Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-20
Walter G. RansComb Dead and Mrs.
May {. Stewart Wounded at Cor
ham---Wm. Libby Kills Both Wife
And Himself at Portland.
GORHAM'S TRAGEDY.

Gorham, Me-. June 19-An autopsy
was performed today upon the body
| of Walter G. Hanscomb, the hostler
who was one of the victims of thu
| tragedy at the Bickford livery stable
at Gorham Saturday morning. Hans
comb was found dead with a bullet
| wound through his breast in the
| stable bedroom and beside him <eri-
ously wounded was Mrs. May Stewart
woman with whom he had been IN
innate for some time.
There had been suspicion thar Il
'hlrd party might have been concerned
In the shooting. as q drunken orgy
prevailed about the stable that night
The autopsy, however has convinced
the authorities that Hanscomb .hct
the woman and then killed himself 1t
disclosed that the ball passed through
Inc ploura but did not touch the heart
and death did not "nsuc for some time
after the shooting. This would &C
count for the composed position Of the
body and other circumstances which
aroused the suspicious that the man
was shot while asleep. Or. r. y
Small. who performed the au, ,psy.
states that the wound might have been
self inflicted.
Mrs. Stewards condition was OK
tremely critical tonight and it was not
believed she could survive until morn
ing Her father was summoned to hnr
bedside tonight
Gnrbam. Ne. June 19-When Connie
KneelaDd, a driver for Willis l. Bick-
ford Of Gorllam, entered the livery sta
BILE of Rion ". Bickford, near the rail-
road depot al Gorham at so yesterday
morning to feed his horses and went
into the little office to awaken Walter
George HanScOInb the hOStler, lie found
young man stretched out upon tho
couch in the office sound asleep He
knew this young man as Carroll Uol-
den, and asked him where HanScuub
was. Holden replied that he was III
the little sleeping room adjoining the
office with a woman, he supposed. and
together they opened the door of the
room.
They were Mortified to see the rlan
bed. which was soaked with blood,
while on the floor by the side of the bed
lay the 32-calibre Smith & Wesson.
self-acting revolver which had been
used Two chambers were empty. Be
tween the empty cartridges was one
which had not been exploded. There
was no mark upon the cap to show
that the hammer had struck it. In some
way this cartridge had missed fire or
been skipped when the chamber of the
revolver turned around.
Hanscomb had been shot through
the heart. The doctors said that he
must have died instantly. The woman
who is known as Mrs. May f.. Stew
art. 40 years. cid. servant employed
in the New Rochester hotel in Port
land, vas unconscious. with terrible
wound in the side of the head A bull
let had entered the upper part OF her
nose on the right side and passed Ill
agonally through the cheek bone ana
lowed lobe of the brain. coming out
above the left ear.
She was taken to the Maine General
hospital. where the surgeons say her
hopes of recovery are about even. Be
vord few muttered words the Wo-
man has made no statement since she
was shot.
AS a result of his Investigations
made personally and occupying the
entire day County Attorney William
C. Eaton last night ordered Ray Weich'
a Young man of Gorham OF excellent
family, detained as material witness
welch was admitted to bail in the sum
Of 5000 by Rail Commissioner Lnwood
Crockett. His mother. Mrs. Alice 0.
welch. and A. F. Carswell are his
securities.
THE dead man was born in Roches-
tor n. H., and was most respectfully
connected. DR.. Stewart. the former
husband of Mrs. May Stewart obtained
a divorce 10 years ago and is IN the
West. She is the daughter of Gardner
Parker. a hard working Buxton farm-