Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA - Genealogy

Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA

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STILL A MYSTERY. Jessie Cobb's Murderer and His Motive Are Not Yet Revealed. LEWISTON POLICE ON THE ALERT. Several of Dead Girls Friends In Sabbattus Interviewed. WHERE IS FRED BROOKS?   The veil which covers the crime connected with the Jessie Cobb case, has not yet been raised. There is no longer any doubt but that it was murder, but now the people are interested to know who the murderer was and the motive for committing the crime. It is quite generally known that Miss Cobb had several gentleman friends in Lewiston, and while perhaps suspicion points to no one in particular, there are one or two that the police are anxious to find, and learn what they know about the case. That more of the facts concerning Jessie Cobb might be presented to the public, a Sun man visited Sabattus yesterday and interviewed several of her acquaintances at that place. All appeared to be interested in the case and were very willing to talk. In some instances they were quite eager to learn the latest news concerning the death of Miss Cobb and asked if the police were making any great stir to solve the mystery. All who were seen Thursday by a Sun reporter, said that they felt confident that it was murder and nothing else. "Why," they would say, "Jessie thought too much of living to commit suicide. She was not that kind of a girl; she was light minded and cheerful and never looked on the dark side of anything." The first person interviewed on the case yesterday was Mr. William Theinert of Main street, Sabbatus, in whose family Jessie Cobb worked up to her disappearance. Mr. Theinhert, who is a genial and frank spoken man was found at one of the cotton mills, where he is head spinner. After the report had introduced himself and explained his mission, Mr. Theinert said: "I will be through work in just a minute and will be glad to tell you all that I know about the matter." He was free to talk about the case and said the would be glad to do anything to throw light on the subject. Mr. Theinert said: "Miss Cobb came to my house to work April 10, and remained about eight weeks, and then she went to work at O. R. Jones'. After helping at the Jones family for about six weeks, she returned to my house where she was working at the time of her disappearance. There was no better person about the house than Jessie; she was free to work and very neat and trusty. She was an excellent housekeeper; one of the best we ever had. "The Saturday that Jessie left Sabbatus never to return, Mrs. Theinert and myself went to Lewiston early in the day. When we left the place, Jessie said she wanted to visit her sister at Poland that night, and if it would be convenient she would like to start early in the evening. We told her that we would return in time for her to go away in the evening. When we came back from Lewiston at about 6 o'clock, supper was ready for us, and Jessie seemed in a hurry to get away. After she had finished the work she left on the early car for Lewiston where she said she was going to spend the first part of the evening and later going to Poland to visit her sister. This was the last we saw of her. "When she went away she said: 'I am going up to see Grace (her sister) and if I am not able to return on the late car this evening, I will surely be here Sunday morning.' With these words she left the house, and started for Lewiston. When Sunday morning arrived, she had not returned, but Mrs. Theinert felt sure that Jessie would be on hand early Monday morning to do the washing. My wife was so sure that she would return that every preparation was made and the clothes were even put in soak, so that everything would be in readiness when the girl got back. After she failed to put in an appearance Monday, we concluded that she had simply left without giving any notice. But still that was not like the girl; she was too honest to do anything of that kind." "Did you ever see the girl under the influence of liquor?" asked the reporter. "No sir, I never did, and another thing, I do not believe that she ever drank anything. She was very temperate and while I do not consider that she had a strong mind, I do not think that she could be influenced to drink even a glass of beer." "Did she have many gentlemen callers while at your place, Mr. Theinert?" "No sir, she never had any. Yes, I believe that on a Sunday about two weeks before she left our place there was a gentleman called to see her. That was the only time during her stay here that I know of any gentlemen calling to see her." "Who was the gentleman that called that Sunday?" "I do not know who he was or where he came from. He was rather a short, stout built fellow, with a noticeably red face. His appearance was that of a farmer. He asked if Jessie Cobb was at home. It old him that she was not, that she had gone to Poland to visit her sister, but would probably return on the late car Sunday night. He asked what time the car would arrive in Sabattus. I told him at about 11.30." "Was there anything in his appearance that attracted your attention?" asked the reporter. "Well no, I don't know as there was. He was a down headed fellow and had his hat pulled down over his eyes. He did not talk very plain, rather mumbled his words and was very hard to understand." "How old should you think the man was?" "About 30, I should say." "Was Miss Cobb in the habit of being out late nights?" "No, not as a rule, sometimes when she went to Lewiston she would not return until the last car down; but usually she was in the house by 9 o'clock and often earlier than that." "Then you say that you had never seen her when she had been drinking any alcoholic beverages?" "I never saw her drink any liquor as a beverage, but on one occasion I remember that she took about a teaspoonful of whiskey for medicine. THe doctor told her that a little stimulant of that kind would be good for her health. However she would not take it and to my knowledge never tasted that stuff again." Mr. Theinert then said that at one time, several weeks ago, she left his place on a Saturday night and promised to return the same night, but did not get back until Monday morning. When questioned as to where she had been she said that she had been stopping with a lady friend in Lewiston. In a joking way Mr. Theinert said: "Jessie, I think that you have got a fellow in Lewiston that you go to see." At this the girl smiled and said that she did have a fellow and that she was not ashamed of him either. When asked who he was she said, "Fred Brooks." Mr. Theinert hen made some inquiries of her about Brooks. She was free to talk about the matter and said that he was a nice fellow and that she liked him the best of any fellow she had ever met. When asked what his business was, said that he worked in the Lewiston Medicine Shop, and while engaged in the performance of his duties at that place, had met with quite a serious accident. She appeared to feel badly about the misfortune to her dear friend. When asked to state more about the man she loved, she gave a description as follows: "He is a man of 18 years, medium height and sandy complexion. She said that he was temperate in his habits, and a fine young man in every way. She also told of the accident which happened to him while working at his trade, when he had three of his fingers jammed off. She said that Dr. Emmons dressed the injury. "After this," said Mr. Thienert, "she was continually talking about this man Brooks and wen [sic] to Lewiston very often too [sic] see him. I do not know that he ever came to Sabattus to return her visits; in fact, I am quite sure that he never did. Brooks, however, was not the only fellow that she was acquainted with in Lewiston, as she was frequently seen on the streets in company with others. I am informed that on Sunday night, Sept. 16, she was seen walking on Main street with a fellow by the name of McKenna. At this time she was seen by Mr. Fahey. Fahey and Mr. Reed were standing on a street corner when Miss Cobb and McKenna passed by. Mr. Reed asked Fahey if he knew that girl (referring to Jessie Cobb) and Fahey said that he did. " 'Well,' said Mr. Reed, 'if you know her, it is your place to tell her to keep away from that fellow, he is a bad man and if she continues to keep his company, harm will come out of it.' At another time, only a few days before the disappearance of Miss Cobb, Fred Chase saw her with a stranger walking through one of the alleys that lead to Lincoln street. The couple appeared on very friendly terms. Neither party was under the influence of liquor. Miss Cobb also claimed that she knew the night clerk at the Rockingham Hotel. She told this to one of her friends at Sabbatus, but this was doubtless a mistake, as the night clerk was seen by a reporter last evening and says that he never met the girl in his life. He said: "She as a stranger to me, and while I may have seen her and would recognize her picture, I am positive that I never knew any one by the name of Jessie Cobb." Mr. Thienert said he had visited the shores of the rivers where the body was taken from the water to see if he could not find some trace that would lead to the clearing up of the mystery. But this he was unable to do. He says he thinks it a matter of too great importance to be dropped, without first making a thorough investigation. He was anxious to know what the police had accomplished in the case. Mrs. Thienert was also interviewed on the matter, she spoke very highly of the girl as a housekeeper. She said: "Jessie was honest and faithful and willing to work. She never complained at anything and was one of the neatest girls that has ever worked for me. I always considered an upright young lady; who did the best that she knew. Perhaps her mind was not as strong as some and she may have been more easily influenced, but there is one thing that I will say, and that is that she was not a drinking girl. I do not believe that any one could have induced her to drink any kind of intoxicating liquor, and I do not think that it was just the right thing to do, to publish things that would lead people to think her addicted to drink." "I saw in one of the papers where it stated that the autopsy revealed that her stomach showed signs of alcoholism as it was remarkably well preserved. I can hardly credit that report, as I was well acquainted with the girl and I am sure that she never drank anything stronger than water. The state of preservation of the stomach, that was mentioned, might have been due to the medicine which she was taking. Her health was not very good and she was under treatment of one of the Lewiston physicians." "When Jessie Cobb left my place that Saturday night she had every intention in the world of coming back. She was in the best of spirits and never appeared happier since she had been at our place. She asked for my hand bag to take to the city that night. I gladly loaned it to her, and in it she put a night robe and an aluminum comb. The bag was made of imitation of alligator and the fact that the hand bag and the girl's hat have not been found is proof enough that she did not commit suicide. That theory is out of the question, no one at Sabattus believes it for a minute. All think that it was cold blooded murder." When asked if she had ever heard Jessie Cobb metnio the name of Fred Brooks, Mrs. Thienert said: "Yes, she frequently spoke of this man Brooks, and went to Lewiston very often to see him. Jessie told me that he was a nice fellow, but that his father was opposed to his keeping company with any girl. It would seem that he had previously had trouble with another girl, and for this reason Brooks' father desired his son not to cultivate the society of Miss Cobb." When asked if Jessie had spoken of any other gentleman acquaintance, Mrs. Theinert said that she had. That she had often spoken of Mr. J. B. York, the Lewiston agent of the Singer Sewing Machine. Mr. York called at Mr. Thienert's place three times on business and finally sold a machine to them there. Jessie claimed that Mr. York had taken her to places of amusement, but that is hardly believed as Mr. York denies emphatically this claim. Mrs. Thienert said that Mr. York never came to Sabattus to see Jessie. Mrs. Fred Chase was seen relative to the case. She told the reporter that Jessie had worked for her about two years ago and as a house girl was very satisfactory. "At that time," said Mrs. Chase, "I was living in Lewiston. She worked for me but a short time when she was taken sick and went to the Central Maine General Hospital for treatment. At that time, I considered her a true and upright girl, but perhaps not as bright as some other girls. She never received gentlemen callers at my place and kept good hours at night. And I want to say now, that she was not a drinking girl. I have known her for the last two years, and I do not believe that she ever drank a glass of liquor in her life. THe idea that her death was due to alcoholism, or that she committed suicide is abserud [sic]. She was not the girl to take her own life - when she was sick she was always afraid to die. It was not suicide, but murder." Mr. and Mrs. O. R. Jones for whom Jessie Cobb worked for a short time, from May 21 to July 4, spoke in the same strain. They said that Jessie was a good-hearted girl and a neat housekeeper. It did not often happen, that she was out late nights while at work at Mr. Jones' and she never received gentlemen callers at his place. When asked if they had ever seen the girl intoxicated, they scoffed at such a question and answered: "No, I don't believe that she ever drank a drop of liquor in her life, unless it was for medicine." William Grady, who is a conductor on the L. B. & B. Electric road, told a reporter that he was not personally acquainted with the girl but frequently saw her on the Sabattus car. He said he never saw her when she had been drinking or appeared unladylike. After Jessie Cobb arrived in Lewiston Saturday night, she is said to have been one of a party of four, two ladies and two gentlemen, who stopped at the Rockingham Hotel. This story came from Jessie's own lips. The following Sunday morning when she called at Mrs. Davis' house at 20 Bates street, she frankly told where she was the night berore and the company she had been keeping. Both the proprietor and the night clerk of the Rockingham Hotel were interviewed on the matter last evening by a Sun reporter. Mr. Buffum, the proprietor, said that he knew nothing whatever about the matter. "I was not acquainted with Miss Cobb and therefore could not tell whether she registered at the hotel the Saturday night you speak of or not? If she did she must have registered under an assumed name for her name is not on the register." Mr. Harmon, the night clerk, said that so long as he did not know the girl, that he could not swear that she did not stop at the hotel the Saturday night in question, "but," said he, "I am positive that she did not, I have no recollection of any such parties registering at the hotel that night, and if they had I should have been likely to have noticed it. If I could see the picture of Miss Cobb I might be able to tell whether she was ever a guest at the hotel or not." Thus it would seem that she did not stop at the Rockingham that night, but she stayed somewhere, and the next morning about 8 o'clock went to Mrs. Davis' the mother of the lady for whom she worked at Sabattus, where she remained until about 3 in the afternoon. Then, telling Mrs. Davis that she was going to Sabattus, she left the house, and never returned. Later in the evening Jessie was seen on the corner of Lisbon and Main streets, apparently waiting for a car. Now the question is who was with her about 10 o'clock on that Sunday evening. Was it Brooks? Was it McKenna? Or was it that thick set man that called for Jessie at the place where she was working in Sabbatus, about two weeks before her disappearance. His description corresponds with that given of the man that was last seen with her. McKenna is said to be in Lewiston, and Brooks is reported as being in Lisbon. Friends of Jessie Cobb seem to feel that one or both of these gentlemen could give some valuable information about the case. Not that they are suspected as the guilty persons, but in the hopes that they can throw some light on the mystery. The Lewiston Daily Sun. Lewiston, Maine Friday Morning, October 5, 1900 NOTE: For the rest of the Jessie Cobb story, visit this page: http://www.greenerpasture.com/genes/androscoggin.asp

Ancestors Who Were Born in Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA

Boucher
Mary L Boucher (26 Mar 1920,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-28 July 1987,Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, USA)
Chase
Ethel Flora Chase (30 Jan 1886,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-19 Sept 1961,Auburn, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Fred A Chase (29 Dec 1890,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-16 July 1957,Auburn, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Cobb
Eunice Hannah Cobb (23 Aug 1872,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-16 JUN 1917,East Poland, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Cummings
Edson Selden Cummings (7 Dec 1875,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-11 Apr 1939,Poland, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Draper
Ralph Edward Draper (26 Apr 1916,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-10 Jul 1987,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Erskine
Erskine (21 Oct 1902,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-21 Oct 1902,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Evans
Ella Evans (6 May 1930,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-9 Dec 2011,Auburn, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Fahey
Ella M Fahey (25 Feb 1886,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-12 Dec 1938,Farmingdale, Kennebec, Maine, USA)	Irene Fahey (18 Nov 1906,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-30 Apr 1986,Auburn, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Mary E Fahey (2 July 1896,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-23 Feb 1987,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Matthew W Fahey (Jan 1853,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-30 July 1925,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
French
Wallace David French (27 Aug 1924,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-18 Jun 1975,Togus, Kennebec, Maine, USA)
Howard
Nelson W Howard (17 Dec 1872,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-18 Jul 1937,Hollywood, Broward, Florida, USA)
Jones
Roxanna Jones (1792,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-10 NOV 1842,)
Malenfant
Gertrude Helen Malenfant (26 Sept 1912,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-25 Jan 1998,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Oates
Thomas Edward Oates (1887,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-,)
Philbrick
Charles E Philbrick (16 Nov 1913,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-Apr 1914,)	Mary Etta Philbrick (3 Apr 1915,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-23 Oct 2009,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Rocheleau
Mable L Rocheleau (02 Oct 1887,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-25 Oct 1973,Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA)
Tapley
Gail Aurele Tapley (9 Oct 1893,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-7 Apr 1971,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Theinert
Gladys E Theinert (09 Sep 1898,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-15 Nov 1922,Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA)
Winslow
Rodney W Winslow (23 Sept 1946,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-18 Jan 2011,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)

Ancestors Who Died in Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA

Atherton
Ruby Atherton (21 Jun 1909,Caribou, Aroostook, Maine, USA-9 Sept 2001,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Churchill
Persis M Churchill (17 Sept 1827,Raymond, Cumberland, Maine, USA-11 Feb 1905,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Cobb
Gertrude Florence Cobb (22 Apr 1878,Raymond, Cumberland, Maine, USA-30 Dec 1967,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Jessie Cobb (8 Jan 1876,New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine, USA-16 Sept 1900,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Colbath
James O Colbath (14 Jan 1946,-11 Mar 2001,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Davis
Charles W Davis (Oct 1861,Waterville, Kennebec, Maine, USA-10 Mar 1923,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Desmarais
Marie Marine Desmarais (13 May 1817,Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Québec, Canada-18 Sept 1876,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Draper
Ralph Edward Draper (26 Apr 1916,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-10 Jul 1987,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Ralph Herbert Draper (21 Jan 1892, Orono, Penobscot, Maine-16 Jul 1967,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Erskine
Erskine (21 Oct 1902,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-21 Oct 1902,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Evans
Horace B Evans (abt. 1905,Maine-27 Mar 1978,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Fahey
John H Fahey (1880,-8 Mar 1917,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Mary E Fahey (2 July 1896,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-23 Feb 1987,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Matthew W Fahey (Jan 1853,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-30 July 1925,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
French
James Lincoln French (28 SEP 1895,Bath, Sagadahoc, Maine, USA-30 Oct 1966,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	James Lincoln French (15 Dec 1918,Poland, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-31 Jan 1987,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Hanscom
Susan Hanscom (4 Mar 1900,Mechanic Falls, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-27 Sep 1936,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Hawkins
William Henry Hawkins (6 May 1870,Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, USA-14 Apr 1923,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Head
Jessie Evelyn Head (abt. 1887,-8 Feb 1910,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Hill
Daniel W Hill (Mar 1850,Maine-9 Sept 1928,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Holland
Jane Holland (1834,England-22 Feb 1904,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Keane
Ella J Keane (18 Feb 1858,Hallowell, Maine-9 July 1929,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Malenfant
Gertrude Helen Malenfant (26 Sept 1912,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-25 Jan 1998,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
McGrath
Eva Gertrude McGrath (16 Jun 1900,Boothbay Harbor, Lincoln, Maine, USA-11 April 1992,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
McKenna
George D McKenna (28 Aug 1872,Maine-21 Sept 1949,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Gertrude Anna McKenna (Nov 1878,Maine-11 Oct 1942,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	James J McKenna (Nov 1875,Maine-4 May 1912,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
James J McKenna (Nov 1843,Ireland-16 Dec 1919,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Mutty Karnes
Addie M Mutty Karnes (abt. 1854,Brewer, Penobscot, Maine, USA-29 Mar 1914,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Odlin
Frederick Leighton Odlin (2 Jun 1850,Pittsfield, Somerset, Maine, USA-6 Jan 1909,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Philbrick
Mary Etta Philbrick (3 Apr 1915,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-23 Oct 2009,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Skerry
Annie Skerry (abt. 1854,Ireland-6 Jan 1914,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Small
William Bryant Small (21 Sept 1863,Manchester, Kennebec, Maine, USA-13 Apr 1905,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Stewart
Robert J Stewart (May 1831,Scotland-23 Sept 1909,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)	Robert J Stewart (15 Sept 1863,Maine-9 Apr 1941,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Tapley
Gail Aurele Tapley (9 Oct 1893,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-7 Apr 1971,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
True
Catherine D (Kate) True (Oct 1873,Maine-24 Oct 1908,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)
Winslow
Rodney W Winslow (23 Sept 1946,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA-18 Jan 2011,Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine, USA)

Cemeteries

St. Peter's Cemetery

Riverside Cemetery

Mount Hope Cemetery

Reference Sources

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