The Portland daily press., 1868-12-08
MASSACHUSETTS,.


Boston, Dec. 1.-The trial of Samuel M. An
drews for the murder of Cornelius Holmes was
continued to-day at Plymouth, and after some
few witnesses had been examined for the de-
fence, the testimony not being material, the
prisoner himself took the witness stand. He
testified with precision in relation to his finan-
cial affairs for the past sixteen years, the whole
of which time he had be IN intimate with the
deceased, who had about nine years since
commenced giving him presents, consisting of
cloth carpet, furniture, pictures, silver ware;
and he testified that most of the clothing he
had worn for ten years had been given him by
deceased. About nine years ago Holmes slept
at the prisoners house in the bed with him.
and ne tried to commit crime against nature
then, but was frustrated by prisoner. This
was repeated five years ago last July in Bos-
ton and again frustrated, and the following
night at Newmarket, n. H., prisoner refused
to sleep with deceased. Two years ago since
last. June, at the fremont House in Boston,
the same thing was again attempted, but was
prevented as before. The prisoner then testi-
fled in relation to the will but it did not
vary from previous testimony. In relation
to the homicide, he said that on the Tuesday
afternoon on which it was committed he had
some planting to do in his garden, and he sent
note to Holmes after 6 O'clock appointing a
special meeting with hin. He came and con-
versed in relation to some apple stumps and
part of the garden, when he asked prisoner if
he was going to the store, and was answered
in the negative, when he asked prisoner to 90
and look at some lots in the cemetery, and they
went, and afterward sat on the cemetery stile.
He then took the prisoners arm and led him
down the lane, and when they got to some
pines, deceased went among them but prisoner
refused twice when deceased came at hin fur-
ously and threw him down and tearing open
his clothing and holding him by the beard
Prisoner grasped a stone and struck HIM and
the two rolling down bank he struck him
again while rolling. Prisoner then testified
that there was a blank in time and remember
ed nothing until he stood over him with stones
in his hands which he threw and ran to the
pond in the cemetery where he bathed his
head and went home. He said it was his in
tention to tell all and he sat down by his gate,
but he thought it would kill his wife and he
there concluded be would not tell; he did not
know secret killing might be iustifable on
the ground of self defence, and he said the bru-
tally shown him was another reason for not
telling. He gave an account of the manner in
which he secreted his clothing and said that
from the following morning he did all he could
to keep the will secret, having first thought of
it then. In answer to the question as to
whether he had any previous intentions of kill
ing Holmes he said he had not, as God was his
witness. He denied having put his hands in
the pockets of the deceased, and the remainder
of his testimony in chief was in relation to
pains i'll his head. In cross examination he
said it was when he was in bed, after the muir
der that he made up his mind to conceal every
fact connected with il, and that he had attempt
ed to implicate persons in the killing; he said
he first decided to confess, after the officer told
him he had been seen going to the water with
a bundle. The other part of the testimony de-
veloped no new facts. The remainder of the
days session was occupied in examining medi-
cal experts as TO the prisoners sanity.