Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-03
The Posts Story
With SacO Dateline


ty razor blade in Augusta Jail two
weeks ago, Harry A. Kirby prepared
secret death statement" swearing
that an accomplice murdered Miss
Aida Hayward in Winthrop last May
and attempted to murder her aunt
Mrs. Mabel Townes.
The identity Of this alleged accom-
plice is known to Mrs. Townes. he
declared. The motive of the horrible
crimes, Kirby suggested. was a plot
to extort $4,000 from Miss Hayward
| which went wrong.
| The death statement" was sealed
| in a packet with two letters and 9TH
/ err papers and handed secretly by
| Kirby to a person in whom he had
! confidence, with the request that it
| be delivered to his wife after he
| was dead.
The person to whom Kirby confid-
| ed what he intended to be a message
from the grave, delivered the packet
to Kirby's wife last night. The
death statement concludes with the
following words: 1.-THE above are true
facts and it is up to my wife to say
il they shall become public or not"
The contents of the secret packet,
prepared by Kirby after he had ar
ranged to end his LIFE, are as follows:
ITO my dearly beloved wife:
Il solemly swear by all that I hold
sacred, by whatever hopes I may
have of eternal salvation, and by the
great love I still have for you and
our child, that the following state
ment is true:
'T DID NOT slay Aida Hayward.
nor did injure Mrs. TONNES. I DID
set fire to their cottage in an at
90. - 20 6N IL f1f a n -
complete, who had fearfully double
crossed me. At the time I set fire
to the cottage l was firmly under the
impression that Mrs. Townes was
dead.
Mrs. TONNES can tell who shot her
IL she will. / did not even see her
on that fearful night.
Plot to Extort Money
1.-THE original plot was to extort
the sum of $4,000 from Aida Hayward
under threats of exposure. I was a
party to the plot, but at no time did
] sanction or even suspect that
violence was to be used. When l
found out that Mrs. TONNES had
been shot (and I was told that she
was deaO, l became insane with
terror. / thought only of Ruby and
our child, and then / rushed blindly
uOWh Tic u dCh SCI LILO PidSC
afire. ! returned to the Gray cot
tage and walked up and down the
pines. Aida and him were up stairs.
Soon heard voices and went into
the cottage. I went up stairs and
told him to watch her. She was ly-
ing on the bed. I went back down
stairs and tried to reason what was
best to do. Suddenly l heard her
scream and then all was silent. The
voices I could still hear. and soon
the boys began to pound on the
doors. Finally / called out. "all
right, Just a moment" and then I
pulled myself together and opened
the door and Joined the boys. Up
to this time I had not heard sound
up stairs after that one scream and
1 never dreamed what had happened.
FIees From Cottage
II went to the Hayward cottage
with the boys and returned by car to
the Gray camp. He had gone. and
I went upstairs and found her on the
bed; nothing on her but chemise.
believed her to be dead and cover
ed her as fast as I could, packed my
grip, disposed Of her wearing ap-
parel, jewelry, guns, etc. and fled
the cottage.
IT never saw my accomplice again,
but Mrs. Towne knows who he is.
The HAYWARD family are spending