Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-06-19
The Wagner Trial.

The following is the testimony Of Mary
liontvet. the only survivor Of the women
In the house at the time of the murder. and
i, we believe, the only direct and positive
evidence, aside from strong circums,an-
tial proofs. which fastens the crime ON The
prisoner:
There were present nj my house. that
night, before | went TO bed, my self sister
Karen and Anethe. There were no other
persons upon the Island: went to bed about
ten o'clock l slept in the western part of
the house in bed room Anethe and | slep,
together; Karen slept on the lounge in the
kitchen. When we retired that night. the
door between the kitchen and the bed room
was left open; the curtains 10 the kitchen
| did not haul down. The outside door wa
not fastened. lock was broke. There was
clock In the kitchen over the lounge;
was first awakened by karsn's saving,
'John scared NE. John scared me-" The
clock fell down on the lounge and stopped
at seven minutes past one. Karen then
said. Jonn killed me, John killed me. -
when he struck her with a chair As soon
az l heard her halloo John killed me-" |
jumped out of bed and tried to open the
bedroom door. but could not, ii was fast
ened. He kept on striking her. then
tried to get the door open, but could not
Karen fell down on the floor under the ia
lie. then the door opened. | looked out and
saw fellow standing right alongside of
the window; saw it was great, tall man.
He grabbed chair with both hands and
hurried up to take Karen and held one hand
To lock the door; took her in my arms and
carried her in as quick as l could. When
i was there he struck me twice and held
on the door, and told Karen to hold on to
the door when l opened the bedroom
window. she said. mo, l can't do it, | am
so tired" she laid on the floor hanging her
arms Oh the bed told Anethe to come up
and open the window and to take some
clothes and run and hide. Anethe was in
my bedroom when l said this. Anethe
opened the window and jumped out. leav-
ing the window open. l told her to run,
she said. Il can't rum" told her 10 balloo,
somebody might hear her from the other
Island she said Il cannot halloo."
To 90 back when was standing at the
bedroom door he tried three times to get
in. When he found he could not get in,
he went outside, and Anethe saw him at
the corner Of the house and hallooed,
Louis, Louis. Louis" good many times
jumped to the window and looked out,
when he got little further saw him out
at the window and he stopped a moment
out there.
Q-Who was that man! A-Louis Wag-
ner. He turned around again. and, when
Anethe saw him coming from the corner of
the house back, with big axe. she hallOo-
ed out Louis, LOUIS till he struck her
with great big axe. He struck her on the
head once, and she fell down; after she
fell down he struck her twice. Back he
went to corner again and jumped out the
bedroom window and told Karen to come
She said. Il am so tired can't" l ran to
her house and thought Of hiding away ia
the cellar, but saw my little dog coming
and was afraid to hide because he would
bark. ran down to landing place to
see if he had his dory there; did not find
any. Invent out, and when little way
from the house saw light In the house.
He had the curtain down too. l did not
haul that down. went down on the Is
and ran little ways, and heard my sister
halloo again, SO plain thought she was
outside of the house. ] ran and hid my
self away in the rocks. I staid there till
shout an hour after sunrise. Two days be-
fore had an axe On the Island to cut ice
in the yell. and left it right BY my door.
had known Wagner for year and