Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-14
STRONG CHAIN OF CIRCUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE
AGAINST THE PRISONER la PAGE.-wIT-
NEssEs FROM CANADA WHO WILL TESTIFY
THAT He HAS COMMITTED OTHER Afro


CIoUs GRIMES.
After two days spent in getting jury,
and in exapining the neighborhood of Penn
broke, where the mutilated remains of Josie
Langmaid were found. the trial of Joseph
La Page, who Is supposed to have commit
ted the murder was begun at Concord N H.,
Thursday. The City Hall, in which Chief
Justice Foster and Judge Rand sat will seat
over thousand persons but it proved to
be too small, and the doors had to be closed
against the thr0ng before the formal open
ing of the Court. and many people braved
a chilling mist and held positions at the
Windows. where they at least could obtain q
view of La Page.
The State is represented by Attorney Cen
oral Lewis W. Clark. and Messrs Flanders
and Sanborn. The prisoner being too poor
to employ lawyer. l. defended by Messrs
N0rrI- aud Page. by State assignment Mr..
Flanders opened for the State lie said that
the prosecution would depend solely upon
circumstantlal evidence for d verdict There
was enough Ol that, he thought, To ak for
the conviction OF the prisoner for murder in
the first degree. After describing the fud-
ing of the body Of the girl It's condition.
the traces left by the murderer and his vie
tim. Mr.. Flanders advertei to suspicious
circumstances surrounding the prisoner.
lie had frequently chased Young giGls. al
most Grazing them with fright. Before he
was constrained to deny his knowledge Of
the English tongue. he made diligent in
quiries Of Young boys OF the time when
Young girls. upon whom his evil eye had
fallen. would be likely to pass the very
woods IN which Josie Langmaid was mur
dered lie was seen near the woods two
days before the murder. carry ing a cudgel
Ike that which vas found stained and
broken whore the murder was done. lie was
seen again near the thlcket on the morning
of the murder, anu the imprint of his nail
shod heel IN the face of the murdered girl
Wa incontestble. The spots Of blood on
hi~ clothing, and hls torn shirt--leeyes were
additional proofs that riyete1 the chain Of
circumstantial evidence.
At the conclusion OF the opening speech
Jas +. Langmaid was sworn He testified
that he was the father OF Josie A. Lang
maid. She was nearly eighteen wears old.
She was the daughter OF a former vile
lie saw hi- daug hter before she started for
the school on the morning OF the murder.
then lie next saw her she was lying a
heAdless corpse in the woods
Mrs. Sarah f. Laugmaid, wife Of the
former witness. next testified that her step
daughter started Tor school, which was
about q miles distant. al y o'clock on the
morning OF the murder
Counsel for the defence spared Mrs.
Langmaid from identifying Josle's clothing &,
as found after the murder, by adu it;ing
thatit IL the same. The clothing was then
put in evidence. the blood stains cuts, and
rents showing that there must have been Il
desperate death struggle. While the
- k..f..
La Page leaned forward aud szsd at it with
intense interest.
Daniel T. Merrill. Of Pembroke. testified
that the body vas found in Gile's swamp
at about O'Clock in the evening. Josie
Laugmaid wa found lying on her back.
her right arm doubled under, and her lstt
thrown over her breast. The breast was
bare a. was the right knee.
Horace Aver. OF Pembroke, testified that
he found the head OF Josie Lsngmalt
eighty rods away from her body Ii was
found the dav after the murder. wrapped
up in blue cloth.
Capt Wm. / RAYMOND testified that he
found the handkerchief OF josie Langnand
half way between her head and her body.
Physicians testified that the bones of Hiss
LangmaId'- : lett hand were broken. and one
thumb nail WAS torn almost away. Her
head was severed from the trunk at the
third yertetra. and there was Il mutIlatlOn
elsewhere. The marks on the right temple
correspond to the heels OF the boots worn
/ by La Page. The discoloratlon Of the bruls-
e. showed that they were Infected before
] hie was extinct
/ Charles K Ciiley. OF Pembroke. testified
/ that on the morning after the murder he
/ found three Oaken sphnters that fitted 10
! gether and evidently had been the round ol
u hay riek. The center fragment bad blood
l stains that had been partially erased by the
use ol grass aud sand Ii WAS found III
the bushes Just oil the academy road. and
fragments OF Josie Langmald : dress. comb,
and belt ornaments, as well as the tram
plod gras- and bushes, showed that the
stunning blow had been struck there. Hell
school books were afterwsrd found IN The
bushes near that spot, and the traces OF q
dragged body were di>eernible up to The
spot Mt whicn the body was found.
Clarence 3. Cochran student IN IN;
academy, testified that on the Friday be
fore the murder, as he WAS nearing tht
woods, he saN man standing ln the thick
| ct. who took t. flight rs -OOu a. he perccly
ed that he was observed.
Adm l.. Fowler testified that La Page
was in his (witness's) fathers employ, th'
fortnight ending September -. Witness
sister arrived home IRON school at th
academy that uhy, anu Ia rage que-tl"he'
witness closely as to who She was witt
when she went to school. snd hat ruat
she took 10 60 there. lie would not res
satisfied until witness showed him the roa'
she took.
Edward l. MAhan, Of Pembroke. testi
fed that the prisoner questioned him close
ly about the route that Miss Langmaid tool
IN going 70 sehooi' anu aSkeu n'" que-
'ions ap1u' ne' r. t, ptL ,,;
M ~ a'- ~ " - 49,.
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the court was aoJonin'u- Jour- ihe Julsine ,.
, are 10 pe s'''u1'" uu''i '"' o"''uS'o"
Tue 'ria5 ~. c. /.
oher,n .erranan, o U'''i,i ,;on, o"aJS Pcn" "'
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ana hhrio ne,n.'ei S"oh N "ko nn NJ,
Tageu ana ie't ,ol p9au .n Sanaea WI
, Rouse - Sis''i VI In age WIG
FOURTH DAY OF the TRIAL
a. p-;.,r RIO ,,lIouior ,a.,;mo,v w
va fi''aS' '"' UNIV" ' '"
given: