Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-04-05
Reported for the Kennebec journal
TRIAL OF BARNARD LITTLE


TRIAL OF BARNARD LITTLE
Rockland, April 2.
The trial of Barnard Little for the murder |
of Charles II. White at Dix Island March I'd,
commenced in the Supreme Judicial Court
to-day, Judge Barrows presiding. The pros
ecution is conducted by Hon. T. b. Reed, |
Attorney General, and Albert S. Rice, County |
Attorney, and the prisoner is defended by |
Gen. Frank Nickerson and ID. N. Mortland, |
Esq. Little is an Irishman about fifty years |
of age, and has family in Quincy, Mass,
and White was also of that place. Mr.. Rice |
opened the case for the government, and
stated that it expected to prove that the MUIR
der was committed in consequence of what
the prisoner deemed an unwarrantable inter-
ference in his family affairs, on the part of
the deceased.
LIZZIE 7. JORDAN called by the govern
ment, testified My age is seventeen; work
at MIR. Dolan's on Dix Island where this af
fair occurred; there were three beds in Lit
ties sleeping room occupied by six persons
Little slept in the corner bed and White in
the bed at the head of the stairs; was at the
house when White was killed; prisoner and
deceased went to work on the morning of this
affair (Saturday); Little came back to his
chamber in about twenty minutes with chisel
and broke open his trunk; pulled over his
clothes, and said it was funny anybody Should
trouble his trunk; said he thought he should
go away on the boat, and came down stairs
after some clothes; he seemed to be ugly
about his trnnk; he was called to dinner but
did not come; White went up stairs after
dinner as usual; noticed that Charley" did
not come down when the bell rang for work,
and went and called him; as soon as let go
of the stair door heard the report of a pistol,
heard White halloo; at that l ran away
~. 7 Af
ford were there, and White was lying on the
when went to call White no one was there
in the chamber but he and Little.
| Gross EraB1lnation.-Little appeared as
usual and ate his meals regularly previous to
| this; was in Little's room when he came
back that morning; he said some one had
been tampering with his locks; don't think
he came down stairs then; when he said he
was going away he assigned no reason only
the Quincy men were down on him he &C.
cused no one of tampering with his lock that
morning; Quincy men always used him we'll !;
l asked him down to dinner and he said he
did not want any or could not eat after he
broke his trunk open he laid down on the bed
and was smoking; remained so while was
there; was in there again and he was in the
same position; l said there is a stone-cutter
packing up, he got up, looked out of the win
dow, and said he ought to have left too don't
know of the Quincy men trying to in ure him
or his feelings; don't know of the landlady
distributing any handbills when told White
the bell had rung he said call right" as
quick as could be after that the shots were
| fired; heard no conversation between them;
the room was quiet; think White answered
me in his usual voice heard two shots fired
at that time; followed each other in quick
succession; heard White hallOo ooh" twice
after the shots.
/ ANN DoLAN, called by the government,
testified 1t was at my house this homicide
occurred; prisoner said he was gsing away,
that the men were down on him and had been
breaking his trunk open; saw him when l
called him to dinner sitting on the bed at the
head of the stairs; heard the pistol firing and
"Charley" cry out twice, then saw Charles
falling down stairs; was coming into the
entry; closed and hasped the stair door
then; Adams Martin and James Ward then
came in many people then came in.
Cross Examined. the others had
gone to work in the morning Little came
4 down stairs he seemed kind of put out
when l saw him in his room he was sitting on
the edge of the bed with elbow on the window
sill with his head resting on his hand asked
him to come to dinner and he said not then /;
three shots were fred in quick succession be-
fore Charley came down; as Charley was
coming down stairs heard three more shots !;
i it was about two and half hours after tire
shots were fired before anyone went into the
room where Little was; the people were try
ing to coax Little down; they asked him TO
throw his pistol down stairs and he did, and
then they went into his room l went into
the room then; it was all blood which seemed
, to start from tile stairs door up toward the
window; there was blood on the bed spread
| citt 10 f,,r slsv
toward the middle of the bed the blood ran
toward the south window, the furthest away
s from the stairs; saw three or four bullet
= marks in the chimney in the centre.
Re-direct.-Noticed the bloody marks Of
: four fingers laid up against the chimney.
= CHARLES H. WARD, called by the govern
~ ment, testified Am a stone cutter and worl
: at Dix Island; was first cousin of deceased
II deceased was most eighteen, and had mother
in Quincy; heard of the murder and wen
Immediately to the place; saw Mr.. Martin
Mrs. Dolan and the body of Charles White
there; White laid at the foot of the stairs
turned him on his back, rested his head on
my knee and found he gurgled and thought
there was life in him; laid him down, opened
, the stairs door leading to the chamber, and
looked up; saw no one, but heard the report
of pistol twice; shut the door and hasped
it; got somebody to help me carry the body
to my room at the Shamrock House; should
Judge Iremained one and half or two hours
then went back to Doans; saw Little in
custody being brought out; when we got to
! the Shamrock House again | asked him the
3 reason for shooting Charley; he said ''Tim"
5 Corners had opened his trunk and that Con-
7 ners had told him that he could tell him Hit-
= tle) to dollar how much money he had in
5 the bank; and Little said that he could tell
him to cent if he had Imind to; l asked
him what he shot Charley for and he said for
corrupting his boys; asked if it was for that
simple reason alone and he said yes said
that it was q pretty hard case to shoot him for
that and he said: 'yes but it cannot be
helped" asked him again at the school house
why he did it, and he answered the same and
passed the remark that he was sorry but it
could not be helped; asked him if he was
sure it was Charley" or whether it was a
mere suspicion and he said yes it was mere
suspicion; asked il they had had any words
or trouble up stairs and he said 'no"; he