The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-26

safes. then found the passage barred by the
right hand of the savings bank safe with some
limp form on the other side pushing against it.
then tried to climb over the door and found
could raise myself up over the door and see
what appeared to be human form "
ing upon the bottom of the vault.
L could see from the light shining from the
other side. Charles G. Crowel said ri will
try and get over,' and l helped him over the
door and told him to get down as carefully as
possible, and he did So As soon as he got on
the other side he said, 20, my God. what
sight" He said, "He is gagged and bound"
passed him an open knife and told him to
cut the cord that held the gag in his mouth. L
had previously passed him lantern over the
safe door. L then told him to unloose his
hands. He says. II cannot for he is hand
cutfed-' then told him TO try and raise Mr..
Barron's body up so l could swing to the door
and help him. He did SO, swung to the
door, took hold of Mr.. Barron and saw he was
almost dead. 1t seemed it was as much as two
minutes between each breath. We both tried
to initiate his lungs by blowing into his mouth
and at the same time kept trying to get the
body between the two safes in the shortest time
possible, and as tenderly as possible We did
SO. We then carried him into the national
bank rooms and laid him on the floor on some
coats. DR.. Clough requested us to lay him on
the table. then helped to remove the mana
cles by holding a small anvil while the ring
was cut that held the manacles together. We
found the manacles were not tight about the
wrists, SO did not remove them at that time.
was present when the key was found to ths
manacles. 1t was found in the coal room, at
the right hand Of the door leading into Mr..
Barron's coal room. 1 tried it and found it
fitted exactly.
w. En-. P. Remcut Sworn.
went down to Mr.. Barron's Feb. 22d and he
had not returned home and his wife was wor-
ried about him. The young lady said she was
going up to tbs bank to see if she could find
him. Mrs. Barron came out. / told her
was going to the lecture, but would go to the
office of the bank. She said be was probably
locked in the bank. He was troubled with
heart disease and she was afraid there was
trouble. went to the hall and saw Mr.. Cur
tbs; told him of my fears and who L was look
ing for. Mr.. Curtis and came down and Mr..
Curtis went to the bank. Mr.. Wood had an
axe and Mr.. Bradbury told him to stave the
door in. He broke out two squares and went
into the bank and followed him. Mr.. Wood
went over the grating into the bank room and
l went out into the back room where the coal
was and found the coal had turned over. 1
then passed into the room where Mr.. Wood
Was MIR. Curtis came in and held the light
while he opened the outer door of the vault
DR.. Cloagh came 10 and he and 1 held our ears
down to the inner door of the vault and we
could hear breathing on the inside of the vault.
l then went round to the national bank side
and they were just fetching Mr.. Barron out Of
the vault. | went into the coal room and found
his false teeth and his pen.
Voiney "A. spragme sworn.
About 5 o'clock sat down by the window of
my Office. looked over towards the bank and
L noticed the west window lower blinds were
open small space. When 1 looked through I
noticed it particularly to see If could see Mr..
Parsons, but l could see no one After l had
read five or ten minutes L noticed the blinds of
the east window were entirely closed.
Charles w. Curtis sworn.
left the bank of which l am cashier from
five TO quarter past o'clock Feb. 10Th. l was
in the bank about fifteen minutes. The bank
is on the same story of the savings bank on
the opposite side of the entry. 1 did not see
anyb ody in the entry. / tried the door of the
savings bank when L went out and found it
,ScSs1: Ny va1tE v az not Open a. iiii4ae
at sll. Mr.. Bement called me about half past
seven on the alarm. / went into the bank
about half past seven as near L could judge
l met Mr.. Hamilton and we went into the
bank together. opened my vault door and
could bear breathing, aud [ opened the inner
door and could hear breathing much palmer. L
called Mr.. Barron and got no answer. then
took of my coat and vest and squeezed in
between the safe and pushed against the door
of the savings bank safe and found he was
against it Then l went into the savings bank
and opened the outer vault door of the savings
locked and had no means Of opening that, bat
still heard breathing. then went back into
the national bank. [ was in the bank while
Mr.. Crowell went over the safe, and L
witnessed Mr.. Crowell and Mr.. Wood getting
Mr.. Barron through into the national bank |
locked the lower door when 1 went out at 5
O'Clock, but found it locked when 1 came ia in
the evening. l found the door at the head of
the stairs locked when I went up at half-Dast
seven.
Albert #. Bradbury, President of the
Savings Bank, sworn.
I examined the securities of the savings
bank February 23d at 9 o'clock, the time lock
giving access to the burglar chest at o'clock
in the morning. found all the bank securities
safe. From the best calculation We can make
as far as the books show and from unfinished
memoranda Of Mr. Barron, the bank is short
about $3.50 cash.
J. Ii. ClGugh, MI. d.. Swsra.
was called into the bank when Mr.. Barron
was taken through the vault into the National
Bank room. laid him put Oh the table. he
was in an insensible condition, breathing slow
and labored, and very slow pulse, feeble and
irregular There was an abrasion over the
right eve with the appearance of having a
blow with some hard instrument. A bunch
aboat half the size of hens egg was on the
left side of the head, which must have been
caused by blow with some hard substance
There was also another bunch behind the right
ear, besides having the appearance of being
strangled. The veins upon his head were dis
tended. gave him stimulants, had his clothes
loosened and applied friction to his extrem;tes.
His pulse came up and his breathing improved
a little. / had Drs. Springall and Mudgett
called in. We bled him without any percepti-
bic effect. I think death ensued from blows
and strangulatioD, the gag, aud from being
thrown into a close vault, breathing the impure
air. think he was strangled by other means
An
where the cord on the gag came. The blood
was very dark, almost black and very thick, as
it would be when charged with carbonic acid
gas. There was no indication of any heart
disease in his case.
simeoa Mudsett Sworn.
concur in the testimony of DR.. Cloush in
regard to the condition Of Mr.. Barron and the
cause of his death.
Matilda whitney sworn.
had business at the savings bank on S.tur.
day or Monday, the 10th and 18th of February
inst. l can't tell which day it was. When
got through my business with Mr.. Barron, and
was just turning to go, 1 heard the door open
and saw three men, strangers, standing in the
door. was waiting for them to go GU. SO [
could go, when l heard one of them say some.
thing. All L understood was " this isl One
man had hold of tie door knob and did not let
CO.. He was tall, broad-shouldered man, and
had heavy dark beard and dark complexion.
mon dark oyercoat and soft hat The one that
stood at his left had full. round face with
fresh complexion. dark mustache, aud was of
medium size, thick set, with soft hat The
third one cannot describe, only he was
small man looking over the large mans shout
der. They just opened the door and looked in.
then closed the door. L went out immediately.
but saw no more of them. 1t was in the after.
noon, think. think could recognize two
os them.
Charles y. Winslow, sworn:
passed the bank building February 22d at
about six O'Clock. AS L went by the bank
entrance saw the front door was open. II
sounded as if there were two or three men in
there. L saw one man. He stood on the floor
on the west side of the entry way. He had the
appearance of getting ready to 90 ont He