The Portland daily press., 1881-01-19


shooting, on the night of Saturday. Septembe,
49, 1881, was begun yesterday morning. At
torney General Cleaves and County Attorney
Coombs appear for the State and Harrison G.
Sleeper and Elliot King defend the respondent.
Farr was arraigned on the 10Th and pleaded not
guilty. When brought in yesterday morning by
Deputy Sheriff Turkey and placed in the dock
he bowed his head and put his handkerchief
70 his eyes which were apparently full of tears
After remaining thus for minute he
Strengthened up hastily, wiped his eyes, turned
and surveyed the government witnesses and
especially Nellie Britto, the daughter of his
deceased wife by a former husband Miss
Britto is very bright and pleasant looking
young lady. When Farr was brought in sh G
turned pale, sank back against the wall and
called for glass of water which the messenger
furnished her. Farr has been in Jail since the
night of the homicide. His hair at that time
black, or nearly so, is now nearly white.
While the witnesses for the government were
testifying he watched them closely, paying the
strctest attention
The jury was impannelled in very short
time. The defendants counsel challenged
four peremptorily. The jury is constituted as
foil, WIS:
Giioert L. Bailey, foreman, Portland, Peter
Jordan of Casco, Francis Chute of Otistield
Mahlon ID. Webb of Westbrook, Charles Ham
son Of Gorham, James l.. Wilson of GRAY,
George r. Libby of Scarborough, William
Weeks of Portland, Augustus III. Ford of
Portland, Joseph McKenney of Yarmouth.
PANEL Virgins of Bridgton, Frank Dunn of
Portland
Inc County Attorney opened the case for the
government, explaining to the jury in clear,
forcible language the distinctions between the
different degrees of homicide and the appica-
tion OF them to the facts of this case. He said
that the government claimed and would show
that this was case of premeditated malicious
killing, case of murder in the first degree
Alter stating the facts briefly as the govern
ment claim them to be he called the witnesses,
Inc hrst witness put on the stand was
DAVIS CoLLAMoRE.
Reside in Portland at 6S Newburv street
and have for seven years; formerly resided in
Rockland; have known John G. Farr about
two years; knew Eliza A Farr for % years.
She was Eliza A. Miller, daughter of William
Il. Miller OF Rockland; she first married VIM.
Britto; don't known how long ago she was
married 10 FAIR; they have been together to
my house and stopped week; said they were
married; remember the night Eliza A. Farr
IS SAID TO have been killed; on that evening
between Z and s O'Clock Farr called at nv
house and wanted to know if Eliza was there
or mad been there; told him she was not;
ne SAID, 'She promised to meet me Tonight
ana II she proves to me false this time will
snoot ner II l have to swing for it, I didn't
know where his wife Was, but knew she was
In the city somewhere; she was friend of nv
wife's and was in the habit of coming to nv
house frequently; Farr then got up, bid us good
evening and went away; he didn't stop over
nVe minutes; he didn't say where he was go
ing This was Saturday evening and heard
OF the homicide the next morning.
Cross Examined by Mr.. Sleeper.
l ana not related to Mrs Farr Farr was
seaman and had been in port about week; Oh
the thursday evening previous to this Satur-
day Farr and his wife were at nv house met
there by accident; they just passed the time of
DAY together and that is all. Mrs Farr former
~ had room at my house; she hired the
whole house and then we hired part of her.
Inc week that Farr and his wife stopped at
my house they were good friends: / don't
Know how 1T was during the whole two years:
when Mrs. Farr occupied the room at nv
house her husband wasn't at home: he called
ON her one evening about a year ago; sup.
pose he saw her for he went into her room:
oldn see them together: she had no company
while she lived at my house that I know Of;
she worked in a rag factory; Farr appeared
when lie came to my house SATURDAY. evening
very much excited thought; | don't know OF
any difficulty existing between Farr aud his
wife caused by his charging her with going
with other men.
JULIA A. ROBERTS, CALLED BY THE STATE,
Am the wife of George A. Roberts; live at
No 81 Free street, corner of Free and Centre
streets; Eliza A Farr boarded with me; about
a quarter past nine on the evening of the 18th
OF September last, was sitting in a chair at
the open dining room door, which is about
three yards from the head of the fight of
stairs that comes up to my tenement, which is
over a store; l was talking with another lady
in the dining room; the first that [ saw of the
Farr, he came up and stood at the
eack OF my CHAIR; he was in the entry and my
chair was close TO tn door; he asked me if
Eliza Farr boarded there; L told him yes. he
said he would like to see her; I told him I
would call her, and when l started to 90 for
her he said he would like to see her privately:
told him to wait until I went to see if she
was in for had been out and didn't know
whether she was In or not; l started for the
stairs leading to the next story; there arc four
steps, then turn at right angles and 90 up two
steps, then turn again and go up eight more
steps; went up as far as the head of the
stairs and called ''Lizzie;;" she said "What;"
l said "Can | come in?" she said "Yes.p T
said How can L whea the door is shut" /
hadn't been near the door, but it was dark and
no light In the entry; she came and opened
the door; heard her footsteps come to the
door; when she opened it / went to the door
and said, Lizzie, somebody is down stairs and
wants to see you;" 1 set out to saw, "wants to
see you privately" when Farr came behind
me and put his hands against the door and
pushed and said something: [ can't tell
whether he said 1 have got you damn YOU"
Il heard him say those words) sit has gone too
far,-somethlng OF that kind; l can't tell ex-
actly what 1t was; she heard his voice and she
pushed to shut the door. but she dropped her
hands and he got SO he could put one hand in
side the door and put his hand inside his pock-
ct and pulled out revolver: pulled it out in
my face and put it behind the door because she
was behind the door; got into the room but
now don't know; while he was going through
this performance she started under his arm
and down stairs; he turned on his heel and
hred four shots, three in succession and fol-
lowed after the first shot; she didn't sneak
until she got halt way down stairs, then I
heard her say Oh" and that is 4 all the
sound she made; she said that after
the second shot. She went down stairs to NV
bedroom door and fell into my bedroom.
stood for a minute and went down stairs and
she was lying dead on the floor Farr was sit
ting on the side OF the bed talking to her body.
lie says, why don't you send for a police
man?' My husband then came in and he
talked with him. Farr said she had deceived
him and lied to him; that she had been with
him the night before and had promised to meet
him that night; and if she had done so she
would not lay now whe e she lays He said he
came with the express intention of killing her
He said, Il have done what [ come for and
now am willing to suffer" No one was pres
emit when he said that unless my husband was
there.
CrosS-eaamiacd bg DR.. Sleeper
AT the time of the shooting 1 didn't know
she had a husband living. She represented
herself to be a widow. Mrs Farr went ont OF
the room under her husbands left arm. HI
held the door with his left hand. 1 went into
room before she went out, went in by her
Farr drew revolver just as he was in the
doorway. He drew it from his side rocket
L think an inside pocket but am not sure.
testified before the coroner's inquest. Think
there testified that Farr said 81 have don,
what came for and am willing to suffer.
There was gentleman in Mrs Fairs room a
this time by the name of Heard who wa
waiting on her. He is now present in til,
court room. He IS waiting on her when sb,
came to board with me. He was sitting in
CHAIR by the window which looks out upo,
Free street, near enough to the bed so that a
| he leaned back he could put his feet unon tn
| bed. His feet were on the bed and the mark
| OF his boots We're on the bed-sDread. Their
was another chair close beside his only a small