Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-16
Inquest Tuesday in
Oak Hill Tragedy
Interesting Resume of Circumstances Connect
ed with Burning to Death of Lewellyn Lar
rabee, William Ellwell and Joseph Danforth

Litchfield, Me-, May 15.-The county off,
Gals Of kennebec have decided upon an
inquest Tuesday at the scene OF SATURDAY
mornings triple tragedy at Oak Hill
The examination of Charles Bailey py
County Attorney Fisher and certain I'M
expiainable circumstances surrounding
the case have made this action impera-
tive.
Three men are dead, Llewellyn LARA
bee. whose home was burned, william
Ellwell and Joseph Danforth. NO one
knows, or seems to know, what occurred
after Charles Bailey, George Danforth
and William Danforth left the house Fri
day night
Sire CT iarrabee Home
The immediate neighborhood of this
tragedy is occupied chiefly by the Dan
forth family and the little house in which
the three men were burned was at the
foot of Red Oak Hill. The ruins were
still smoking Sunday and in the little cell
lar of the house, which is not over SKI
feet in dimensions, were the few rem
Of an old sofa and a few other sugges-
tions of like character. In this pit, which
was even then redhot, the remains or
the three men we're found; and singularly
they were in almost the same posture in
which they had last been seen by the two
Danforths who left them there at mid
night Friday.
Llewellyn Larrabee, the owner of the
ca. oil yIyfdn
grown-up children, was identified by his
watch. William Ellwell of Monmouth, a
travelling man, who leaves a wife and
family Of five children, was identified by
his eyeglasses, which were in his coat
pocket and which had burned into the
charred flesh. one Of the lenses still In
tact, shining suggestively from out of the
blackened substance around. The body
of Joe Danforth was identified by the file
which was In his pocket. He is saw
fler by trade and had the tools of his
trade with him.
Some Disagreement
The full story of this Friday night par
ty at Llewellyn Larrabees will never be
known. There is no concealment of the
fact that 1t was q drinking affair ana
that someone had been over to neigh
boring town and brought over two gal
Ions Of whiskey. At IL o'clock. when three
of the party left, It is said that five bot
ties had been disposed of. At the time
when George Danforth and Wilbur Dan
forth left there had been more or less dis
agreement between the members Of this
convivial party.
Lighted Lamp on Table
Larrabee was a very strong minded
man and some remark was made, 1t
is said, that did not please him: and
the story goes that when the men left
they said that If Larrabee was going
to act that way, they had better go
home. The kerosene lamp was sitting
on the corner Of the table. They had
already knocked the chimney off and
one of the men now living, said that
they'd better take the lamp off the
table and put it on the mantle piece.
but Larrabee replied that they'd bet
ter let it alone, and there was more OF
less talk about 1t.
George Danforth and Wilbur Dan
forth walked home. They live not
great way distant. Charles Bailey had
his horse and he went to the stable
and was hitching in his horse when
the other men went.
Bailey is we'll known in this vicin-
ity and throughout the county. being
horse dealer commonly around coun-
ty fairs and horse trots: and while
a peaceable man is known to have a
disposition to defend himself under
aggression. 1t is because of Baileys
lirl aFt of
went, and in the idea that perhaps he
may know more about what happened
than the two Danforths, that Deputy
Sheriff Bucklin of Litchfield took
Bailey into custody, without making
formal arrest, and carried him to Au-
gusta, where County Attorney w. H.
Fisher put him through course of
questioning.
It is said, in this neighborhood and
around Days Corner. that Bailey
showed up at Lon Ridley's house a
good deal scratched up
Charles Bailey's Story
Raileys story to County Attorney
Fisher is said to have been straight
forward, that he left the house at the
same time that George and Wilbur
Danforth did and that he did not go
back into the house. so that he knows
nothing whatever about how the fire
Dtarted. he said he drove over to the
place of a man named Ridley, who
lives about two and :, half miles south,
ard that when he arrived there saw a
light as Of q fire in the direction OF
the Larrabee house ard that it is to be
presumed it was the flames from this
tragedy. This was about l o'clock Sat-
urday morning.
After concluding the examination OF
Bailey, County Attorney Fisher allowed
him to go and ordered hearing in
the case at o'clock Tuesday on the
premises
When Mr.. Danforth. who furnished
the casket for the burial Of the three
men, came upon the body Of Llewellyn
Larrabee, he found in his pocket his
watch which had stopped at 2.45 o'clock
If this watch was running and was
stopped by the fire. it must indicate
pretty closely the time when the fire
started, because the house was small
and must have burned quickly and the
ire could not have been burning ar
hour and IS minutes before the watch
would cease to run.