Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1874 — BROUGHT TO LIFE. [ARTICLE]

BROUGHT TO LIFE.

A Maine* Murderer, Supposed to be Dead and Burled, Turns Up In Missouri, as a Bandit Chief, More than twenty years ago, V. P. Coolidge, a young physician of excellent standing in the city of Augusta, Me., murdered Edward Matthews, a cattle drover, by enticing him into his office, and giving lilm brandy in which he had piaeed a quantity of prussic acid. Coolidge was arrested on suspicion, and after a long and exciting trial he was convicted third sentenced to he hung, after the expiration of the year’s imprisonment always accorded to those convicted of murder in that State. Daring the period of his confinement, his sister, a young and beautiful girl, was permitted to visit him, but his health gradually gave way and before the year expired his death was announced, he was hurried, and for the time forgotten. The warden of the prison resigned his position, married the sister, and moved to parts unknown. Not long after the discovery of gold in California, a gentleman conversant with the case, and who had followed others to the gold mines, sent word to Augusta that he had seen and conversed with the supposed dead man. This caused considerable excitement in that sober city, and the body supposed to be his was exhumed. His own father swore that the remains were not those of his son. Officers” were put upon his track by the friends of the murdered man, but they were unsuccessful, and nothing had ever been heard further concerning him until within the last thirty days. Recently, ft party traveling through Missouri met a gentleman who knew the history of the case, and he stated that he had met Coolidge frequently within the last two years under an assumed name; that he recognized him at sight, and charged him with being the man; that he at first denied it, but finally acknowledged his identity, and informed his interrogator of all the important facts connected witli his escape. He said, that while in prison, he ate very sparingly, feigned sickness, and finally a body was procured from Portland and interred as his remains, and lie was furnished with money and started for New Orleans, where he remained but a short time, and left, and since that time he has been traveling almost constantly, never stopping long in any one place. The gentleman referred to above gave it as his opinion that, from the description of the leader of the lowa train robbers, it was no other than the escaped murderer, V. P. Coolidge.