Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-12-12
LOCAL NEWS.
TRIAL FOR MURDER.
SUPREME JUDICIAL coURr-srECr.1 rrRx.
Commonwealth rs. Stacey.

4
her sister, Sarah K. Phinney, aged seventy one,
at Gardner on Monday evening. March Z, 1856
Attorney General Clifford, and District Attor.
ney Aldrich, for the Government, and Chaplin and
j. W. Wetherell for the prisoner
After ten peremptory challenges, the Jury was
empannelled as follows =
Amos r. Black, Worcester, Foreman Cyrenus
Aldrich, Worcester; Liberty Allen, Sturbridge ;
dexter Blood. Charlton; James Browning Hard
wick; Silas P. Bruce, West Boylston, Dexter
BullaId, Spencer; Zelek Darling, Milford Mil
ton Emerson, Uxbridge; Joshua Fairbanks,
douglas; Alfred H. Hastings, Millbury Elisha
Hayward, Blackstone.
Inc indictment was then read, after which Mr..
Attorney Aldrich opened the case, setting forth
the facts he intended to prove and then called the
witnesses, as follows -
Leu Bal. Live in Gardner. Lived a little
more than mile from the Kneelands, when the
murder was committed; had milk of them three
times week was there at seven o'clock on Mon
dap night, March 9Th; saw both of them alive
and well; frequently stopped awhile when went
there; he was there an hour; had chopped wood
and done errands for them; paid them for milk
IN goods and money; paid them three dollar
bill, and sometimes in small silver change; they
usually passed in and out at the south door; went
there next on Wednesday evening, 9TH; found
stable door open the windowon the west side
was open; raped on front door and got no an
swer; did not find them there; then called MIR.
Hildreth, neighbor, and Mr.. Hiram Ray ,Aseph
I. Greenwood, Seth Ray, and William Gleason
we found the women murdered, one on the floor
and one on the bed. The drawers were drawn
out, and papers, &C., scattered about We caus-
ed man whom we met near the house to be ar
rested; he was F1enchman, large man think
no other house can be seen from the Kneeland
house; it stands low, near the brook, with hills
around it DR.. Jewett was there that night
Gross Examined. Commenced getting milk
and butter there, Tuesday night before Thanks
giving; paid them fifteen cents at one time, in
change; had carried presents to them; 1 and my
shopmates went and cut their wood they were
objects of charity.
4. r Greenwood Resides in Gardner Works
in a chair shop. Lived quarter of mile east
of the Kneelands. I was called there by Mr.
Smith and Mr.. Baker, on Wednesday evening,
March Z. The lower half of the sash was smash.
ed in, and entered with lantern through it
A table in front of the window was bottom up
wards. Chest of drawers at the left of the win.
dow had two of the draws pulled out and the pa
pers and things scattered on the floor One of
the women, Mrs. Phinney, was dead on the floor
in the west room, and the other on the bed. There
was pool of blood, frozen on the floor, near the
body of Mrs Phinney. The weather was not
very cold Found a broken club (apparently
turned chair post on the bed, near the head,
where Miss Kneeland lay. Club produced and
identiied.) There was dry blood on it. 1t was
fresher and brighter than now. l saw the pieces,
but did not take them in my hand. Mrs. Phin-
ney had on wooden night dress. Think Miss
Kneeland had stockings on and similar dress
both had night caps on; was present at Hey
woods Village when the Frenchman was arrest
ed, about o'clock in the evening, going towards
the village.
Was at the house between and o'clock was
there the second time, 10 minutes paste; it was
then took the stick in my hand l saw it the
first time, but did not then touch anything; had
lantern with me /; left no other person at the
house, the first time; no other one went into the
west room; my brother Aaron L. went there with
me the second time; we left in about fifteen min
utes, and went to the house, about quarter of
mile distant, where two cousins of ours, single
women, named Perley, lived, to see if they were
sofa. and found them So
They were depended on their labor for their
support; had comfortable living so long as they
could labor; came back in about an hour and
a half. The age of the Perley women is about
| 38 or 40. They healthy women, able to
work, and active. Their house may be seen from
| Mr. Rays and think from Mr.. Smiths
Daniel j. Smith. Am one of the persons call
ed by Ball. 1 went with him but did not 60 into
the house; Invent again between and o clock,
but did not then go in; looked into the win
dow and saw the books and papers scattered
about; have known the old ladies 6 or years
and have bought butter and eggs of them; they
have or acres of land, and have planted corr
and potatoes for them; they furnished milk tt
the Stacey family the previous winter; prisoners
sister went for it; she used to go by my house
had not been at the house for several weeks
the old ladies lived alone.
Cross Eran,iRea-They were reputed to be OBJ
jects of charity; l have assisted them some
have given them articles of food; do not knoy
whether they had been assisted by the town o
not. Cannot see the house on account of higl
hill; it is about 40 rods distant; the Kneelan
house was burnt down few weeks afterwards
my house is between the Kneeland and the Sta
cey house, about 20 rods from the latter.
| aaron B. Jackson. Resides in Gardner-chai
manufacturer. Knew Sarah K. Phinney; was a
the house the evening of March 5; the andiron,
were in their place, and two sticks of wood oil
them; Ipoked in the ashes and found two brand
underneath, with fire still remaining on one
them; it was hard wood found stone on tn
floor Of the west room, nearly as large as tina
book "a thick octave law book.
Cross Examined. Went there about 9 o'clocl
in the evening; the room was strewed with oil
newspapers and other papers with writing on
there were 20 or 80 persons about there when
went.
Samuel NJ. Washburn. Resides in Gardiner
Knew the deceased; was at the house a quartz
before 8, the 9TH Of March, the hearth was GOV
cred with chips, apparently placed there to dry
the two brands appeared as if the other ends hat
been covered, but had all burnt out that was un
der the ashes, and one Of them still remained O
fire little; the wood was wet maple; describe
the appearance of things generally in the house
as BY the other witnesses) besides the blood o
the floor, there was watery matter that appeare
| % no "a Aoxyad from tho eto,,ach