The Portland daily press., 1873-10-14
by TELEGRAPH.
MATTERS IN MAINE.
THE MINK TRIAL.
Seventh Day.
Close of the Dcfence-The Rebuttal Of the
Government.
lSpecial to Press.1


RocKLAND, Oct. 13.-The Baker murder trial
is approaching termination. Mr.. Pillsbury
began his argument for the prisoner this after
noon, and spoke two hours and half, when he
gave way for adjournment. Heis making a
logical and powerful argument. He explains
the threatening letters as inconsistent, jealous
rawlings claiming that these reckless threats
were utterly inconsistent with the deliberate
malice and careful plotting imputed to the sub
sequent action of the prisoner by the theory of
the prosecution. He claimed that there was no
intention on the part of the prisoner nor fear
on the part of the Doctor that these threats
would be carried into effect as was proved by
the subsequent intimacy of the parties The
question Of the blood on the garments was
taken up and extensively discussed. 1t had
not been shown that arterial blood had been
found on the garments. He claimed that there
was none--that the government own testimony
proved it would have been practically impossi-
BILE; that the stains on the night dress conld
have came from the body of DIR. Baker, and
that it would have been impossible that fresh
blood stains should have got upon the night
dress and not left trace upon the undergar.
ment, ON which none was found.
The prisoner seemed much affected this after
noon, and most of the time kept her face bur-
led in her handkerchief.
At the opening Of the court this afternoon,
the County Attorney offered letter claimed to
have been written by the prisoner, the same
which Mrs. Simmons testified to receiving, and
one OF those examined by the last witness, for
the purpose of disproving statements made by
the prisoner. A sharp discussion arose between
the counsel as to its admissibility, at the end of
which the letter was excluded by the court.
The testimony was closed here. Mr.. Pillsbury
commenced his argument for the defence at
three clock, and will occupy at least half the
day tomorrow.
ITO Associated Press.]
ROCKLAND Oct. 13.-In the murder case this
morning, DR.. Walker was called by the de-
fence, and testified as to the appearance about
the bed, which vent to corroborate defendants
testimony
Warren Mink, at whose house the murder
was committed, testified that the outside cellar
door was fastened with hasp outside, and that
the door leading from the cellar into the house
was not fastened. The front door would stand
open. He was in Bath at the time of the MUIR
der. He saw knife in the stand drawer, also
a paper which was taken out with it. The
knife has DR.. Bakers name on it.
Two other witnesses testified that the front
door would stand open at any point except
when wide open, when it would swing for
ward.
A. b. Cobb, called as an expert with fire
arms, testified that the cartridge shown him
was thirty-two cartridge for rifle or pistol A
cartridge will not drop out of any kind of re-
| volver when fired.
| p. M. Studley testified to note which was
| given him by Dr. Baker. Conversations had
! with DR.. Baker by this and another witness
were excluded.
| A. III. Spear, living next north of the Mink
| house, testified to seeing DR.. Baker call there
once or twice week in March and April. Saw
Lucy Ann coming out of the field at one
p. M, on the day of the murder.
| Defence closed here and the government in
troduced rebutting testimony.
George 1. Kaler testified to seeing Arthur
| Mink, his wife, mother and Roscoe at Arthur 8
house after eight oclock on the night of the
| murder.
| A. M. Wetherbee testified that she saw the
contents of the drawer the day after the muir
der and did not see the knife, paper or razor.
Samuel Thompson few days after the muir
der saw the front door swing to after it had
been standing open.
Susan Simmons was shown the letter referred
to in the prisoners cross-examination, and tes-
titled to having received it three years ago last
April.
w. c. Holt was called as an expert and be-
| lieved certain letters he had examined to have
been written by the same hand.