The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1909-04-15
Murder at Bingham.
Herbert Nottage Shoots Wife and Kills
Himself with Same weapon Few Hours
Later. A Tragic Incident.


Himself with Same weapon a Few Hours
Later. A Tragic Incident.
The ordinarily peaceful town of
Bingham was aroused, last Friday
evening by the knowledge that par
tieularly heartless murder had been
committed in their community. Her
bert Nottage of Lexington had called
to see his wife at the Bingham Hotel
and in the course of the interview,
which took place in the parlor, had
fired FIVE shots at her, the last it
seems being the one to cause her
death. Mrs. Nottage had been en-
ployed at the hotel but a short time.
Her husband inquired at the Office
for her and she was sent for, to meet
him in the. parlor, with no thought Of
the tragedy that was to follow. Dur
ing the first few minutes of their con-
versation, the man was called to the
telephone and, after he had finished
at the instrument, Mrs. Nottage talk
ed for time, evidently with the same
party, which is now supposed to have
been her father, speaking from No.
Arson. Immediately after her return
to the parlor, someone who was pass
ing the door heard her say, "you may
have the baby if you want her." and
a few minutes later the five pistol
shots with sounds of scuffle told every
one within hearing that murder was
being attempted, only too successful
ly as it later proved.
A dozen persons were about the no.
tel, i'll the Office and out on the piazza.
John Witham, the landlord, was on
the second floor showing guest TO
his room. Witham, upon hearing the
Ishots, which were fired at irregular
intervals, rushed to the stairs and
went down rapidly. AS he neared
the foot of the stairs Mrs. Nottage
sprang through the parlor door, rush
ed into the office shrieking:
"Save me, Oh save me, | am shot"
She fell heavily upon the floor and
naturally enough those present gave
her their attention. Nottage spraug
out through the front entrance of the
hotel and made his escape down the
road toward the bridge over the Ken
nebec river. 1t is plain that the wo-
man had grappled with her Infatuated
husband when he drew the revolver.
This is indicated by the wounds which
are as follows:
One bullet plowed a furrow along
the left temple and this was probably
the first shot fired, the woman evil
IDENTITY having seized the weapon and
diverted the course of the missile. A
second wound lay along the left
breast coursing upward going over
the shoulder into the wall of the room.
A third bullet traced bloody course
near the last mentioned and in much
the same manner. The fourth shot
took effect in the left side and made
its exit near the shoulder in the back
The fifth and final shot and the one
that was the real cause of death as
none of the other wounds are consid
cred to have been fatal, entered the
back near the spine and passing
through the stomach made it's Kit in
front through the abdomen.
This last shot was fired when Mrs.
Nottage, agonized by the many
wounds she had received, broke from
her husband and started to seek
safety in the hotel office. Could she
have hung onto the revolver hand for
few brief seconds longer assistance
might have come to her and her life,
possibly, have been saved.
Medical aid was summoned and the
injured woman received every atten-
ton. She rallied, however, enough to
upaol- fa,u xyordu hut har noua uou
regarded as all but hopeless from the
first and she died the following fore
noon.
Snow was falling when Nottage
rushed out OF the hotel, had been
was noted by several people and his
footprints were easily traced. Sher-
if Mooers was notified and from his
desk at Skowhegan gave such direc
ton as he could TO his various depu
ties in the effort to intercept and
capture the fleeing man. The tele
phone was also used to notify the
farm houses and villages to the south
and westerly from Bingham, Nottage
having started down river. Deputy
Sheriff Foss at Scion got out a party
OF aids and planned to head him off at
that town but Nottage knew the
country too well and escaped them by
making a detour in the fields 1t
was cold, stormy night and both
pursuers and pursued suffered great
hardship, the murderer to escape and
the officers in The determination to
discharge their duty to the fullest ex-
tent.
Continued on third page