Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-12-13
LOCAL NEWS.
TRIAL OF GEORGE STACY,
THE MURDER OF SARAH K. PHINNEY,
Before thc Supp esne Judicial Court.
P'ese'pt-Justices De,oey, lAetealt, and Thomas.

! Has known prisoner two years saw him Wednes
! day night and Thursday night; had conversation
| with him on Thursday, at Mr.. Howe's restaurant
| had conversation with him about the old French.
man; he said he believed his mother said he pass.
edthelr house Tuesday night; he said their folks
had milk of the Kneeland's. His sister spoke
about about going there the night of the murder,
but his mother said she had better not go; she is
sorry since, that she did not let her 60 He said
he did not see what any one wanted to murder
those old women for; we arrived at my house
when he spoke about my violin; he asked me to
keep It till he got money enough to buy it /
asked yl2; he said he was going to work for
Capt Ephraim Wright the next Monday; when
starting out, he said he said he had good mind
to begin the next day; said some thought Friday
an unlucky day. He asked me three several times
il those men had got back from Winchendon ;
not more than three minutes interviewed /; I told
him did not know; if they found where the old
trenchman staid Thursday night, they would let
him go, and arrest some one else, and if the muir
derer was in town, he had better clear out In
the meantime we had left my house when we got
to the road leading to his fathers, he said he
would not go any farther, but would go home be-
fore dark. l asked him why. He looked up
laughingly, and said, 'there is a good reason
why" In going from that point to his fathers
1t was necessary to pass the Kneeland house.
He seemed rather embarrassed when talking about
the murder; said nothing to induce him to
speak about it; he lead the conversation all the
time.
Cross. Examined. An old man had been arrest
ed on suspicion, at Winchendon. There was
much excitement about the murder. THE cross
examination proceeded at some length, chiefly
with the object Of testing the witnesses recollec-
ton IN relation TO subjects of conversation with
prisoner which did not relate to the murder
Direct examination resumed. My attention was
called to this conversation Immediately after, by
being called to testify before the magistrate, and
afterwards before the grand jury. This has kept
it fresh in my recollection
John s. adams Reside in Gardner, trader
Stacey was indebted to me last March, between
five and six dollars; it had been due me six
months. On Saturday morning, I asked him to
pay me the bill, which had been handed him
few days before, or part of it.: he said he could
not--he had no money. and had had none for
SEINE time.
Cross Examined. The debt was contracted the
fall before think soon after the first of October;
part Of it was for pair of pants. l asked him
for the money Friday evening also.
Nahum B. Hone Owns the store in Haywood
village-a common country store prisoner was
in very often, sometimes every day. he was there
the evening of the 7th, and the afternoon and
evening of the 8th. In the afternoon, he was
congratulating me on the prospect of having
work, so that he could pay me what he owed;
had asked him repeatedly for it, and told'him he
was lazy, and living at my expense; he said he
was going to work for Captain Ephraim Wright;
we talked about the murder; he seemed in good
spirits; the old Frenchman was spoken of, and
| told him the Frenchman would probably shew
concluslveiy that he was at Winchendon that
night, and so would get clear; said 1--WE begin
to suspect it is some one here amongst us-some
one who is good looking and well dressed, who is
idling about and has been hard up for money, but
is, now, all at once quite flush; he said he could
not see how any one was bad enough to do it -
from being very lively he became, by degrees, alb
stracted and silent; he was out and in, at the
store; | saw him after this conversation, talking
with Alexander Priest in front of the store the
night CT the 18th he brought in some articles and
wanted to leave them in my care till he came in
again; he asked if wished to see patent fiddle
bows there was cap,sa pair of shoes, bottle of
hair OIL and other things; he said he had been to
Fitchburg, and had just returned; he called for
the things the next evening, after the knowledge
OF the murder was out; while in. was describ-
ing the manner in which the murder took place
in the midst of it, he abruptly jumped from the
chair and went out the door, l could see him
through the windows, looking about, and around
the corner; he came in with hands feeling in his
peekeis behind, and said somebody stole nv
gloves from my pockets last night in the crowd,
while looking in at that broken window - he
then asked for those things. took them, and went
away.
Cross Examined. The 9TH was Lyceum even.
ing; he gave no reason for leaving the things at
the store.
Dr. Alfred Hitchcech Practitioner Of physic
in chemical analysis, chiefly in reference to mat
tiers connected with the practice of medicine on
the 10th of April, the shirt, pocket handker-
chief, vest, wooden socks, and pair of mittens,
were submitted to my examination they are now
present; they were brought by Dr. Hosmer OF
| Gardner; at the time, l made a solution Of
serapings from the spots in filtered rain water and
! submitted them 10 examination by microscope
by his discovered the eorpuscles of blood they
were quite distinct and unmistakeable; the form
is such as to distinguish them from anything else;
then laid the articles aside for further expert.
| ment; on the 10Th, 18th, 18th, and 18th OF NAV
l made further examination, by soaking the
spots in distilled rain water till the coloring mat
ter was all removed; DR.. H. here described va.
rious chemical processes to which he subjected
the liquid thus obtained, among which were those
OF the most conclusive character, all of which
| showed the presence of blood. Portions of the
shirt from various parts the band, the sleeve,
&c, were examined, and spots of blood were
| found tn ereonl have no doubt whatever Of the
| presence of blood on the shirt, the handkerchief
and the mitten; the spot upon the shirt band
locked like drop thrown upon it obliouely IN.
| wards or horizontally on the sleeve were a num-
| Der OF spots, they were small, a sixteenth of an
| inch or SO in diameter; the action of the atmo-
sphere Will change spots of blood from red to a
| dull brown; L examined the spots on each arti.
| Gle separately and the spots on different parts of
the shirt also separately; they all indicated
| blood.
| Cross E1anatesd. The spots on the sleeve were
| nearly circular. about sixteenth of an inah In
| diameter; the change in the color of blood spots
| is gradual; it depends somewhat upon whether
the blood was arteria or yinous; the change would
commence within twenty-tour hours it would de-
pend somewhat on the temperature and moisture
OF the atmosphere; the spots submitted to me on
the 18th Of April were quite dark; the change
would be moe rapid in het weather than cold.
Samuel Hodgnlan Previous to last March,
sometime in Observation-Disclosures subscribed fftv
cents for--; asked him for it sund v
times between then Rand March, and he said he
could not pay it until he got work on the Eth of
March he paid me without asking he paid me
80 bill of the Rollstone Bank, Fitchburg, and I
gave him the change.
William Dodd Lives in Gardner; keeps
Livery Stable; was owing me on the 9th of March
small balance for horse hire: on the 9TH, between
and o'clock, he hired team 10 90 to Fitch
bug, and returned about O'Clock in the even
ing; he paid me s 80 in silver for use of the
team; he paid the former balance-Il cents-.n
the morning. '
I Cross Examined. Remembers these facts be-
cause he was called in question shortly after -
there were two quarters, and the rest was in ten
cent and cent pieces and smaller change.
Atdreo j. Whitney, Fttchbuyy. Deals in mu
steal instruments; defendant bought violin
bow Of me, the 7th Of last March he paid me
$40, in half dollar and nine quarters he
looked at some violins, and said they came too
high; kept the money and have got il with me,
except one piece that gave to an officer in Gard
/ ner. Produced the money When he paid the
change, dropped it in my pocket, and IL remain.
ed there till Thursday night, whom put il In INV
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