Putnam patriot., 1909-04-30
TIE PUTNAM PATRIOT April 90 1909
A MYsterioas Murder.

The town of Woodstock is well or defed and with known reputation Of freedom from crime, petty CT large, and yet, a. soIseiimes wili happen in sseii famed towns, # has been made the scene Of one ef fhe most atfo- cious and mysterious murders on re- cord.
 sslashed and hacked with vengefal sas agefy .-~ hethef for revenge of rob- t4fy. or both, l. still ungaessed-the body Of Charles F. McComber was found atoai o'clock Faesday evening, faee doanwards. .tin lhe road by pass ing teanster.
 Wlth :he head balf severed from the body by gash across the throat, the wlndpiTe and jugular lein severed, lay MctsmDef on All impfoYised cot in a little oaibuilding at ttte town farm in West N oodstock, on Wednesday when the coroner, medical examiner and State police arrived to begin the in. quest to unrayel the mystery of his death The body had been taken there from the place where II had been found by order Of Medical Examiner, Df. Jo- seph spalding, Of Woodstock Hill, and an inquest held by coroner A. 6. Bill, of Dsnielson on Wednesday afternoon. Dr.Spaldine stated that the man had been dead since Monday-in all pfoba. tftI noon or night of that day, and the body lay undiscovered on that unffequented road for 24 hours.
 Such deductions as could be made on Wednesday, From au inspection Of the place where the body was found, and his wounds and clothing, would indi- cate that he was struck down from be- hind and his throat cut as he lay help less on the ground.
 A great pool of blood, saturatfng the leaves and turf, marks the spot where fls life ebted away. II was not there, however, that the body vas found, but = feel distant. In Df. spalding 's opinion no man could suffer the wound 1 that Inc murdered man had, and then walked that distance. Nor does any ] blood stain the earth where the body was nor the spaee between that and the I spnlding, the murderer returned about i six hours after tue mans death and
 dragged the body to the place where il
 was found.
 1 Tn. dc i'd man < watch Is missing and
 also wallet which he always carried In the inside pocket of his vest, how
 ever, and in small purse in an outside
 vest pocket, bills and change amount.
 Ing to s5a.35 were found when ths
 clothes were searched.
 l McGomber's knife K also missing. Ii l may have beeu used to endlhis life altel l he was stricken senseless. That he al
 ways carried knife k known and i'
 also indicated by partly used plugs O
 tobacco in his pocket.
 The cut in the throat extends about 1inchfs, clear To the ears. Anothef3cul
 k noticeable on the back of the head
 he was struck down.
 That McGonber WAS killed for re
 senge Is one theory. but his brothe
 states that he had never heard an,
 threats against him, nor was he awaf'
 lhal he had any enemies sister | Mrs. Imogene Mckinstty of South | bridge made similar statements. Tn,
 deceased was employed as farm hant | by Fred Morse of Southbridge up ts l March |, since which time nothing | was known by his relatives of his
 whereabouts. He was b2 years o age and a native of Woodstock. He | drank occasionally, but was mol of a quarrelsome disposition. His home was in Sprucedale, near South Wood stock, where his wife, from whom he was divorced some years ago, and two children now liNe.
 X peculiar fact WAS that the iett hand was completely covered with dry blood, but that white glove found on the hand was devoid ot any blood stains.
 The inquest was held al the town farm on Wednesday, Coroner Bill ot panielson being present with pho teyrapher. also members of the State police.