Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-14
La Pages Trial.
sATURDAY AFTERNOON.

La Pages Trial.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
Charles c. Davis, of Concord, testified
Am deputy sheriff and jaiier of Merrimaci
county; La Page was delivered to me By
John Cornell, Oct. IS; he has been ar
uneasy prisoner post OF the time since ht
has been in nv care was informed thai
be was digging bricks from bis cell; found
sixteen dug out also found an iron brace
in his bed be was removed to another
cell found another iron brace gone
found it under his lett ARA. between his
shirts ordinarily | had no trouble in con-
versing with him one day, while talking.
with him, he said. pointing with his finger.
Road go there. go here, girl lay there;
my wife, who was present. asked him il he
saw the body; he said. mo. no." She then
asked him how he knew where the body
was, if he was not there he shook his head
and said. 81 no understand" we were
talking about Josie Langmad afterward
found bar of his cell door more than half
cut off.
Juliene Rouse, of Joliet. Canada. testi-
fed Am sister of La Pages wife last
saw La Page in June. 1871 met him when
in pasture going to milk cows in st.
Beatrice. Canada La Page had a buff
falO robe, mask in his hand, and
had on faded red dannel shirt and
pair of linen pants, III belt about his
waist he carried pine root two and one
half feet long and as large as my arm
there were no houses in sight it was
O'Clock In the morning, when he came to
me he tried to Icatch me; | shouted and
tried to run away; he took hold of me
when he got hold of me turned and pull
ed the mask from his face and recognized
him after pulling the mask from his face
he rolled his head In my skirts and tried to
| choke me; then turned upon my stomach,
when he rubbed coarse sand into my mouth.
! and eyes, and after he saw my strength was
gone he outraged me; | do not remember
when he left me. as had become insensi-
BILE; it was clock when / reached home;
he did not strike me with stick he got
holt of my neck and left black marks there
lat this point the witness was greatly agi
tated and nearly fainted); the marks re-
manned on my neck a month my neck was
very sore and had difficulty in swallowing
food for some time aiterward | am 81
years old and unmarried La Page at this
time was married to my sister; | saw La
| Page the day after the outrage had no
conversation with him have not seen or
spoken to him since that day.
MONDAY.
The prosecution rested their case, and the
session was chiefly taken up with the argu-
ment of Mr.. Norris. counsel for La Page
| lie said that the crime if proved at all must
| be proved by circumstanlal evidence. No
one saw it done. Counsel went on to ex-
plain the circumstantial evidence, and fol-
! lowed with a discussion of the difficulties
and dangers attending the use of such evi-
dence. The facts on which the prosecution
| rests are that the prisoner was seen at the
! Academy at a time which would have
| brought him to the scene of the murder at
the time it was committed. We ask you to
find that fact not proved. Next. the marks
| on the face of the remains correspondent to
marks which might have been made by
boot worn by respondent We ask YOU to
| find that the marks might be made by the
| boot or by hundreds of other boots within
reach os thai place that day. Third, the
prisoner had blood on his clothes and it was
human blood. We ask you 10 consider that
in the examination of blood in the way
which has been stated there are great IN
certaintles and shall show that there is no
reliable evidence that the blood on his
| clothes was human, that he had worn the
clothes a long time, and that he might soil
them in many ways; that he went that day
among people who appear a. witnesses for
the State, talked with them. sat and walked
with them, and made no attempt 10 conceal
| his clothing.
tbs TESTIMONY FOR TIE DEFENcE.
Joseph Daignault. of Suucook, testified
Monday, the day OF the murder. | was work
ing in my shop. from 10 clock in the
! forenoon till L. 30 Joseph La Page was with
me La Page said he had been lost IN the
woods and had been directed to my place
be remained from 10 until T. 30; when |
went to dinner, he said " am going into
| the woods and get my axe andlgo home :"
next saw him at = 80. The cross-examina-
ton elected the fact that the witness never
| before heard of French wood-chOpper get
| ting lost in the Al.enstown woods
George Richards, OF Suncook, testified
Have worked to- Joseph Daignault for two
years was WORKING for him on the 4th OF
| last October learned Of the murder OF Josie
Langmaid on Tuesday after the occurrence;
was in Suncook the day of the murder,
| driving my team from Joseph Daignault's
to Suncook left Daignault's that day be
! tween and Is clock in the morning re-
| turned at II 30 fix the time because when
| returned | looked al the clock saw Jos.
| La Page then we went about quarter of
a mile on the northeast side of Daignault's
to load our teams when | returned saw
! La Page near the road TO SuncOok he had
neither axe nor oyercoat with him he was
coming from the woods into the road on the
west side, returned 10 Daignault's between
> and ; 30.
TUESDAY.
Pierre Briault, of Allenstown testified that
/ in October, 1875 worked for Mr.. Daignsult,
did teaming from Daignault's to Suncook
left there between five and six. and arrived
| at Suncook about ten O'Clock, and returned
at l. 30, October 4; Joe LaPage was stand
! ing IN the blacksmith's shop door; got back
| in the afternoon between two and three
| o'clock saw La Page about twenty feet
| from me did not speak to him ! started
/ toward SuncOok La Page came behind my
team he was On the road to Sunc0ok and
passed ahead of my team about a quarter
| of mile toward that place, then lett the
road on the night hand side to 20 into the
woods next saw him about a mile down
/ the road saw him have nothing when We
went into the woods when ! Jaw him next
! he had An axe.
Constant Roberts. Of Allenstown, te-ti
| fed have resided with Joe Daignault ID
months his wife Is my daughter On the
4th of last October was chopping on DAi-
gnault's lot. about T. OF 10 acres on the
northeast side of his house saw Ia Page
| Oct i he passed 10 or II rods from me in
the woods between 80 and 10 O'Clock
| about II or Is acres from Daignault's |
went to dinner between II 30 and / / 45 that
/ forenoon II was about one hour from the
time saw La Page in the woods until he
went to dinner.
Joseph Fontaine. Of Sdncook. testified
have seen Joseph La Page three or four
times while he has worked for Daignault
saw him October 4, before the shop door.
between IL i5 a IN. and l. 80 p. m.
Cross-examnaton-D not look at the
clock in Dagnault's house can t tell the
time when have seen La Page on any day,
excepting October 18th talked on the Tues
day after the murder about La Page being
at Daignault's on the morning OF the muir
der cannot fix the time when La Page
worked for Daignault within a month.
Antoine Tester. Of Suncook, testified
| Chop wood October 4 last. was working
on Sam Cofran's lot. building a shanty
lett home that morning at 6.l5 ; arrived
| where built the shanty about 80 or 7:45;
saw La Page that day when We were raising
the shanty between $50 and in the morn
ing be was coming from the northeast
side he asked me it | knew any road lead
ing to Daignault's; told him | knew no
particular road, but pointed out the direc
ton, and he went as | directed saw him
again that day saw him when he was
coming out of the woods with Berault II
plight have been about 4:30 or O'Clock
he came with me to Suncook saw nothing
in his hands when he came to where we
were building the shanty that morning
when | saw him with Beranlt he had an
axe saw nothing else.
Theophila Boudreault, OF Deeifeld, testi-
fed am chopper ; Oct. last was chop
ping for Mrs. Colran; La Page came in
the woods where We were from $50 to 9
he spoke to me and asked for wood to chop;
sent him to Tester toward the shaniy next
saw him in court
Professor John Baker Edwards, Of Mon
treal, Canada an analytical chemist, and
Professor in Bishops College in Montreal,