Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-08-30

Nav0e w WV
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Cour, came in at . - o'clock.
The Jury answered 10 their names a, the
call OF the Clerk.
Tic indictment was then read by the
Clerk
WV. W. vrrGiS. E.q. County Attorney.
in behalf Of tho Government. opened the
case for the prosecution. as follow.
lie remarked ,ha, the Jury which he then
addressed was the first Jury ever cmrannell.
cd in this county for n similar occasion !.
,ha, they were the first in Oxford County.
upon whom had fallen the shadow OF one who
hal been accused Of ~illful murder. lie
law provide. that another oircvr should take
charge OF this case bu, ho was sick.
The law makes provision for the .'fc'y OF
the life OF its citizens. and that same law
had provided that breach OF that law
should be punished; and ,ha, law provides
the manner IN which violation of the Law
should bc punished The whole invcst'ca
ton Is under the law; Court is under the
law Counsel Tor prosecution il under the
law Counsel for defense il under the law.
Tho counsel for defense il eminent. \
person. whether innoccn, or guilty. Is for
,unaic IN havin. such counsel. They have
both held the oaico OF public prosecutor Tor
many years, and wcre q terror 10 evil docrs.
The law applicable TO the crime OF mur'
der .,And. now n IL stood on the statute
book. hundred. Of years ago.
Read definition of murder. and tho law
with regard 10 u, from the Knish, murder
case, in Maine Reports, which was the
charge OF the Judge q tho Jury.
lie laid down several principles OF law
which bore on the c,se-dsiininc ,heseVcral
kinds Of Misunderstanding reasonable doubts.
The burden OF proof |. with the prosecution.
The cyidcnco must prove the fact beyond
reasonable doubt Everything must bc
proved bcyond reasonable doubt, Il will
not DO 90 have a par, Of it proved II must
all he proved. Defined circums,an,ihl cyi'
dencr read from Chief Justice Shaw with
regard to circums,antiil evidence. Circum.
.an,ial evidence in the abstract is nearly n
stron. a. positive in tho ooucrc,e-may bc
n great deal stronger.
Tho first thin: to he proved .what the
law terms the corpus dclccti, or body oi the
offence that il. IN the fr-t place, We are
~ troyc tha, murder ha. been committed
that human life ha. been destroyed.
Twill state briefly all the evidence IN the
possession Of the government deem u
INV duty o. do sl-brciuse ~ II not Tor the
interest Of the community lhaia man should
suffer II hc !. Innocent,
The crime charged ac,ins, the pri'oter
occurred IN the town Of Stoneh,m. on tho
9th of Angus, last. in n small house some
20 or 50 rods distant from any other. In
iha, house abode ,ho deceased. his wife. and
three children. Tat holsi had bc,n own, d
90 with "a about three weeks before the mur.
der. by the prisoner, then wa' .old. Prs.
oner had rented it 90 McKecn. On 9ih OF
August. prisoner came 20 house ot deceased.
apparently unwcll. TOOK some physic. ami
spent most of the day In he'd.
The Attorney here described tho premises
BY means Of diagrams.
Coffin boarded with McKeen q portion Of
the time. On the 9th August. COfhn va.
unwell. and spent the time on tha, bed. (ie.
CEASED. bei). McKeeu mad been away most
of the day. and brought home some rum
with him. During the afternoon he and
Colin drank - or , times. About . O clock I.
something was said about going To bed.
Coffin said hr should not 90 n bed because
he had taken physic. Something was saii
ahou, COitn's sleeping with Mck-en. Mrs
McKccn went 90 bed. Ait'r gong TO bed
she heard the voices Of these men in conycr-
.ation IN the room. Afterwards. che heard
one Of them come 10 bed in the adjoining
room. and about the same time heard the
other one co on, doors. She then went 20
sleep, was awakened by III. sound Of q gun
or pistol: got out of bed. and threw her
clothes over her head, and went out to see
what tho boys would say about u. She met
Colin who said-I have killed Cal. She
passed through the kitchen. and the next
thing she reniem cred che sat on tho bed.
and they had some converSa,ion about how
il happened. Coffin told her the story. IL
was remarked that the noighbOrs NUT
know il. Coffin proposed to 20 ; bu, she
said no. she would co, and went TO n neigh.
bor's: hut was 80 excited that she could not
tell what had happened. A youn: man
went down, and found her sitting upon the
bed. After Others had arrived there. they
wen, into the bed room. and found Mckesn
with hi. head towards the loot Of the bed.
When McAlli.ter got there the body was
quite cold. On examination, Is blows
were found TO have been made on the head +,
and pistol had been fired very near tho
head. a quantity Of blood had run out.
and went through the md door and one
OF the main arteries bad been severed. The
blows wers undoubtedly Indicted with a
iat iron. There was one in the room very
much besmearei with blood. brains. and
pieces Of the red shirt worn by McKccn.
The wounds were very severe. One OF them
punctured through both plates Of the skull
into the brain. aud was about three inches
long. There was another blow near the
back Of the head. Some of them were very
se,cre-others lighter.
There WAS an inques.-a jury summoned.
They took out the pistol ball from the
wound. Thi. was regarded sufficient
source Of death. Afterwards another post
mortem was held. and whicl, wa. thorough.
Thi.i. about oil the evidence in possession
Of Government, excep, what come from Cof.
fin. himself. That night, after the murder,
he went up u q Mr. Evans. and told Mrs.
Evans how It happened.
When he camo to McKeen's the day be.
fore, he took out pistol and laid /. over
the door.
lie stated to Mrs. Evans that McKcen
went to bed soon after Mrs. McKeen went
lie (Coilin) had occasion To 90 out doors.
As he Was going by tho window. no saw
McKeen up and at the cupboard. Ile cams
in and found lamp sitting over the mantel /;
,,ok IA and set IL ON the window IN see 10 On