will at once take steps to secure
the release of Willard +. Campbell Oh
Monmouth, who is in the Cumberland
county iail awaiting sentence, q con
victed prisoner on the charge OF Tel
onious assault
County Attorney Connolly VIII nave
q conference with NJ. J. OBrien, camp
hclrs lawyer, and they will rec"h''i'ciio
that Judge Turner allow the n"tio'
for new trial 1t is presumed ihd'
.Iudge Turner will order Calnppcll re-
leased on his own recognizance' VIII
orders to appear at the January tern,
of court. At that term the case VIII
he assigned for trial. but Will be no
nrossed by the new county attorney w
G.. Eaton The other officers OF 'h'
train went directly to the undertaking
rooms of Coroner Gordon. where tAeS
viewed the body. The pockets or me
dead man were carefully searched ano
among the contents were found IVY
gold watches. about 50 in change aho