The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-02-02
THE LIBBY TRIAL.
Testimony for the Defence All In
Except the Experts.
A Sad Scene in the Court Room.

Except the Experts.
A Sad Scene in the Court Room.
Saturday the court room was besieged to
greater extent if that were possible, than on
the previous days of the trial by crowds of Gu
rious men and women. One of the saddest
Spectscles was when the wife of the respondent
was brought in on sofa as described else
where. After Mrs. Libby was taken from the
court room, it is stated that she was taken in
an ambulance to Deacon Libby's, near Oak
Hill, Scarboro, where she had two serious
spasms.
At the opening of court the respondent took
the stand and for two hours was subjected to
the thorough, sharp and close cross-examina-
ton of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
LIBBY CRoss-ExAMINED.
He testified that his wife hired Lydia Snow
and appointed the time for her coming; that
Lydia applied at his house for work in his abb
sence and his wife hired her. He was
shown a letter dated June 81, 1884, addressed
to Lydia Snow, in which he asks her to please
come the next Sunday or Monday, which let
ter he admitted having written and sent, and
en0 CalH0 at Inc bln0 appointed IN the letter.
L had known her about year and a half be-
fore she came to my house. Had taken her to
ride on little short drives but never went far
with her, about three times in the year and
half before she came to my house. / never
walked with her. but had met her at Mr.
Browns where she lived I do not know at
whose instance she came to my house to apply
for work; 1t was not mine. / never met her
by appointment before she came to my house
but always BY accident first obtained con-
nection with her in July, 1888, and had con-
nection with her three times before she
came to my house. Never had any talk with
her about coming to my house to work before
she came. l obtained the pistol after she
came to my house. She had ridden with me
several times when the pistol was in the wagon.
Q-You had exhibited the pistol to her on
more than one occasion, had you not?
A-Not Tor her special inspection.
Q-You had brought it out in her presence
more than once while she was living at your
house?
A think likely, for 1 have put 1t in my
wagon and always took it with nae.
Q-Had you not aside from that?
A-Not to my knowledge
Q-Had you not talked with her upon the
subject of the pistol2
Al don't remember that l ever did but
once.
Q-You remember that something occurred
in the dining room the day before she left your
house, do you not?
Al Oh speaking 10 n0rs out L
won't be certain whether it was the day she
went away or the day before that.
Q-Don't you remember of her giving bou-
quet to gentleman as he was going out of the
dining room, and don't you remember of going
to her as che was standing by the window.
seizing her by the arm and asking her what
she was going to do about that?
Al don't know that did.
Q-You weren't conscious that day, were
+b;,1- ao+
Q-Didn't you afterwards follow her to her
room?
A-Not to my knowledge. called her to
my room one day.
Q-Don't you know that you followed that
girl to her room and told her if she didn't be-
have herself that you would shoot her9
Al never told her such word.
Didn't you take out the revolver and
point it at her?
A-No, sir; did not
Q-Was not that the occasion of her leaving
your house?
A-No, sir.
Q-You were infatuated with the girl, were
you not?
A-Not particularly.
Q-You urged her to go to California With
:A-No, sir. I never urged her to go any
where with me. 1 never invited her to 90
anywhere with me- only on little ride.
The witness denied that he went to Mr.
1urn6E B uOuSe IOF LyOla OuOW on the same
morning that she left his house, but said he
overlook her on the road in the afternoon:
that he had his beach wagon and not top
buggy. When asked for what purpose he met
her in Portland on the 4th of September, he
replied that he didn't know he met her. hut
he admitted that he wrote a letter week be-
fore telling her that he should be in Portland
on that day, but he didn't designate the place
he was to meet her. He said he arranged to
meet her In Portland because he liked her
company; that his purpose and design was to
have intercourse with her if it was agreeable
to her.
He admitted that during the week before
the shooting he gave letter to q man at Scar
boro to be mailed to Lydia Snow; that he
offered the gentleman drink and that he had
been drinking very little at the time. He
said that he offered Lydia Snow some whiskey
the day that he took her to Portland, the same
day that she left his house; didn't know
whether he asked her to drink or she asked
him TO drink, but she took. the Whiskey in his
presence. He testified that he ssw Lydia
Snow but once during the week prior to the
shooting and that was at Portland; that she
did not come here that time by appointment
or his arrangement, but she rode home with
him. he didn't think that she left his house
in consequence of hist relations with her; he
thought she left on account of what he said to
her; that she resented it.
The Attorney General then questioned him
closely as to where he was and what occurred
from the time he reached Portland on the
morning of the 4th up to the time he entered
the Office in Wilson's stable, when he said he
lost consciousness. He made no mention of
throwing mp the liquor that he took at the
Falmouth, and when asked when that occur
red he said it was after he drove into Wilson's
stable as sooD as he could get around behind
the carriages
In his direct testimony he says he alighted
from the carriage, ordered his horse put up
and went into the office as he supposed and sat
down, where he lost consciousness
Mr.. Baker closed the cross-examination at
quarter of twelve, when a short intermission
was taken.
At this point an attempt was made to intro
duce the testimony of Mrs. Libby, wife of the
prisoner. She was taken Ill Friday afternoon
and had grown worse since then. Saturday
forenoon she was brought into a room sdjoin-
ing the court room and was there completely
Frustrated. The physicians who attended her
thought that she would be able to give her
testimony and SO stated to the judge The
windows and doors on all sides of the court
room were opened to givefree circulation of
air. Mrs. Libby was brought in on a lounge,
attended by her daughter and DR.. j. M. Buzz
zell. She was very pale and scarcely appeared
alive. She was in a semi-conscious state. A
glass OF stimulating drink was held to her
lips and under the influence of this she re-
her sworn, but she was not able to hold up her
head and could not raise her arm without
assistance. She did not appear to comprehend
anything that was going on about her.
The Attorney General protested sharply
against this attempt to excite sympathy in the
minds of the jury, as he termed it. 1t was
found that Mrs. Libby was in no condition to
testify and it was agreed that her testimony
should be taken by deposition. She was borne
out OF the court room and later was carried
away in an ambulance.
During the distressing spectacle Libby sat
with his head partially hidden by his arm,
rounded over in the most abiect manner.
By agreement of counsel the government
witness who was absent at the time the case
for the State was closed was called and his
testimony put in at this point.
WILLIAM HowEs.
Lives at Hannett, Mass, but in September
he was station agent at Scarboro Beach. He
testified that the second or third of September
Libby, the defendant, gave him q letter d.
rected to Miss Lydia Snow. Pine Point, Scar
boro, Maine, asking him to mail the letter on
the train personally; that he gave him twenty
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