The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-07
MONDAY MORNING, OCTOBER z.
BY TELEGRAPH.
THE ST. GEORGE MURDE r.
Hart Testifies in His Own De-
fence.
The Evidence on Both Sides Con-
cIuded.

RoCKLAND, Oct 4.-Ths forenoon Mre.
Sarah Gardiner, sister of the prisoner, denied
that Allen Andrews told her that Hart had
said that he put up Meservey to have the house
opened, or that he, the prisoner, knew that
Mrs. Meservey was dead in the house.
Nathan f. Hart, the prisoner, testified that
he was at home all the evening of December
%. He told the story of going to Harris Neck
Monday evening, December 2ish, substantially
as the other witnesses. He testified twice at
the inquest. He did not know that he was sus.
pected the first time he testified. Did not tes-
tifS then that he was a, home on the even
Ing of December %, but that he was at home
or at the village. Some two or three weeks af-
ter he remembered that he was at the Meservey
house twice on the day of the murder. He
raw Allen Andrews but d;d not tell him he
tried to get Meservey to open the house. He
remembered vinal Wallis bringing him deed
and told him that Mrs. Meseryey had beer
found murdered, but told him nothing about
the START round the neck of the body, and he
knew nothing about 1t at the time. He told
his dream, but said the dream. about Mrs. Me-
servey was after the murder was discovered.
the CORPSE by request of Mr.. Croker. he did
not tell Thomas in Jail anything about writ ng
the Providence letter He SAID emphstically
that he had nothing to do with the murder of
Mrs. Meservey
On crJss-ex animation the prisoner said hs
did not state at the inquest that he had dream
about Sarah Meservey before the body was
found. He was asked there particularly
whether it was before or after the inquest. de
remem bered fully about the Monday evening
because be had something on his mind. He
was anxious to get the present to his daughter
before Christmas, the next day. As to Satur-
day be did not remember whether he was at
home or at the harbor, but afterwards recalled
1t because be put his whole wind on that even
ing to trace himself and see where he might
have been. His first recollection was from re-
membering the painting of vessel.
The prisoner appeared We'll on the stan d,
showed no signs of nervousness and did not
break nown anywhere or contradict himself
under cross-examinatiDn.
The county attorney testified that the first
PAGES of the log book No. one were not given
to Dunton as the prisoners handwriting. No
leaves were torn out from the log book by his
suggestion. A H. Danton did suggest to hi N
TO tear them out Another witness testh ed
that Duntou SAID he lost them out.
Another testified that Dunton told him he
was so sure Hart wrote he Philadelphia letter
that if man should come and confess the
murder hs would still say that Hart did the
writing.
Miss Anna Wiley testified that the prisoners
wife told the witness aunt that the former teS-
titled at the inquest, in answer to q question,
that the prisoner went ont on the evening of
December %, and returned after short time,
and If she had gone ont with him as proposed
this trouble would iot have happened.
whitney long testified that he understood
the prisoner TO swear at the inquest that the
dream was before the body was found.
The testimony was closed today and the case
adjourned to Monday morning for the argu-
ments Attorney General Emery has conduct
ed the cross examination for the state Very
ably and in a searching manner.