The Portland daily press., 1873-11-14
by TELEGRAPH.
MATTERS in MAINE.
The Gordon Murder Trial.
FOUR III DAY,
Continuation of the Governments
Testimony.

BELFAST, Nov 13.-The proceedings of the
fourth day of the Thorndike murder trial CON-
menced with evidence of the keepers over the
prisoner on the day of the arrest, which was
corroborative of that already adduced
stephen Rand, the venerable father of the
murdered woman, testified to seeing blood on
the prisoners wrist. The vest worn by the
prisoner, stained with blood, was introduced
One of the keepers swore to threats made BY
the prisoner against his brothers wife in Nav
last; that he thought she had written anouy-
nous letters about his character, for which he
meant to pay her, and that she had caused all
the trouble between Almon and herself.
Raymond s. Rich, the magistrate who ar
rested Gordon and took charge of the premises
testihed to securing the axe clothed with blood
ana mar; TO the condition of the victims, mu-
ulated and half roasted, and to the appearance
OF the infant, then breathing, but who soon ex-
pred; TO the room sprinkled with blood, and to
the discovering near the bed of bottle which
had contained kerosene OIL The details of
these horrors produced a manifest effect upon
the prisoner. For the first time during the
trial his countenance indicated emotion. He
leaned forward and during the remainder of
the forenoon concealed his face with a haLd-
kerchief.
Drs. Williams and johnson described their
post mortem examination of the bodies, and
testified that the sharp wounds upon the head
were sufficient to cause instant DEATH and that
the blunt ones were made with the back of the
axe The faces were literally mangled to a
pulp and the bones crushed
Col. Hiram Chase, ope of the coroner's iurv.
described the blood upon the walls of the
room, and identified candle stick found in the
crib.
Three additional witnesses wire examined.
whose testimony was snly cumulative
AT four O'Clock this afternoon the absence of
witness caused the Adjournment of the court
till morning.
Among the material matters proved was the
fact that the hair and night dresses of the VIC
tins were found saturated with kerosene oil
Miss Julia P. Edwards, to whom the prisoner
had been paying attentions, identified three
anonymous letters, defaming his character,
which she received few weeks before the
murder and which he attributed to his brothers
wife.
lady spiritual'mediurn from Bangor testi-
fed that about the first of last June the pris-
oner consulted her professionally about their
authorship, stating that he was in trouble, that
his parents had turned against him and settled
their property upon his brother, whose wife he
suspected Of having written them, and tn at if
ascertained to certainty that she was the au-
thor he would take her life.
A sister of Miss Edwards swore to the de-
claration of the prisoner the evening before the
murder, that he had found an envelope directed
to Julia in bis brothers wife's room, and was
satisfied that she had sent the letters that had
been received.
The court excluded the letters as evidence,
for the present
Elisha Gordon. Jr., cousin of the prisoner,
testified that on the day previous to the tragedy
the prisoner, in conversation upon other mat
tiers, suddenly exclaimed: Zone TIL ng l know,
and that is, Almon's life or mine is id short
in this world
Public interest in the trial continues unabat-
ed and the hall has been constantly crowded.
1t is thought that the evidence for the State
will BE- finished to- morrow forenoon, and that
the testimony on both sides may be completed
this week.
Sudden Death.
RoCKLAND, Nov. 13.-Miss Caroline Bracy os
Mt Desert, employed in the family of Joel
Herrck, waslfound dead in chamber of the
house to-day. She was missed from the kit
Coroner Rust was notified and after hearing
such facts could be ascertained, deemed an
inquest unnecessary.