Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-11-27
State News.
The Gordon Murder Trial.
\ NTH Day.
sh"rg" Of Judge APpirton-vcrdies Of
Guilt. OF Murder In the Fir.t Degree.

BELFAST, NOV. lg-ln the Gordon case
tn, morning.. chief Justice Appleton
charS I'd the jury substantially a. follow. 4:
On The loth Of llnc lu-t, III tie peaceful
town OF lhornd.kr. au assassin. with
Ntcalihy step and armed with an axe ~
trird tine room where Amnu A. Gordon
and ~ wife were sleeping. aud ia cold
blood bntchered father. mother and their
Innocent child. aud set Iir, Ia tile house to
conceal All evidence ot hi> appalling and
brutal crime. Two weeks before. I'M. rri.-
oner declared that he Hal received annnv-
nous letters dero. atory of his character
which he attributed to his brother, wife.
and II satisfied that thi, was the case would
lake her life. On The evening before ~.
Iuurdrr. he said Ia Mr.. Harding that he
hhd ciew % their authorship. AMI Ia an.
other witness that his brothers lite or his
own was ID short in This world. Th,.
next morning, the tragedy was committed.
he prisoner has been indicted for TN.
murder. and IL i now Tor YOU TO determine.
H.'h'r rs 4, The guilty party. All the
testimony adduCed, is weight and. the in
ltrchc" ~ be drawn. beloH. To your con-
~idcration. lhc judge here FAYE Tie
definition 81 ,.luGdrr, OF reasonable do,,ht.
and the distinction between circu.n,tantial
aud direct evidence. \ woman Is found
with her head crushed hy a blunt instru
ment, Circumstances prove that il was
not suicide. Who did the bloody dccd.
crime courts darkness. The assassin calls
no Witne>, To see him strike the fatal blow
ahd seeks 10 oblitcratc Ia, tracks bv fire
ms evidence conNi"tinS the prisoner i
purely circumstautiJl. and uuic.> evidence
~ ihIN nature l. 81 ne regarded with effect
crime must remain uupuhi>hrd II salts
led beyond a Reasonable doubt, vnu are a,
much hnuui Iy circum>tIntilI evidence i,
D. direct. The father of tin prisoner had
substituted the murdered man u take I'M.
latter place upon the farm. The prisoner
was dissatisfied. Anpuym,u. letters dis
para2lns lis character hal iuceu-cd him.
winch ~ attributed To the murdered W.
hiih. Little Intercourse or friendly feel
M existed between the brothers
On the might of the 18th OF June. A.mon
aud MS vile retired a. usual and passed
from the sleep Of life into that Of death.
NJ person except the prisoner is SUSPECT.
rd W hat i there ~, pic,ous! He was on
Ill terms with his brother and wife. TO
different witnesses directly before the trap-
euy he called hl> brother hy opnrobious
terms. declared that hi, lille was ID
short that he would pay Emma for the
letters, and would take her life The very
evening before he said he wa, satisfied that
Emma had written them. These are
threats. Out of the abundance.
81 the heart the month >peaketh
ne threats We're carried into effect.
1 ! evidence that the prisoner knew that
inc family Wa in peril, and mad. no effort
I" rescue them. lie said nothing about
exthgulshlng the fire, but commenced
Clearing the house. When the murder was
l~p r..I "A
bodies. As they laid exposed to a horror
stricken people. He WAS found first on
the spot with marks of blood upon his
person and clothes, and blood was Oh the
Iatal axe, showing how recently the deed
had been committe |. There is an absence |
OF all motive on the part of the witnesses |
70 swear falsely. II they are TO be beliey- /
ed whose blood was this but that of the /
victims of his wrath! lie gives |
no explanation Of the circumstance. he |
does not even swear that hi, nose bled: |
he made no attempt to extinguish the fire |
W as II not his desire that the flames should |
spreadY Why not 20 to the aid of the Vie
tin>. Instead of saving furniture: 4 can.
die>tick known TO have belonged in the
prisoners part OF the house was found in
the crib. The bed clothes were saturated
with Kerosene. The prisoner knew where
49, -. HSioethC anu tlItiItsllth We're
kept. Would stranger have known
where 10 get the weapons of This wholesale
assassination DO not the circumstances
show that the act was done by some one
acquainted with the premises? The at
tempt OF the prisoner to put the public on
Inc wrong scent and to avert suspicion by
charging one Green. is an important cir
for consideration.
VINO had the motive to write the letter
found iu the Jail! lie did not event have
The curiosity TO ask It's contents His eva
sive answers at the time OF the murder are
20 be Observation-Disclosures and evasions
are indications Of crime. His reply to in
luiries AS to who committed the murder.
that he did not know; that he WAS away"
S to be carefully weighed. His answer to
he remark that he was the suspected par
y. that there was nothing ever done i'm
he neighborhood which was not said to be
him. was that the indignant reply of an
innocent man. accused of his brothers
murder. The letters were a sufficient mo-
i've for the crime. No person is shown to
AYE ILL will against the murdered woman.
The accused has not directly denied the
;harge against him. BY his statements on
he stand has nc not added strength to the
nferences already drawn? He saws, II
made no examination Of the murdered bod
rs. beyond hasty look to see if they were
living or dead" The Judge here recapi-
uiated the eYidenee before the coroner's
llry. Are not his statements f,iseY The
Hood and threats. are they denied by him?
n conclusion the judge urged the jury to
Examine the evidence with care caution
md frmness. The safety OF the co,nmu.
'ity by day and security by night rests
With you; aud while you are to see that