The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-02-08
I,sIie,e Several Persons Know Who
Killed Game Wardens

OF is our belief that there are sew
50, nersons who know who killed
u.rdeus Brown and johnson" Com
,,ssioner of Fish and Game Parsons
old the Legislative committee on
n,and fisheries and game Thursday
AFTERNOON.
lie also told the committee that
|be existing reward of. $500 for evil
once leading to the conviction of the
murderer or murderers was not suffi-
ient to overcome the fear those peo-
lie we're in and induce them to tell,
knit If was hoped that by increasing
his to $1,000 they would tell
THESE statements were made by the
Commissioner at a hearing ON a re-
Bove Offering a reward of $1,000 for
Incarnation leading to the arrest and
onyiction of the murderers of the
wo wardens. The Commissioner was
he only speaker.
He explained to the committee that
he two wardens, David e. Brown of
,recnyille, and Mertley Johnson of
batten disappeared on or about Nov
mber Is in the region of the Aba
he north branch of the st. John Riv-
n. 1t was believed. from all the
circumstances in the case, that they
had been murdered by Canadian
IDoachers operating in that section.
|The attorney general had offered two
rewards. Commissioner Parsons ex-
blamed; one of $1,000 for the recovery
bf the bodies, the other of $500 for
evidence leading to the conviction of
The murderers.
It was not felt that this was suffi-
kient, but it was all the Attorney Gen
eral was in a position to offer and
30 it had been decided to come to
bhe legislature with request for this
additional $1,000 reward, which would
make total of $4,000.
Gentlemen" passionately ex-
claimed Commissioner Parsons, 1--WE
must catch these murderers and we
must punish them. If we don't do
|it--if we do not track these slayers
down and bring them to justice, we
Emay as we'll abandon that region to
|the murderous poachers from Canada,
Nor there will be no respect for law
There. The people up there will say
That the State of Maine Is unable to
enforce its laws and it will be a dis
aster.'
Commissioner Parsons said that he
was confident, and so were all who
knew the region, that the bodies of
the missing men would be found as
soon as the snow left the ground.
Every precaution was being taken to
see that no person who might have
q reason for getting in and disposing
of these bodies IN such a way that
they would never be found, the COM
missioner told the committee. He
said wardens were guarding the whole
region and this would be continued
until the snow was ioff and a hunt
spuld be made for thsI remains of the
twosimen. So
While he made no direct statement
10 that effect Commissioner Parsons
conveyed the idea that his wardens,
as result of their investigations had
the area in which the sup
posed crime occurred down to fairly
small territory; that they were con-
vnced that whoever killed Brown and
Johnson did not wait to dispose of
The bodies after the crime. but hast
ened away from the scene and that
The coming of the snow within a few
lays had prevented their returning
and making way with the evidence of
their guilt.
This idea was due to the positive
hess with which the commissioner
spoke OF his belief that several per-
Sons knew who killed the missing
game wardens, but were afraid to
talk for fear that their own lives
would be the penalty.
But one man fired the shots which
Killed Dave Brown and Mertley john
Fon but there are those who know
bis name and we want their state
ments,' concluded the Commissioner.
Guide Expresses Sentiments