Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-02
BATH, Jan. l.

BATH, JAN /.
The second day of the trial of James r
Hodgdon, Tor the murder of his mother,
opened at o'clock this morning. The court
room was crowded with spectators.
| VIM. E. Hartman, police officer, testified !:
was called to Hodgdon's house on the 7th
of May last; saw Mrs. Hodgdon, as l ap-
preached, crossing the yard; she was in her
night clothes entered the house and went
into the bedroom which had been occupied
by Mrs Hodgdon; saw blood on the bedding
| and kitchen floor; went to the prisoners room
on the second floor. The prisoner was stand
ing in the doorway of his room with pistol
in his hands, | said to him: "Hallo, Hodg-
don, what are you doing here?" He replied ::
''fam taking something" Shortly after he
said: 81 don't know as it is any of your
business, | can protect myself" Afterwards
l assisted in making the arrest.
Orrin A. Kittridge, police officer, testified
| went to Hodgdon's house to arrest him ;
found him in his room saw revolver on a
graspingit by the butt, wrenched it from his
grasp; found a pocket knife and a bottle
partly filled with liquor on the table. He
offered no resistance to arrest; wanted to
know why the arrest was made; asked what
the crowd was doing about the house, asked
how blood came on the kitchen floor; he
walked as straight as any sober man to the
police station. The revolver / took from
the prisoner was fve-shooter and calbre OF
the 'red jacket" pattern" All the bullets
were discharged; shells were in the cham
bers.
Ira Hodgdsn, father of the prisoner, testi-
fed: was building FIRE in the kitchen,
when my son passed me and went into my
wifes bedroom; shortly after / heard him
say "Mother, how do you feel this morning?
She answered, mot very well, this morn
ing passed a bad night" Ny son then
said, "Pll make you all right" Next |
heard two pistol Shots stepped to the bed
room doorway; my wife was trying to get up
in bed; saw blood running down her face to
her bosom; fearing would be shot rushed
into the street and gave the alarm; l did not
morning; he had complained for sevaral
months of severe pains in his head; as far as
l knew my wife and son were on the best Of
terms, very affectionate.
Drs. Allen and Wescott, who attended
Mrs. Hodgdon, testified that the wound in
her head was about in the center of the fore
head near the medium line. The bullet pen
etrated the outer table of the skull to the
inner table; extracted the bullet in two
pieces death was from secondary causes
arising from the wound in the head. The
fingers of the left hand were wounded by two
pistol bullets,
At the afternoon session DIR. f. NJ. Fuller,
recalled, testified that by trepanring the
skull of Mrs. Hodgdon seven days after the
shooting the chances were at her ADVANCED
age that no good results would have followed
The wound in the head was in favorable
position for trepannlng. The government
here rested its case.
George f. Hughes opened for the defence.
He said the prisoner at the bar stands indict-
ed of a crime of very solemn occurrance, that
of son killing his mother. The father OF
the prisoner had testified that the feeling be-
tween the mother and son was very atfec
tionate. The counsel claimed that the prls-
oner when the crime was committed was OF
unsound mind. The question ia whether the
prisoner could distinguish between right and
wrong. When there is no will power there
is no transgression. We will endeavor to
prove that this deed was committed when the
prisoner was insane. The evening before the
shooting the father and mother, together with
the prisoner, visited daughter and the best
of feeling prevailed. The circumstances OF
the shooting tend to show an unbalanced
mind
DR.. Seward p. Roch testified that he at
tended the prisoner in June, 1884. He COM
planned of feeling bad about the head; with
both hands he would press the sides of his
head. which he said had troubled him for
some time. came to the conclusion that the
prisoner was suffering from rush of blood to
the brain: the effect would be arrangement
of the foundations. On cross-examination
the doctor said that the prisoner, when visit
ed by him, had no connection with insanity.
The prisoner told me that he had been 10
Boston and had good time.
Mrs. Abbie E. Brown, sister of the prisoner
testified that on the evening prior to the muir
der the prisoner was at her house. de ap-
reared nervous and restless; said his hesd
felt bad; was constantly running his hngers
through his hair; did not notice any intoxica-
ton; be told me that he had been drinking'
said some months before the shooting tha1
his head felt badly and that be feared he would
become crazy: one time he grasped my nano
and said, s'Pm crazy Is hell" That remars
was made some months previous to the COM