Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-08-03
The Girls Story

The crime for which the girl was
arraigned was committed Tuesday at
ternoon at about o'clock, according
to her story. which was told to Dep
uty Sheriff Brophy of Fairfield.
The story, one to touch the heart
strings. was told by the girl to the
deputy sheriff. She left home shortly
after noon Tuesday and pushing Il
baby carriage in which was the child,
went out the Oakland road as far as
the county road. She turned down this
road and came in over the Davis
bridge and onto the Cedar bridge and
crossed to the east side of the stream
where she took the child from the
carriage and tossed it over the rail
into the stream. She then pushed the
carriage into the bushes beside the
road and left it there and came on
into Waterville. From Waterville she
went to Fairfield and stopped at thu
Gerald hotel for the night
Had Been Watched
The girl has given her parents, Mr..
and Mrs. Charles Strickland of Fair
field Center, more or less trouble late
~ and also they have feared that shs
would do away with herself or the
child, as she said that she hated it at
times and SO they have kept a fairly
Close watch on her. Tuesday afternoon
Mr.. Strickland was obliged to be away
from home and he left the girl in the
care of her mother. On his return at
supper time she was missing and the
mother said that she had gone to a
neighbours with the child. When she
did not return after supper time, Mr.
Strickland notified the authorities at
Waterville and Fairfield that she was
missing ard asked their help in To-
eating her.
He also made a trip to Waterville and
Fairfield but could find no trace of the
girl Wednesday morning she was found
on the street in Fairfield by Deputy
Sheriff Brophy and on being asked where
the child was said that she had thrown
it in the river. She placed the bridge as
the Davis bridge, which is on the line be-
tween Oakland and Waterville, and the
officers of both town were notified. The
girl was then taken ir an automobile to
the bridge, but when she got to the Ce-
dar bridge she said it was there. She
showed the officers where she stood when
she threw the child over and said that
she watched it and it fioated down the
stream little way and then disappeared
beneath the water. She then got the
carriage out Of sight and went to Wa
terville and took the car to Fairfield She
was then taken in charge by Deputy
Sheriff harrington and taken to the Wa
terville police station, where she was
locked up to await a hearing. She did
not appear to realize what she had done
and expressed no regret. She said in
reply to a question that she did not like
the child and wanted to get rid of It,
ChiIds Body Found
Men under the direction of Deputy
Sheriff harrington and City Marshal Rob-
inson went to the bridge and began
dragging for the body of the child and
it was found by Bert Whalen at about
O'Clock. The location was practically
where she said she saw it go down for
the last time. The body was removed
to the undertaking rooms of Redington
& Co. to await the coming of the medi-
cal examiner
AS DR.. f. P. Fish, examiner for this
district, was out of town, DR.. Harris Of
Augusta was called and he arrived here
at about o'clock and ordered the body
turned over to the grandparents for bur-
ial. Arrangements were made to take
the body to the family lot at Fairfield
Center for interment.
So far as could be ascertained no one
could be found who saw the girl on her
lonely walk Of several miles, there be-
ing but one house for the whole dis
lance. The girl is small and apparently
frail and how she could have pushed that
heavy baby carriage the whole distance,
up one quite steep hill and several lesser
ones, is somewhat of a mystery to the Of
fcers, but she says that was was alone
all the time
Arrangements were being made to
have the girl committed to the State
Home for Feeble Minded and had
Continued on Page 5-CoIumn y