Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-17
Some of the Evidence
Placed Before Coroner's Jury

miDsS was found, between anu
o'clock Tuesday afternoon in the front
room of the Adams home, stretched
dead upon the floor, shot gun ON the
floor at her left side. Blood came from
her mouth, around which were powder
marks and stains, and the neck of
her shirt waist and apron were
scorched and burned.
The mother at once said that the
girl had killed herself while in a state
of mental arrangement, growing out
of worry over the suicide of q neigh
Dor last year.
Authorities here were notified and
| Coroner Albert p Bassett of this town
empannelled jury and on Wednes-
day held an inquest to determine, II
possible, the cause of death. The jury
was in session all day. When 1t had
| concluded it's deliberations the six men
| declared under oath that the mother
was il error; that in their opinion 1t
was not a case Of suicide, but that Mrs,
| Cummings had been shot by some per-
son to them unknown. The jurys find
| ing was:
Ethel NJ Cummings of Albany, on
| Tuesday, April IA, 1914, between the
hours 70 and o'clock, came to her
death by a gunshet in the mouth from
some person unknown to this jury"
The Fatal Shot
| Probably no one feature of the case
| led the Jury more strongly to incline
tc the murder theory than the wound
which caused death. The autopsy up
on the body of the young wife. show
| ed that the course of the fatal charge
of shot was downward and not up
ward. This indicated that the hreech
! of the shot gun, used to end the wo-
mans life, was held at a higher ele-
walton than the muzzle, at the instant
of the explosion
This of itself is regarded by the au-
thoritles as being a streng bit of evil
dence against the suicide theory.
II Is pointed out that person TAX
ing his or her own life would find 1T
| difficult to hold the shot gun In such
a manner and discharg it, The more
natural position, 1t is claimed by the
/ authorities, would be to have the
| breech of the weapon lower than the
| muzzle at the instant of discharge,
which would give the charge an up
ward direction, rather than downward,
| as in this case.
Further the flesh around the mouth
of the dead girl was covered with
powder marks and the face was con-
| siderably burned This indicated that
| the muzzle of the weapon was not heia
| close to the mouth at the moment the
! shot was fired, as would be expected
| in the case of death by suicide.
To further emphasize the fact that
the weapon was held away from the
face when the fatal shot was fired
was the burned and scorched eondi-
ton of the shirt waist and apron
which the young woman wore when
she met her death.
All of these facts were laid before
the jurymen for their consideration.
The life of Mrs. Cummins and her re-
lations with the other members or the
Adams family for the past Is months,
were important evidence.
Trouble in the Family
From all which can be learned 1t
| is very apparent that life IN the ADJ
ans homestead has not been of the
most cheerful character for some
months. There have been frequent
auarrels and at one time Ethel Cum
minis left, ordered out of the house, 1t
| Is alleged, and remained away for a
number of weeks. On the forenoon
previous to the killing. there was
quarrel between Ethel and her young
er sister, Irene, which was not ended
until the father took hand.
| Ethel, it is made very clear mar
| ried against the wishes of her father.
This took place about year and a
half ago. Her husband. Sherman
| Cummins of Groveton, VT, did not ap-
| peal TO the family. so it Is said.
| Most of the time since her marriage
Ethel has remained at the home OF
her parents, though on Tuesday she
was preparing to join her husband In
| Vermont.
! Her father not only objected to the
marriage but after, against his will,
| she took that step he held that 1t Was
| the husbands place to provide living
for the wife, This, 1T is claimed, Cum
minis did not do. In fact, It is all
legged by the girls family. that. after
the marriage, the husband didn't
| evinee any great interest in his bride.
1t is said that he has visited the
/
has been at the home OF her father,
| At that time he came in the morning
| about 10 o'clock and left in the after
noon at about l o'clock.
| At the time of that visit the father,
William H. Adams. was away from
| home.
| Just before the shooting, which a
eoroners jury has declared was honni-
Adams were In the yard Of their home.
Ethel was in the house. 1t is UNDER
stood that Ethel in fit of rage, grow
| ing out of the troubles of the morn
ing and preceding days, had gone to
her room to prepare to so to Groveton
| to join her husband.
But whatever the cause, that seems
to have been the situation at that