Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-05-13
arm
AA1
In my passion, l took the hammer
.Er HER HAVE II OVER THE HEAD.


some snow to put upon her forehead. Iwen
70 the house two or three times; didn, kno.
what to do. Finally closed the great bar,
doors, and went into the house up to m,
room, locking the door after me. I tried I,
go to sleep, but my mothers face would
haunt me. Sunday morning went into tn,
barn and saw mother lying on the floor.
was In an agony of fear that day could moi
tell my sister OF the crime. had thought,
OF going to the Mills and telling people what
l had done. spent the Sabbath doing one
thing and another. Monday morning I did
my chores; harnessed nv horse and started
for Augusta. l tried to think of some plan o.
getting rid of the body, and revolved i,
IN my mind all the way to town and back.
That night got an axe and cut her arms and
legs OF, and tried to burn them up. Tuesday
morning l put little hay over the corpse.
"Wednesday Itook the trunk to Barton GODS
under load of potatoes, and hid ii nv a
stump. That night stopped with nv sister,
sleeping on the lounge. Told nv sister.
in answer to inquiries, thai mother had
left home
On Sunday. when was under arrest at Mr..
Per iva, Mr.. Libby took me into the par.
Tor. and told me that had better own up
that circumstances all pointed to me as the
guilty party. After dinner he came back. and
asked me if l was ready to confess. / told
him that crept up behind her and struck her.
hoping that if said there was no motive
they would think that was insane.
1 REMEMBERED THE ScRIBSER CASE
When was in Jail. Mr.. Farr come to me
and told me to tell him the whole truth, and
made to him the statement which l have
made here to-day.
Gross Examined, this last comics.
sion to Farr and Potter about four or six
weeks ago. Was 20 years of age the lst OF
last March. Did not tell my mother that
voted the greenback ticket; don't know who
told her, On the afternoon that had the
alteration with my mother, l wanted to GO
to ride. Had several places which wanted
to visit. 1t was a pleasant afternoon.
She struck me on the right arm. considerable
of blow. Put the body in the haymOw
Monday night; put a little hay over it.
Burned nothing but wood in the stove on
Sunday morning. Mothers body lay on the
barn floor when cut her up; used an ordi,
nary axe. Monday, coming home from Au-
gusta, formed the plan for concealing the
body. Brought some of the pieces into the
house in pail and some in basket. Was
in Augusta when Scribner was tried and heard
folks say that he got off by playing insane.
Never had any conversation with Mr.. Libby.
so far as can remember, until saw him at
Mr.. Percivars. Thought the plea of insani-
ty was all the show had.
john II. POTTER CALLsD.
Have heard the prisoners testimony in re-
lation to the killing. Visited Merrill, the
prisoner. in the Jail, in company with Mr..
Farr. asked Merrill to state the facts as
they occurred.
NJ. Farr.-What did he state?
The Comfy 4ttorney.-I object. =
The Cou,t-The witness need not state
what was told him.
M. Fa,r-I take exceptions from the
ruling of the court.
LORISa FARR's ARGUMENT.
Loring Farr, Esq. counsel for the accused
began his argument upon the converting OF
the court in the afternoon. He spoke at first
in low tone of voice, which, as he proceed
ed, swelled in volume and compass. This i:
an important case. 1t is going upon the rec
ords to be read. The government has paint
ed picture of the crime. If it is true, II
will go down to posterity as masterpiece
of villany; il it is false, it will hang upor
the wall as a blotch and disfgurment 1t is
important to the prisoner at the bar. All bis
homes of the future hang trembling upor
YOUR decision 1t is important to the broken
hearted father, now totteringprematurely to the
grave. whether the monument erected ovel
the remains of his wife shall be disgrace to
the family name forever and forever. 1t il
important to the community whether this
foul deed shall blacken Its good name. 1t IL
,mnortant to the State whether this murder
the foulest in the annals of crime-shall bt
proved to have been committed with malice
aforethought or whether it was the result o
sudden frenzy. Already men are pointing t.
Maine in horror as the theatre OF this afro
cious deed. Even in the halls of Congress
men ask about our boosted civilization ant
cav that in State of churches and free schools
occurred homicide which would disgrace
any page of pagan history. Now in the op
.rat;ons of the human mind every act whel
analyzed is found to be governed by hxe'
rples 1t isa we'll established axiom tina
averv crime has a motive. 1t is laid down
bv one of the greatest masters OF the law
that without temptation there Is no crime
II il another fact that there is such
thing as character; that as man was
yesterday so will he be to-day. He can
not leap the chasm from good to evil IN
single hour. One of the strongest human trait
ia the love between mother and child. l
can only be severed by abnormal causes
Now. gentlemen of the jury, the govern
mont has one theory of defense;
have another. A large part of the evldenc
addressed by the other side cannot be dis
,oa that all our eyldenC