Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-15

Maine forests was TedllZeO mere NioH-
day upon the arrival of a searching
party with the body OF Kenneth +.
Curtis of Waterville, Me.
Sheriff Goodrich. County Attorney
Anderson and Medical Examiner
Stinchfield returned Thursday from
lockwood, where they visited the
place where the body was found and
where an autopsy was held.
County Attorney Anderson stated on
Thursday evening that they had al
ready procured certain evidence as to
how Curtis may have met his death,
that investigations would be contin-
ued and that the matter would be
thor oughly sifted out.
Medical Examiner Stinchfield re-
turned the report that the young man
came to his death from a rifle wound,
source unknown.
Last November the young man. aged
Is years. in company with his father,
NJ. n. W. Curtis. and four companions.
went on a hunting trip in the Russell
Stream region, some Is miles from the
head of Moosehead Lake, making their
headquarters in a camp near Russell
Dam.
One night young Curtis failed to re-
turn to camp and it was supposed that
he had become bewildered and lost in
the burnt land district near at hand.
Next day his father and the rest Of the
party began a search for the missing
boy but without success.
For weeks the woods round-abou
was secured by different searchers
without result, until at last heavy
snow fall ended all hope Of learning
the fate Of the young hunter for the
time being and the search was reluct-
antly given up.
Last week, however. Mr.. Curtis, who
has been untiring in his efforts to gain
some trace Of his missing son, headed
another searching party. Accompanied
by game wardens Pollard. Brown, Dur
gin and Smart, and four Of the Great
Northern Paper Co. employees, they left
this little backwoods hamlet on Thurs
day and proceeded direct to the Russell
Dam camp from which the missing
young hunter had so mysteriously dis.
appeared on the 18th day of last No
vember.
From this central point the search
awaited himself of all the skill and ex-
perience Of the trained woodsmen who
made up his party.
After a three days search, the body
of the unfortunate young man was
found in little glade. surrounded by
small bushes, about three quarters Of
mile from the hunting camp Of last
fall.
The body lay face upward. in a nat
ural position. with one arm across the
chest and the other raised above the
head. Around and above it was burned
timber-three trunks suspended some
three feet above the ground, thus form
ing a sort of enclosure or covering,
natural recess which almost entirely
concealed the body from sight until
the searchers were very close to it. A
bullet wound in the chest told the cause
Of death
Some II feet away the rife, cap and
eyeglasses Of the young man were
also found. The rife, 3O3 calibre
Savage. hammerless, was loaded and
there were three cartridges in the mag
azine. About s inches from where the
rifle lay. an empty shell that fitted the
gun was picked up. The body was in
a fair state Of preservation.
All the circumstances surrounding
this tragedy Of the big woods indicate
according to those best qualified to
judge. that the young man was the
victim Of an accidental shooting by
some person who was hunting in the
same locality. This person, on discov-
ering that he had killed human being,
apparently became panic stricken and
endeavored to conceal the result Of
his fatal mistake by removing the body
from where 1t fell and thrusting 1t be-
meath the suspended timbers into the
recess. where it was only found after
a most careful search
SO positive and pronounced is public
opinion on this feature Of the case,
that the true cause OF death Of this
promising young man Is to be made
the subject Of a thorough invest! CATION
by the authorities Of Somerset county.
Accidental shootings in the forests
of Maine, it Is asserted, are becoming
too common to escape full and rigid in
vestigation, and especially so when,
as in this case, there is an apparent
intention on the part Of the guilty per-
son to hide the body Of the unfortunate
victim Of his carelessness, and who, by
doing so. 1t is asserted. has made him
self amenable to the law. From the
fact that the gun carried by the boy,
when picked up near the body, was
found to be loaded. 1t appears to be
certain that his death was not self
inflicted or the result Of a careless
act on his part. The bullet passed
straight through the body and only a
gun held level with the chest could
have made such q wound. Besides,
the clothing bore no signs Of powder
marks or burns.
Therefore. it is argued hereabouts
that some one killed Kenneth Curtis,
either accidentally or with criminal in
tent. and then made an effort to con-
ceal the body in the natural hiding
place where 1t was found months after
his death.
DIR. Stinchfield Of Skowhegan. State
examiner arrived here Monday and
made an autopsy. He states that death
resulted from gun shot wound in the
right side. Of the chest about 3 inches
from the centre. which cut off the
fourth rib. penetrated the lungs and
came out about an inch below the lower
So