The Republican journal., 1915-12-23
Death of Harry Foster.
n Autopsy Shows That he Died from
Natural Causes.


ur. Orris S. Vickery of this city, medical
1sniner for Waldo county, was called to
glntville Dec 18th by the seectmen of Mont
,e and Knox to investigate the death of
ss-ry Foster in the home of Lewis Batchel-
.=r on little farm the side of Hogback
Mountain. DR.. Vickery was accompanied by
.uln j. Dickey. newspaper correspondent,
sI9 has furnished The Journal with the fol-
wing particulars: The body was in little
5ym in the southeast corner of low rooted,
.snbing old farm house, cold and lacking in
.--Hiture, and was fully clad except for
.ost There were many cuts on the head,
5th knees were SCARED, there was a scar
.1ove the hip bone on the right hand side and
tack and blue marks on the body. The feet
Esre red and discolored, SCARED and blistered
:. though they had been frozen and heat-ap-
pied. After examining the body Dr. vckery
Lad consultation with the selectmen of the
towns and it was decided to have an au-
.5psy. and DR.. 7. N. Pearson of Morrill, was
.a.led upon to perform it, with Mr. Dickey as
;srk of records. The autopsy indicated that
i.e man had contracted q cold following in
lnes which had reduced his strength; that his
.1gs had been affected as result. with other
omplications;and that the lack of physician
IND the care and comfort necessary in such
case had caused his death. The cuts and
.Fuses. while apparently of a superficial nat
.Fe, were contributory to this end. Nothing
Fss revealed by the autopsy to warrant a
large of crime.
Just how the last days of the deceased were
,sssed none but the Batchelder family know.
hey live some distance from the road and
ave few callers. The family consists of Mr.
and Mrs. Batchelder and two small children
md they came from Mars Hill, Aroostook
.lunty, few years ago. The story they told
Fss to the effect that Mr. Foster when en-
iayed in the barn about a week be lore his
1zath fell from the hay scaffold and hurt his
;l0ulder and was bruised all over his body;
hat ne was i'll for few days, but was around
s7ery day and had physician. That on
" about Friday he seemed to be suffering
.'9m the cold and had chills; that he was out
S1o pumped water the night before he died
sno went to bed without supper from his OVID
r1alce. That he complained very little i'll
'be last two days of his life and was around
the house and barn. Mr.. Batchelder said that
Aonday night he heard noise up stairs where
Nr, Foster slept and went up but found him
al right. In the morning he was found dead
Toe selectmen of both towns were then noti-
led and DR.. Pearson called.
he deceased, who was about so years old
vas born in the town of Knox, son of Flanna-
gan Foster, who lived to be more than one
a4Hdred years old. and his home was with his
!ather until the latter's death After that he
we'd with a number of families and later came
. Belfast, where he worked with C. l. Wright
plumbing fora time. Last February he went
y Montville and made his home with the
Bstchelder family, receiving a little pay and
Dis board for his work on the farm. He is sur
0ged by one brother, Amasa Foster of Au-
. 'urndale, Mass, and sister, Mrs. Adele Bry-
{ Int of California. The funeral services were
T. he'd Dec. 18th under the direction of the se-
sctmen of Knox.