The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-05-03
Try TELEGRAPH.
MAINE
MAINE.
TEE oaERRYFIELD MURDER.
Thel Murderer Gives. q History OF His
Life-Convicted of Murder in the
Second Degree.

OAIAlSy Way 6.-1uo ldtOACoo IL oAAo S~~&s
ningham trial to-day was unabated. A great
crowd thronged the court house, including .
large number of ladies.
Mrs Brooks, A. S. Dorr, Jr., and j. B. Will
ley was recalled to the stand, but their testi-
mony of yesterday was unshaken.
Frank McGraw opened for the defence. He
asked the same consideration that each juror
would feel entitled to. The prisoner had the
same rights and privileges as the President of
the United States. He was uneducated, with
out trade or accomplishments. AT the age
of IA he became acquainted with married
woman ten years older, and lived with her. He
was willing, Industrious weak and innocent
She kept him about her continually. He
grew fond of her and was with her most of the
time. She said she loved him. Finally she
made him perfect slave till he loved her as
passionately as a human being could. She
told him she prayed for her husbands death
that she might marry him. When the husband
died she accepted an engagement ring and
went to live at his house. Suddenly, without
warning, after having taken possession of him
body and soul for eleven of the best years of
his life, she cast him aside, utterly ignoring
him, for no reason. He had had no moral or
religious teaching, and goaded to madness by
jealousy he committed the act. He made no
attempt to escape. The defence claimed that
the course of his mistress led him to do the act,
for which he was irresponsible
Cunninghhm took the stand and began the
history Of his life, when the court adjourned to
Up. m. ~
On reassembling at Up. m. the court room
was literally packed. Cunningham again took
the stand and testified rs follows:
Was born in London, England; am now %
years of age; have lived since was year old
in the Ridge district, village of Cherryfeld'
have one brother resident of Cambridge, and
one brother and sister in Cherryfeld-all
older than myself. I formed the acquain-
tance of Mrs. Sprague when as small boy about
IA years of age. She was married to Mr..
Sprague at the time she lived as housekeeper
with Benjamin Morse, in a part of the house
in which my father lived. did her errands
she apparently taking great liking to me. l
passed large part of my time in her society.
She would take me up alongside of her, caress
and kiss me. She continued to treat me in
similar manner up to the time of her death.
/ met her one night while returning from up
the road she asked me into her house, and
took a chair. She sat down in my lap, fondled
ma and / remained till about 8 o'clock. When
rose to go she coaxed me to remain and did
SO till the following morning and since that
time have done with her as liked l was
about Is years of age. Her husband died last
July and at her solicitation after his death 1
ISn. vic 10 hnr I
chased and gave her a ring; did not know her
to receive attention from any other man up to
within a week or SO of her death. About
week previous to that event L saw her walk
ing with Mr.. Wiley and understood he said he
was going to walk with her again the first Op-
portanity. I reproached her and she denied
receiving any attention from Wiley.
I went to Mrs. Aliens Sunday noon, March
10. Mr.. Wiley, Mrs. Sprague and others were
there. On passing her chair, attempted to
take her handkerchief from her pocket, and
she told me to leaue it alone; it was not mine.
1 made no reply. She and Wiley seemed to
make much OF each other. 1 remained there
until late in the afternoon and then went home
to tea, Mr.. Dorr with me. After tea started
to go to churchill went into Mrs. Brooks till
the crowd went by. While there l made no
threats of any kind, whatever. Went to church
and sat behind Mrs. Spragus; had no converse
tion with her there. l passed out OF the church
ahead and remained on the steps until Mrs
Sprague and others passed out. then walked
down the sidewalk; saw Mrs. Sprague take Mr.
Willey's arm. have no recollection of any
thing else until I found myself on the opposite
side of the rive. Went to my brother-in-law's
house and remained there until arrested.
The State declined to cross-examine and the
defence rested.
JohnF. Lyn made the closing argument
for the defence, speaking nearly three hours
He admitted that the deed was committed by
the prisoner, but he was SO wrought up by the
real or imaginary wrongs done him that his
acts were involuntary. He gave vivid word
picture of the prisoners life with his victim
from his boyhood-eleven of his best years
spent under her influence. She was his whole
life, and her sudden betrayal so affected his
intellect that he was not responsible. He ap-
pealed entirely to the hearts and sympathies OF
the Jury and did all that could be done with a
bad case.
County Attorney Rounds closed for the State
presenting his side of the case in an able man
ner, confning himself to law points and
the evidence. He spoke one hour.
At 43O Judge Danforth charged the jury
and the case was given to them at $50 and the
court took recess.
LATER.
9.15 .. m.-The court reassembled and the
fury came in with. verdict of murder in the
second degree. The prisoner received the YER
dict without emotion.
Adjourned.
Fire in Pittsfeld.
PIrTsFIELD, May about 10 this morning
fire was discovered in the stable belonging to
81. B. Gardiner in this place, burning the
stable and house. Very little was saved. Par
TALLY insured
Longfellow's Will.
Boston, May 2.-The Judge of Probate to-
day ruled that certain interlineations in the
body of the will of the late Henry W. Long.
fellow should by right have been put in the
form of codicil and that provisions made in
the same should be annulled. Among the be-
quests affected by this decision is one of $4,000
to the poets brother, Samuel, of Portland,
which will accordingly revert to the sons of