senator - Maine Ghost Hunters

[1835] The Last Execution in Kennebec County

Maine Ghost Hunters — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 22:24:56 +0000

Joseph J. Sager and Phoebe Sager

Joseph and Phoebe Sager were a middle aged couple residing in the city of Gardiner when the unfortunate incident involving Phoebe’s death, occurred. Phoebe was a 48 year old milliner and dressmaker at the time of her death, and 36 year old Joseph was a saddle and harness maker, and a shop worker. While Phoebe was often sick, she was also known to have a drinking problem that wasn’t at all under control. On the day of her death she fell violently ill after drinking a wine and egg mixture Joseph prepared for her, to have with her breakfast. A local doctor was summoned to help her, but despite his best efforts to help her over the course of the following 6+ hours, he could do nothing to alleviate the excruciatingly painful episodes of unstoppable vomiting, including “bloody vomit”, and she eventually died; the date of her death was October 5, 1834.

Phoebe repeatedly told people who were present with her, during her final few hours, that her husband made her drink the wine concoction. He insisted she drink it, and finish it. This caused the physician to become immediately suspicious. He then noticed a white powder residue in the wine decanter she drank from that morning, and also in the container that held the cream that was added to the wine. His suspicions would eventually lead to a startling discovery.

Another very important person in the murder case against Joseph Sager was a young woman named Ann Rafter. Ann Rafter was a Catholic servant of the Sager household at the time of Phoebe’s untimely passing. During this time in Maine’s history anti-Catholic sentiment was at its height. Catholics were persecuted, ostracized, vilified, and openly discriminated against.

Irish Catholic, Ann Rafter, became the principal witness in the case.

Joseph Sager accused Ann, their house servant, of poisoning Phoebe and there was rumored to be an actual confession by Ann, herself, to that effect but it was never found in any of the documentation or evidence.

But… … another compelling rumor was floating around that she never went to confession again after the trial.

Determining Phoebe was murdered

After Mrs. Sager died her body was sent off for an autopsy. The Doctor present at the time of her death had collected the cream container that had the white residue in it and requested the medical examiner send the contents of Mrs. Sager’s stomach to be analyzed, along with the residue, to Professor Cleaveland at Bowdoin Medical School.

Both contained arsenic.

Trial and Execution

The case of the ‘State of Maine vs. Joseph J. Sager’ started on Tuesday October 23, 1834 when Sager pleaded “not guilty” to the charges of murdering his wife.

The facts of the case were presented as follows;

Joseph Sager, aged 36, was accused of killing his 48 year old wife – Phoebe – by poisoning part of her breakfast – a drink he prepared for her made of wine, an egg, and white sugar. The visiting Dr. sent to treat Phoebe noticed the wine carafe she drank from at breakfast had a white sediment in it. The cream container on the dining table also had this sediment in it so the Dr. saved it and had it tested. The sediment was found to be arsenic, leading to a charge of murder against her husband Joseph.

Two Judges presided over the trial simultaneously, as Maine law at the time stated if the life of a person was at stake during a trial it was to be done with 2 Judges sitting on the bench. The 2 Judges were; Chief Justice Nathan Weston and Judge Albion Paris, who had also served as Maine’s 5^th Governor.

Prosecuting attorneys on behalf of the state were; Attorney General – Nathaniel Clifford (a future Justice of the US Supreme Court) and County Prosecuting Attorney – James W. Bradbury (a future US Senator).

The Legal Defense Attorneys on behalf of Joseph J. Sager were; the Honorable Peleg Sprague, who was the Primary Defense attorney and a current, sitting, US Senator from Maine, at the time; Frederick Allen; and George W. Bacheldor. Court proceedings were held in the old South Church in Augusta, Maine. Oliver Bean of Readfield was the jury foreman.

Joseph J. Sager was found “GUILTY” of the murder of his wife Phoebe Sager by a jury of his peers on Monday October 27, 1834, just 22 short days after her passing. Judge Weston sentenced Sager to death by hanging with the date of the execution to be carried out on Friday January 2, 1835 at the corner of State Street and Winthrop Street in Augusta.

The Trial was a full-house sensation every single day. The courthouse was mobbed with people and no seat was left open. The balcony was full, too.

Joseph J. Sager collapsed into his chair when the “guilty” verdict was read. He was sweating, shaking, and sort of hyperventilating. His representation filed a motion for a new trial based on the claim that material evidence had been suppressed at the trial but the motion was denied

The day of Joseph Sager’s execution, Friday January 2, 1835, was a very cold, snowy, and windy one.

The hanging took place at the gallows in Augusta on the corner of Winthrop and State Streets near the Southwest corner of the jail. Sager was Llkely walked from the jail, across the street to “Winthrop Street Square” where the gallows was erected.

His very last words were “Gentlemen, I am innocent” with a little hitch in the word “innocent” when they tightened the rope around his neck.

The Controversy

The controversy surrounding Joseph J. Sager’s execution had a lot to do with his persistent claims of innocence. Sager claimed his innocence until the very end, even blaming Ann Rafter, the family’s Irish servant for the murder of Phoebe; anti-catholic rhetoric was all the rage among certain political groups during this time, and so blaming an Irish Catholic girl was seen as quite the tactic of desperation. His claims of innocence persisted even though he had been caught pre-meditating his wife’s death on a number of occasions. One example of this was when he told a Kennebec River Steamboat crew member he knew that he’d be a widow soon. Not only did he say this with an odd sort of exciting anticipation, he actually handed this friend a hand written list of women he thought he might be interested in once his wife passes.

Another curious bit of circumstantial evidence that didn’t bode well for his case was that Joseph encouraged Phoebe to drink all of the liquid mixture he mixed for her, telling her “the goodness being all at the bottom” in the carafe the arsenic was found. The only witness to this act, however, was by their servant, Ann Rafter which, of course, Sager had a vested interest in discrediting. Another subject of controversy was that most newspaper articles and historical documentation said the Dr. who tended to Phoebe, as she lay dying, took a container with the arsenic in it with the intent of having it tested and studied by proper authorities, but curiously, there was also the rarer mention that it was Ann Rafter who was said to have carried out this deed. And one doesn’t likely need to be told how much of a conflict of interest it would be if Rafter actually *was* the one in possession of the carafe with the white powder in it, as she was considered the prosecution’s star witness and her influential testimony led to the hanging of Joseph J. Sager.

The Hanging of Joseph Sager

The gallows was constructed near the Southwest corner of the Kennebec County jail. There were between 8,000 and 12,000 people present to view the hanging. To give you a rough idea of what this might look like, in person; in 1830 the population of Augusta was 3,980. In 1840 the population of Augusta was 5,314. This was 1835. So, this singular area of the city of Augusta was a convergence point of 8,000 to 12,000 people – which is easily two, to three times, the population of the entire city at the time – all standing in one small space at the same time.

That day the weather was horrible – snowy, windy, cold, and raw. The crowd was belligerent – men were drinking until ‘plastered’ and treated this execution like it was some sort of entertainment. There were also lots of women, elderly, sick, and children present. People traveled from great distances and spent the night to see the hanging.

There were armed soldiers present – the Augusta Light Infantry – surrounding the gallows. The day was chaotic and at many times, a dangerous place to be. A sea of 8,000-12,000 people pushing forward toward the gallows, to the point the soldiers had to get under the platform for safety. In one instance, someone hollered “FIRE!” which caused the mob to panic.

Militia situated themselves to guard the gallows and then the Sheriff and 2 deputies went to Sager’s cell to bring him to the hanging spot. The Sheriff saluted Joseph Sager at his cell – it’s said to make him feel better about this situation. Joseph didn’t put up any kind of fight and when they led him to the gallows he was carrying the noose on his own right arm.

When this all started just 3 and a half months earlier in October of 1834, Sager was ‘built’ physically. He was a man with physical stature. But, by the day of his hanging he’d lost so much weight he was almost unrecognizable.

Sager’s last words proclaimed his innocence. He wrote them down but had to have been in a state of utter panic when doing so, and so the words were just a mash-up of incoherent gibberish basically pleading for his life. They were read by Reverend Benjamin Tappan who then turned to the crowd and warned them, basically, not to live a life that would lead to this. To look at Joseph Sager and to understand that life choices can have serious life consequences.

Joseph Sager’s mother was in the courthouse begging Governor Dunlap and his advisors to stay the execution, to no avail. Where they were situated inside the courthouse offered them a vantage point with a good view of the gallows when the execution was taking place. Joseph firmly believed his mother’s pleas would save his life.

A Quaker from The Society of Friends in Fairfield also made his way into the Governor’s presence to beg for Sager’s life but the Governor was too busy watching the crowd and the gallows that he didn’t even make eye contact with the gentleman.

George W. Stanley was the Kennebec County Sheriff at the time, and he was responsible to drop Sager where he stood on the platform.

Stanley led Sager to the platform, let his last words be spoken, then put a black hood over Sager, adjusted the noose, took his hand and humanely said “goodbye”. When Sager proclaimed his innocence Stanley told him “this is now a matter between you and your god”. Stanley then walked down the gallows steps and slashed the rope holding Sager in place.

When the trap door was released the words “sickening thud” were used to describe the ‘drop’ and it’s thought he died instantly.

Sager dropped over 10 feet and then just hung, twirling around lifeless, as people gawked – for 20 minutes before his friends and family were allowed to cut his body down and carry it off to be given a proper burial. Dr. Franklin Gage declared him dead. He was lowered onto a horse sled and driven as fast as possible to Hallowell.

The Mystery

Joseph Sager’s body was rushed off in a hurry, to Hallowell, where his friends had a master plan of electrocuting him back to life. The concept they planned to use on him was a much misunderstood version of “galvanism”. Galvanism is named after an Italian doctor named Luigi Galvani – a man who hooked up a dead frog to an electrical charge, and witnessed the legs moving. It was the basis for the plotline in Frankenstein when the mad scientist brings the monster to life by electrocuting it into reanimation.

These efforts failed, of course, and Sager was buried in a secret location on an island in one of the ponds in Winthrop. 50 Years later, January 2, 1885 a newspaper article printed by the Daily Kennebec Journal specified Joseph Sager was buried on Horse-Shoe Island in Cobbosseecontee Pond.

But still, there were people who persisted in their belief that he was brought back to life and ushered out of the state by friends & family, escaping to Texas to live out the remainder of his natural life.

Some say if you go to the spot Sager was hung and you ask aloud “Sager, for what were you hanged?” a voice would reply “nothing”. So this question of his innocence or guilt was clearly in the collective conscious of the local community.

This hanging bothered people and was ultimately the last execution ever conducted in Kennebec County.

The post [1835] The Last Execution in Kennebec County first appeared on Maine Ghost Hunters.

Governor Edwin Chick Burleigh

Maine Ghost Hunters — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:51:33 +0000

Governor Edwin Chick Burleigh

Edwin C. Burleigh: A Legacy of Leadership

Edwin C. Burleigh, the 42nd Governor of Maine, was more than just a political figure. His life and career were characterized by a deep commitment to the people and the state he served. Born into a family of politically active men, Burleigh’s upbringing laid the foundation for his future as a leader at both the state and national level.

Early Life and Career

Born in Linneus, Maine, on November 27, 1843, Edwin C. Burleigh was the son of Parker P. Burleigh, a prominent figure in his time. Edwin’s early education took place in the town school and at Houlton Academy. After completing his academic course, he taught for a time before taking up land surveying. His knowledge of the public lands of the state was unparalleled, leading to his appointment as a clerk in the land office in Augusta in 1870. He later served as Land Agent, Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives, and State Treasurer.

A Governor’s Legacy

Burleigh’s tenure as Governor of Maine was marked by significant reforms and additions to the state’s laws. His administration saw the creation of a state department for agriculture and a forestry commission. He also implemented tax reforms that increased the State valuation by $104,000,000 and reduced the State tax to two and one-fourth mills. His efforts led to the refunding of the six per cent. State bonded debt at three percent., resulting in an annual saving to the State of $71,530.

Under his leadership, the State appropriation for pensions was increased, a permanent muster field was purchased and equipped, and the Australian ballot law was adopted. His administration ensured that no class of Maine’s population was neglected. Farmers, soldiers, scholars, merchants, workmen, rich and poor, all shared in the increased benefits of wise government and judicious conservation of Maine’s resources.

Ten Things to Know About Edwin C. Burleigh

Timberland Owner: Burleigh owned vast amounts of timberland and was instrumental in passing the anti-forest-fire law, which imposed heavy penalties for purposely or carelessly setting forest fires. He also made the land agent Maine’s “forest commissioner” with wardens in every section.
Investor in the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad Company: His investment helped open up the most northern and wooded areas of Maine.
Owner of the Kennebec Journal: Along with his son, Clarence B. Burleigh, he ran the Kennebec Journal, a central point of communication for the Republican Party.
Advocate for Mental Health: As Governor, he appointed the commission to find a suitable location for a second State Hospital in Bangor.
Congressman: As a Congressman, he was a major reason the U.S. Government handed over the Arsenal in Augusta to the State of Maine.
Lighthouse Builder: He secured appropriations of $140,000 for the building of Isle au Haut Lighthouse, also known as Robinson Point Light.
Supporter of the National Guard: He is the primary reason Camp Keyes became a central muster point for the Maine National Guard.
Saver of the Capitol: The Capitol was not moved to Portland because of Burleigh, saving the State of Maine over $2 million.
Advocate for Representation: Burleigh is why Maine has two Representatives in the U.S. Congress instead of one.
A Loving Husband: He died only one month (five weeks) after his wife, a testament to their deep bond.

Edwin C. Burleigh’s legacy continues to impact the state of Maine and its people. His life and career serve as a testament to the power of dedication, hard work, and a deep love for one’s community.

The post Governor Edwin Chick Burleigh first appeared on Maine Ghost Hunters.

Lot Myrick Morrill

Maine Ghost Hunters — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 16:37:26 +0000

Lot Myrick Morrill

Lot Myrick Morrill: A Beacon of Leadership in Maine

Lot Myrick Morrill, the 28th Governor of Maine, was a figure of steadfast leadership and unwavering moral character. Born on May 3, 1813, in Belgrade, Massachusetts, Morrill’s journey from a small-town boy to a prominent political figure is a testament to his dedication and commitment to public service.

Early Life and Education

Morrill’s early life remains largely undocumented, but it is known that he received his education at Colby College, then known as Waterville College. After college, he served as the principal of a private school in New York called Western College, marking the beginning of his career in public service.

A Life in Politics

In 1839, Morrill began his law practice, first in Readfield for two years, then moving his practice to Augusta. His political career took off in 1854 when he was elected as a Maine State Representative. Despite his disagreement with the Democratic Party’s policies and attitudes towards slavery, he served as the Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. However, his stance on slavery led him to leave the Democrats and join the Republican Party in 1856.

As a Republican, Morrill was elected to the Maine State House as a Senator and was named President of the Senate. In 1858, he was elected as Governor of Maine, a position he held for three terms until the Civil War broke out in 1861.

A Legacy of Leadership

Morrill’s tenure as a U.S. Senator from Maine was marked by his strong anti-slavery sentiments. He advocated for freeing and educating freed slaves in Washington D.C., sponsored legislation to outlaw slavery, and advocated for equal rights for slaves.

Morrill was also known for his stance on the re-admittance of Confederate States back into the Union. He opposed punishing the South for their rebellion and was a strong proponent of the Military Reconstruction Act. In 1868, he voted in favor of impeaching President Andrew Johnson.

A Man of Principle

Morrill was a man of high moral and ethical standards. He loved his country more than his party, voting to expel Senator Bright of Indiana for being a Confederate sympathizer and communicating with Jefferson Davis. He also voted to impeach Andrew Johnson for his racist attitudes and opposition to political rights for freed men and ex-slaves.

Life After Washington

After his time in Washington, Morrill returned to Maine, where he was appointed as the U.S. Collector of Customs in Portland, a position he held from 1877 until his death in 1883.

Remembering Lot Myrick Morrill

Morrill is best remembered for his advocacy for civil rights, his stance on the re-admittance of Confederate States, and his commitment to national financial security. He lived in the Lot Morrill House at 113 Winthrop Street in Augusta, a Greek Revival Architecture building listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Lot Myrick Morrill passed away on January 10, 1883, at the age of 69, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and commitment to the people of Maine.

The post Lot Myrick Morrill first appeared on Maine Ghost Hunters.