Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-08
CONTINUED from Page one.)

ions or bruises, or any evidence OF
blows.
Deputy Snow realizing more than
fire had taken place. notified coroner
f. E. Andrews of Gardiner. Deputy
Sheriff F. e. Potter, Coroner Harvey E.
Bates, who has charge of the case,
and DR.. w. o. Cobb of Gardiner.
Sheriff Getchell was notified imme-
diately an came from Augusta by auto
In the house was strong smell OF
kerosene. and the bodies smelled
strongly of kerosene. Under the kitch
en- table was a two-quart milk can.
partially filed with oil In the
sitting room stove was fresh kindling,
and no fire had been made. On the
kitchen stove was a pot of beans.
Further investigation served to
strengthen the growing suspicion that
the couple were the victim of a foul
murder, and that the assassin had
tried to hide his tracks by burning
the house with its two inmates.
Fernald Eldridge the son was sus-
pected and inquiries as to his where
abouts further strengthened the grow
ing idea, that in a moment of anger
or drunken frenzy he had attacked
his father and mother, killing them
both.
No ulterior motive for the crime, 9TH
er than anger could be found for un-
der the mattress of bed in room next
to the sitting room, s137S0 was found
in a small purse. In the bureau, a
ring, gold watch and chain was found,
indulgent parents and is about n
robbery.
Upstairs, the bed of young Eldridge
showed signs of having been slept in,
and he had been seen at Spears Cor
ner the night before going toward the
house.
Young Eldridge has a bad reputa-
tion. he has previously been in the
Augusta Jail for intoxication, he has
a divorced wife in Boston, and last
September attempted suicide in a
bospital in Boston. He claims he is
a nurse, learning his trade at Togus.
He is reputed to be a worthless sort
of lad, perhaps made so by too fondly
indulgent parents. He is about q
years of age.
Tracing his movements, he was seen
TO leave on the o'clock car from
is said he was intoxicated during that
evening. One of the conductors on the
car said he came from Gardiner, on
the 1890 P. M, car to Hallowel ana
got off at North street.
Other stories, of people at Spears
Corner, say, about 1890 or IL o'clock
Saturday evening, rumpus was
heard at the station there, and man
resembling young Eldridge went to-
wards West Gardiner, where the
crime was committed. Other stories
tell of his being seen, at $50 Sunday
morning. in Gardiner. After that all
trace of his movements is lost.
Charlie Pooler of Hallowell said he
saw Eldridge in Gardiner, Saturday
night. and that he was beastly intoxi-
Gated.
No clues were found, directly i'm
plicating the boy The old mans knife
and contents of his pocket lay beside
him: the knife was untouched. There
is no evidence of any weapon, no
heavy club nor anything heavy
enough to infiict death blow has
been found.
The bodies were in such a condi-
tion that. DR.. Cobb stated to the re-
porters, he could not determine the
cause of death because of the condl-
ton of the bodies.
On the back of the womans nech'
the flesh was slightly discolored, but
not enough to warrant the claiming IL
resulted from a blow. The brulse ana
scalp wound on the mans forehead
are the only evidence of violence, and
even those may have been caused by
the fall and his head striking the
stove.
All the authorities in the surround
ing cities were notified to be on the
lookout for young Eldridge and it was
thought by Sheriff Getchell that he
might go to Lewiston. An extra watch
was kept on all the cars trains anu
roadways coming into the city.
About s o'clock Sheriff Getchell was
notified that Fernald Eldridge had
been apprehended in that city, and he
Immediately left for Gardiner, bring
ing the prisoner back to the Augusta
Jail on the next car.
The Arrest.