instigator of the crime. Harris admitted his guilt but claimed that
he was drunk at the time and easily influenced by Verrill. Harris
was hanged at the Maine State Prison on March 12, 1869.
THE LEWISTON EVENING JOURNAL, Lewiston, Me., March 12, 1869.
instigator of the crime. Harris admitted his guilt but claimed that
he was drunk at the time and easily influenced by Verrill. Harris
was hanged at the Maine State Prison on March 12, 1869.
THE LEWISTON EVENING JOURNAL, Lewiston, Me., March 12, 1869.
instigator of the crime, Harris admitted his guilt but claimed oe
he was drunk at the time and easily influenced by Verrill.
was hanged at the Maine State Prison on March 12, 1869.
THE LEWISTON EVENING JOURNAL, Lewiston, Me., March 12, 1869.
lie fehi I Maint fie
Shabehe tN acne UO
HARRIS, Clifton
Harris, a 20-year-old black native of "ort Monroe, Va., left the South
during the Civil War to avoid the Confederate conscription and served
several Union officers throughout the conflict. “fter the war, he
settled in Minot and Auburn, Me. On the night of Jan. 16, 1867, he
entered the small house in W,st Auburn tenanted jointly by two elderly
women, xx widowed Mrs, Justin Kingsley and Miss Polly Caswell, and
killed both women with an ax, Mrs. Kingsley was also raped and the
house was searched for valuables which it was believed that the two
women kept on the premises. Several other men were arrested and ques-
tioned but released when they proved alibis. Harris was taken into
custody when it was noticed that his shoes and clothes bore bloodstaing
and he confessed, nam&ng a man named Luther J. Verrill as his accom-
plice and the actual instigator of the crime. Verrill was tried first
and convicted but then Harris changed his story and claimed that he
alone was guilty. Verrill was tried again and released. When Harris
came to trial, he changed his story again and claimed that Verrill was
with him. Harris was convicted and sentenced to hang. Throughout his
imprisomment, he continued to maintain that he had been induced to
break into the house by Verrill and that Verrill was the actual
HARRIS, Clifton
Harris, a 20-year-old black native of fort Monroe, Vas, left the South
during the Civil War to avoid the Confederate conscription and served
several Union officers throughout the conflict. “fter the war, he
settled in Minot and Auburn, Me. On the night of Jan. 16, 1867, he
entered the small house in Wyst Auburn tenanted jointly by two elderly
women, Mixxx widowed Mrs, Justin Kingsley and Miss Polly Caswell, and
killed both women with an ax, Mrs. Kingsley was also raped and the
house was searched for valuables which it was believed that the two
women kept on the premises. Several other men were arrested and ques-
tioned but released when they proved alibis. Harris was taken into
custody when it was noticed that his shoes and clothes bore bloodstaing
and he confessed, naméng a man named luther J. Verrill as his accom=
plice and the actual instigator of the crime. Verrill was tried first
and convicted but then Harris changed his story and claimed that he
alone was guilty. Verrill was tried again and released. When Harris
came to trial, he changed his story again and claimed that Verrill was
with him. Harris was convicted and sentenced to hang. Throughout his
imprisonment, he continued to maintain that he had been induced to
break into the house by Verrill and that Verrill was the actual
HARRIS, Clifton
Harris, 2 20-year-old black native of Fort Monroe, Va., left the South
during the Civil War to avoid the Confederate conscription and served
After the war, he
On the night of Jan. 16, 1867, he
entered the small house in W,st Auburn tenanted jointly by two elderly
women, #exx widowed Mrs, Justin Kingsley and Miss Polly Caswell, and
killed both women with an ax. Mrs. Kingsley was also raped and the
house was searched for valuables which it was believed that the two
women kept on the premises. Several other men were arrested and ques-
tioned but released when they proved alibis,
Ib a man
plice and the actual instigator of the crime.
and convicted but then Harris changed his story and claimed that he
alone was guilty, Verrill was tried again and released, When Harris
came to trial, he changed his story again and claimed that Verrill was
with him, Harris was convicted and sentenced to hang. Throughout his
imprisorment, he continued to maintain that he had been induced to
break into the house by Verrill and that Verrill was the actual
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