Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-26
SkoWHECAN

fGOodrich) Fletcher, WIDOW OF Petnu-
tai Fletcher, was found about a quar-
ter Of a mile from her home on the
Middle road close to q clump Of woods
during Thursday night by searchers
who had feared that some disaster
had befaiIen the aged woman who
lived aloE,. The conditions surround
ing the body were unusual indeed
and suggested several different opin-
ions.
50 far as Is known Mrs. Fletcher
was last seen about noon Wednes-
day In the yard OF her home with a
halter in her hand as though start
ing out for her horse which she al
lowed 10 run about the farm largely
at It's own will during daytimes. She
was discovered lying on the ground,
her feet seven feet from a stone wall,
her apron soaking in her blood and
her face terribly mutilated. A hole
as ihou,h made by a bullet was no
,iceablc in her neck near the jaw
bone and from apparent examination
II would seem that the face might
have been terribly distigured by the
work Of the bullet alone. The the
DRY In connection with this is that
hunter might have fired and hit the
woman unknovingIy.
Another theory. and very likely
ono. Is that the woman was killed by
hor horse. as tho animal was known
TO l., some wnat vicious. Tracks of
hotsr IN that vicinity indicate that
the ahinal must have been there and
lot fon
might have easily been caused by the
hoo: and shoe Of 4 lorse. II is prob
abb. that the supposed bullet wound
was caused by tn long calk on the
shoc. which upon examination The
hors. was found TO be wearing.
Then. too. there lis the foul play
theory and a strange feature of the
case Is that the hat worn by Mrs.
Fletcher was first found and "a short
distance away WAS considerable
blood. as though the unfortunate
woman biod profuse!y while lying on
the ground. A little ways further on
was found the cloak, some false hair
and more strange than all else the
shoes and stockings OF the dead
woman. which she must have re-
moved or had removed after the ac-
cident. 4 little further on was found
t body with Il wrapper on, some
what pulled up about the limbs and
the front of the waist unfastened.
The fact that the shoes and stock
inss had been removed and were
found neither with the body nor at
the spot where the greater part of
the blood was found gives rise to the
thought of foul play. Nothing was
disturbed at the woman's house,
however.
There was some indications that
the body had been removed or rather
dragged to the place where it was
found by the searchers. These tracks
may have been caused by the horse,
however, and one of the things which
indicates that the animal was reSpon-
sible for the death of his mistress is
that Friday forenoon Deputy Sheriff
4. VI. Chute. who was taking meas
urements OF the various locations of
blood, body and clothes. found crush.
ed into the ground by the heavy print
al a horses hoof the lower set of
the womans teeth which were bloody.
Numerous heavy horses hoof prints
suggested that the animal might have
reared about considerably in that To-
Cality. The halter was found near the
spot where the dead woman's clothes
were lying. The body was removed to
the house and an autopsy was per-
formed during the day Friday by
Medical Examiner Stinchfeld.
The horse was noted by neighbors
nearer the village feeding about with
only his head halter on Thursday,
and Thursday evening neighbors saw
no light at Mrs. Fletchers home.
After some telephoning it was
deemed wise to make an examination
Of the premises and no signs of life
were detected there. The horse. too
was missing. The search was begun
and the body finally located as here
tofore stated.
Mrs. Fletcher. who was about II
years old. was the daughter of the
late Cyrus Goodrich Of Madison and
sister OF c. w. Goodrich Of Show
hogan. Another sister. Mrs. George
Holbrook. lives in Wilton and a sis
ter. Mrs. Ann Salley Of Brewer, quite
recently passed away. She was
married to Mr.. Fletcher. April 16,
1894. He died about fifteen years
ago and since that time the widow
had lived much alone. save when
some man Or woman would stay
with her and assist her in the work.
While there are fairly near neigh
bors. none are within hailing dis
lance Of her home. The indications
are that Mrs. Fletcher was killed
some time Wednesday, as her poul-
try had not. to all appearances, been
fed for a day and a half
The deceased was a member OF the
Bethany Baptist Church here, her
husband having been n former dea-
con Of that society. and was also a
member of Skowhegan Grange. She
frequently drove to town alone with
the horse which is more than likely
responsible for her tragic death The
animal Is remembered by many as
seeming like an exceedingly treach-
erous beast. The horse has now re-
turned TO the Fletcher farm.
AS the result Of the autopsy per-
formed by Medical Examiner Stnch-
held Friday upon the body Of Mrs.
susan Fletcher. who was found dead
IN the held back OF her buildings
with terribly bruised head. the
decision was that the deceased came
70 her death as the result of being
kicked ny n horse, suffering great
loss of blood therefrom and copse