The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-05
THE BATH MURDER.
Yesterdays Proceedings in the Willkerson
TriaI-Testimoay Ter the Prosecution
All I'm The Prisoner Upon the Stand.
Special to the Press.)

The court room was crowded by an interested
audience. The space devoted to the bar
was occupied principally by the ladies, includ-
ing the wife and daughter of the late Officer
Lawrence. A portion of the court room had
to be roped off, while backs of settees and rail-
ings and every place a foothold could be OBJ
tanned was occupied.
Detective +. r. Wood of Boston was the
first witness. The objections made by counsel
for defense, last eveniltg--that the reported
confession of the prisoner to the witness should
not be received-were ovsrruled and excep-
ton noted. Mr.. Wood teatifed that the pris-
oner at the bar confessed to him voluntarily.
he testified that in the City Marshal's office
In Bangor he asked prisoner his name. The
prisoner replied Ward" Witness immadi-
diately turned to hin,and said, ooh no; your
name is Wilkerson and you are wanted in
Bath for breaking jail. Isn't that SOP" Will
| kerson replied, "Yes, sir; you seem to know
moro about it than do" Witness then said,
| "But you are now arrested on more serious
| charge, that of the murder of Police Officer
| William Lawrence. The prisoner was then
| taken to the cars. On his transportatio from
Bangor to Bath on the Pullman that night
| September 15th-he made full confession to
| Detective Wood that he committed the deed.
| What brought on the confession was that wit
ness said to him, ST know just who you are.
You are the fellow that threw the can of pow
der in the rear of the junk store.' On this
| the prisoner turned to the detective and said,
| Oh! no, it was the other fellow did that.
| Witness then testified how the prisoner ex-
| planned the commission of the deed. He
| Wilkerson and Eliot-were prying open the
door with an iron jimmy and wedging it with
| piece Of wood. This wood was clipped off
| piece of plank on their way down from the
place where they stopped to the city. They
| stopped at cave two or three miles from the
city. When disturbed by the officers they
| started to run with the policeman after them.
Eliot went straight mp Commercial stree..
Wilkerson came to the drug store and saw
the passage way leading behind it, and in he
went When they started to run the officer
called to them to stop or he @ould fire at
them. They kept right on and the policeman
fred at them. AT the moment the policeman
fired he, wilkerson. drew his revolver
from his pocket, cooking it as he
ran. After going behind the building he,
WikersoD, remained there few moments and
then issued on Broad street. He went up Broad
u the corner OF Front street. When turning
|s<le corner he met officer Lawrence who putsa
hand or each of his shoulders and stopped him.
AT that he Wilkerson, raised his revolver di-
rectly at Lawrence's head and fred. The Off
Ger fell and he kept up Front street, in the
Middle of the s treet, until he reached the cave
where he had been stopping. There he re-
manned about an hour, waiting for Eliot, but
becoming impatient he started for the river
front and, taking fat bottomed skif, con-
tanning broken paddle, he padded across the
river. There he hitched the boat to tree and
took to the woods. He hid that day in the
woods and travelled through Wiscasset the next
night The next day he boarded a train on
the Knox and Lincoln, going east, at flag sta
tion, at which station the fagman, on inquiry,
said that police officer Lawrence had been
murdered, and on boarding the train, boughta |
paper and read a full account of the affair. |
From there he went on to Rockland, stayed |
two days and then proceeded to Bangor where |
he was arrested
City Marshal Reed OF Bath, testified. His |
testimony corroborated that of Mr. Woods in |
TOTO
The prisoner was then put on thu stand, and |
he corroborated Woods statement of the con- |
fesson in part, with the exception that he said |
the detective and Marshal Reed held ont in
ducements to him, and it would be better for |
him to confess. He appeared very calm, and |
told his story clearly and quietly.
Daniel f. johnson of Bath, was called, who |
testified to finding the iron chisel the next |
morning, between four and five o'clock the |
morning of the murder, on Commercial street, |
aud identified it,
Thomas J. O'Neil of Portland, testified he
kept saloon on Centre street in that city; |
that WilkerEon and another man-known as |
Eliot-were in his saloon about week previ-
GUS to this murder, and had some talk OF bust
ness at Bath, at which Wilkerson's partner
said he (Wilkerson) had better choose some
down there, and if caught they would make it
hot for him. Wilkerson replied, 'fthat if any |
OF them interfered with him, he'd pull Charlie
on them,' or words to that effect, at the tme
time putting his right hand on his hip.
Mary Walsh of Portland testified she kept
boarding house All Commercial street, oppo-
site the Eastern depot in this city. That Will |
kerson and his partner boarded with her two
weeks previous to this murder, leaving her
house on certain Monday night. She also
testified about week after the murder was
committed she received a letter pnrporting to |
come from Daniel Wilkerson at Bangor, ask
ing her to send his canvass bag containing his |
effects to Bangor at once by boat The letter
was produced in court and offered rs testimc-
ny but excluded on objection from counsel for
the respondent.
The man who owned the skiff testified it was
some time after the murder before he missed |
it, and it was found on information given him |
by Detective Wood coming from the prisoner
in his confession.
Hon. ]. M. Leayitt. Mayor of Bath, testified,
his testimony corroborating the testimony of |
the detective, Mr.. Wood, and City Marshal
Reed OF Bangor, as to the confession of Wilker-
son. Court then adjourned, at ~ 80 to 200 |
p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Conrt came in at 200 p. m. and the room
was crowded as before.
Dr. T. r. Small was recalled. He identi- |
fed the bullet shown as the bullet taken from |
the head of officer Lawrence by DR., Bibber at /
the autopsy. The bullet was offered as evil
dence but rejected on exception, the judge de-
Gliding ii was SO badly dishgured it could give /
no light to the jury.
Miss Lawrence, daughter of the deceased |
officer, testified to his death and burial.
The can of powder found behind the junk |
store, together with the revolver taken from
Wilkerson when arrested, and case contain
ing cartridges also taken from him, were ad |
mltted as evidence, and also the iron jimmy |
and the wooden wedge.
County Attorney Buker here rested his case |
for the prosecution.
Counsel for respondent here stated to the |
court that he L ad no evidence to submit in the |
case, and that, being unwell, could not proceed |
with the arguments. The court then called |
the prisoner to his feet and stated to him that |
if he wished TO take the stand in his own be- |
half be could do SO. but the State could not |
compel him, and, If he didn't wish to he should |
instruct the jury that his not taking the stand |
could not be used against him as evidence. |
The prisoner then stated that he did not wish |
40 take the stand.
The court then adjourned the case for argu- |
ment until 9 o'clock tomorrow.
The jury is made up as follows: David FL. |
Green, foreman, Topsham Orris w. Malcom,
Freeman @. Bowker, Phippsburg Samuel Il.
Tarr, Charles j. Maxwell, Alpheus Dodge,
Bowdoin; Joseph Rowe, Georgetown; James
81. Smith, Richmond; Mark S. Percy, Phipps-