Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-04-13
ALL FOR 1 LIFE.
me Trial Of Frank c. Pea.e for IN.
Murder Of His Wife.
a Aocklana Boy the Unhappy Criminal.
esnes Gsing 70 show tia, n. =.
Of Sound Mind.

.es Gsing 70 show that He 4. =.
| OF Sound Mind.
The trial Of Frank C. Pease, formerly
nockiand' Me-, for the murder of hi, wife
boston, August Goth, commenced in n
supreme Judicial Court at Boston las, No,
Gay. His counsel are Henry C. F.I.s an
S'epnen h. Tying. The government mt
uaced several witnesses Monday Who hes,,
the SHOTS and broke into the room whore Po..
.no ms wife's body were found. Mr.. Tvno !;
~uuIessing the jury said: '.The goyernmen
mus. snow that there was an ADEQUATE mot;v
'or tne oeed In order to prove the prisoner n
| s"unu memory and mind. 1t is the intention n
."e oeIence to bring evidence before Won :,
oemonstrate that both branches of his fam;I,
we're tainted with insanity that manv Of h;
relatives died in asylums and others were :,
| them now; that his mothers death va
| brought on by brain troubles: that Pes.
| himself from his boyhoOd has shown s;on. =
mental weakness and unsteadiness. He wa
Drought up in house of gloom. was mucI
negiected. and allowed to roam about "A h,
Pieased- When suit was brought apains
nim 10 recover portion of the legacy h,
mao received, he thought the result, would b,
20 send him to the State prison. He resolved
70 equander every cent of the money in hi,
possession, and even after the suit had beer
compromised he still held to the morbid ides
"t some one was after his property. shall
Try 10 show that in the opinion of those vhf
knew him best Frank c. Pease was develon
ing In his dissipated days the tain. of insanit,
transmitted to him by both parents, and thai
II was under the influence of this abnorma
part OF his nature that he shot his wife ir
august last. Still the government has MOI
yet clearly shown that the couple did not agree
together to commit suicide What reajl,
happened in that trunk-barricaded room !,
sui matter Of some uncertainty
MRS. Lizzie }. OseoOd appeared as the frs
witness Tor the defence and testified: lam ,
sister Of the mother of the prisoner; she dice
OF grief for her husband; the cause of hi,
death was consumption; during his sickness,
| she frequently gave way to spasms of grief
she would 60 into room all by herself, and i
was heart-rending to hear her moan after thu
husbands demise she changed her manner O
lie she was no longer neat about her person
and house, she did not care to receive friend,
and callers; she became a victim to melan
choly; she was always of a sensitive ant
nervous temperament, but after her great los,
she seemed very much the worse in every way
e"As Poiht thC WItnebS DtCdIle very Ialnt
and on recovering control of herself wa
assisted from the stand by two officers. TIL,
hour being 5.25 p. m, the court adjourned t.
Tuesday morning.
The court opened Tuesday morning, ant
the testimony for the defence was resumed
William b. Conant testified that he was ;
resident Of Belfast, Me. Knew the parents o
the prisoner; they resided in my house for
time just after they were married: knew tn,
brothers and sisters of Lorenzo Pease tn,
father Of the prisoner. Had noticed peculiar
tiles in the family, especially in one of tn,
sisters of Lorenzo Pease. His brother james
was not bright. Comparing him with peopl,
generally he was not a man of fair under
standing. He married and one of his chill
dren was foolish. Knew the grandmother o
the prisoner; her name was Elizabeth Flint
her husbands name was George Pease
Knew several of the descendants of this coupl,
who manifested to marked extent symptom
of melancholy. One of these committed sui
eide by drowning. The mother of the pris
oner, after the death of her husband in 1868
suffered a great change. From being an ex
| cellent housekeeper she became very slacl
| both as to her person and her house. Sh
was q subject of melancholy. increasing til
| her death in 1868. After her death saw tn
prisoner once or twice year. CONSIDERED
| him quiet, reserved child. saw him twic
after he was married; thought he had rathe
q childish appearance; did not seem to ma
ture like other young men.
Mrs. Lizzie J. Osgood was recalled and ties
tilted that after the death Of AlOnzo Pease
the melancholy of his widow increased unit
her death. After the death of her HUSBAND
| she did not seem to care about her affairs
There was settled grief, and We always con
sidered that che died broken hearted. Hav
never seen any one take the death of frien
a. she did that of her husband. There wer
| frequently serious and uncomfortable out
bursts of grief. My father was very despon
dent man. During the boyhood OF the pris
oner saw very little Of him after he was i
wears of age. As child he seemed YER
affectionate and good-tempered. As he grey
no he seemed reserved and Respondent, an
as to his mental sgrowth he seemed yer
childish.
Geo. II. Page testified that many of tn
prisoners relatives were considered by tn
people of Rockland, Me-, to be either idiotlc
childish, or irresponsible.
| John F.. Hanley testified that he is mem
her of the bar, and 10 now in practice at Rock
land Me. Have known the prisoner sine
childhood. and have known quite numte
of members of his family. Knew job
Arnold. his grandfather. He was man yer
moody and subject to great depression OF spiI
its. and these moods untitled him for business
He had an idiotic child of whom l knew. I'd
| Yard Pease, the son of James, was somew hs
;diotic. Should say that the prisoner as
nov was IA intelligent a. Aoys in general, bu
ma he grew to manhood his mind did not seeI
TO mature. regarded him as far below 90 90
average of young men in intelligence: II
married when he was about Fl years OF ag'
and his wife was then about Is years OLE
They had one child. that is now with II
Grandfather. l brought the suit agaln
Frank Pease in behalf of his grandtathe
Jobn Arnold, to the amount of some one
20 thousapd dollars. The suit was con
nromised. but the estate of Frank Pease va
not diminished thereby. Did not see M II
much after the suit, as he went away 10
Jnhns. The suit was simply civil one.
observed that after he was married tha'
snneared melancholy and sad-partlcuiar
sa This was q matter Of common repor
His distracted ways, his inability 10 graz
snv matter of business were very noticeao,
A: he grew older noticed that these mood
melancholy habits grew stronger ana mo-
marked. A.. +. ,;xss
Someryille: formerly lived in kockian'
snsw the prisoner; knew Ambrose Arpoi
the brother of John Arnold, the Rr"Hu'A, u.s.
of the prisoner. He worked for me LOT "