Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-05-27
Accused's Statement
fcopt;nued from PAGE One)


from Queen county Jail. New York
by saving his way out. He went to
work in the Letchworth Village,
school for Feeble Minded at Eeiil,
n, Y. He was put in there as
patient upon complaint, not given.
After serving six months he was dis
charged and became an attendant.
Prior to this he claimed to have
taken a course at the Renaurd Train
ing school and claims to have prac-
ticed embalming in New York. Co
ing back to Letchworth. he had
charge of a ward of 100 more or less
patients. There he met his present
wife and he married her under the
name of James Joseph Crawford. He
claims there was larceny of some
pocketbooks at the institution and
they had an investigation. BY the
process of elimination the suspicion
hit at him and he got out. He did
not tell his wife where he was going.
He went to Boston and then to Law
renee, later to Portland. From the
last place he called his wife and she
met him there. He then informed
her his name was Harry A. Kirby.
the name which they have since
used.
After going to Portland he went TO
Lewiston and there saw an adver-
tisement by Allen Ford who runs the
Winslow farm at Winthrop. He and
Mrs. Kirby went there to work, that
being approximately three years ago.
Since then he has worked in and
about Winthrop, mostly in the OIL
cloth factory, the mill. helping in
haying time and for a, while at
Pennington Falls. Last fall he went
to work for James Marshall at Rome,
the Jamaica Point Camps.
That story, according to the county
attorney, tallies very correctly with
the story which Mrs. Kirby told. dat
ing from the time Of their marriage
Feb. 16. 1922, at Nyack, N. Y.
AS to the crime itself, he denies he
committed the act. He says that on
Wednesday morning. about o'clock.
some of the boys he knew around
Winthrop, one Of them being named
Butler, the only one he could name,
knocked on his door. He had a .32
calibre revolver and some cart
ridges and he came down stairs and
left the revolver on the organ. 1t
was Smith & Wesson revolver. He
said he answered the rapping and he
heard whistle and had noticed a
fire in the sky. He was sleeping in
the room where the body of Miss
Hayward was found. He went down
to the ruins with these men AMI
searched awhile and then came back
to the Gray camp.
He denies that he had anything to
do with the killing, shooting or Duff
ing. He admitssthat he knew Mrs.
Towns and had sold her vegetables.
He said he knew who Miss Hayward
was. I4ts
He threw the gun in the lake and
also some cartridges in &. box. He
threw the pistol as far as he could.
Nothing yet has been found in the
shape of firearm. J1e started at
IL o'clock Wednesday forenoon for
Old Orchard anu there met his wife,
that night. lie told her what had
happened, that Mrs. Towns was shot.
the Hayward girl abducted and the
building burned. lie said that he had
nothing to do with. it but felt that
IL they had an investigation his past
would be revealed. He felt the
threatened investigation was sure to
come and she advised him to go back
anu lace Tie IuuSlC anu let lue past
take care Of itself. He left Old Or
chard at 10 o'clock Thursday and
returned to Augusta. Stayed in Au-
gusta Thursday night. Went out to
the camp Friday. The searchers
came to the camp Friday and told
him they We're searching the cot
tages. They didn't search his. He
made provisions for a weeks board
at Bearces. He took the IL o'clock
car Friday night for Augusta and on
the way out engaged his time in
reading a book, Twins of Suffering
Creek" He stopped at the Y. M. c.
A. and the next morning. not certain
of the time, he heard near the bridge
on Water street, that the girls body
had been found and that It was
all chopped up.
He checked his bag for the Port
land train. He saw a bulletin board
and saw men searching the west
bound train. After the excitement
had subsidized he took the east bound
train to Waterville. He took the
trolley to Oakland from there and
had his moustache shaved on In