The Portland daily press., 1888-02-24

Dexter. At the opening of the session an
hour was consumed in consideration by the
of the matter of taking the deposit
tions of witness in Dexter and another in
Mrs. Barron and her sen came
into court at 10 o'clock and occupied seats by
the side of the counsel fol the State. The
first witness called by the government was
THOMAS BIcKNELL,
who lived in Dexter on the day of the trage-
dy. He testified that he saw two strangers
at o'clock on that day, standing in the
banks entrance, one wearing brownish
coat, and being of sandy complexion. The
second man was partly behind the door
putting on his overcoat. [Stain here stood
up in courtl 81 have no doubt" said the
witness, "that this is the man l saw in the
bank door,"
Cross examination.-"I took my impress
sion Of the man as / rode by 20 feet away
and have retained it ever since. He had a
full beard. / don't swear positively that
Stain was the man saw, but l am quite
certain that he was. / knew the man about
as quick as put my eye on him at the Ex-
change Hotel in Dexter"
CHARLES L. wINsLow
of Dexter, next testified. 81 resided in Dex-
ter on February %, 1878, and was passing
down the street by the bank between and
6 p. m. / heard noise, and looking round
saw man step off the lower stair into the
landing of the stairway leading to the banks.
He was dressed in dark clothing"
HARTwELL A. JOHNSON
testified that he was in Dexter on February
o. 1878, and on that day he went to the post
Office between and 6 p. m. "As l came
out" he continued, and went down the side
walk l saw two strangers passing along the
middle of the street / overlook and went
by them, looking at them several times.
The one nearest me wore dark brownlsh
coat, and the other dark colored coat
Both had on slouch hats. have no doubt
that the prisoners at the bar are the men 1
saw. l noticed Mr.. Winslow about mo-
meat before l saw the men. Both men
seemed to have their left hands across their
chests, and the outside man seemed to be
carrying a small valise ON the other side from
me.'
Cross examination 81 identify Mr.. Stain
here as the man wearing the brownish coat
and moustache l cannot tell whether he
had full beard, or that the second man had
any beard at all. will not swear positively
that those persons were Stain and Cromwell.
| identify Stain by the expression OF his eye,
the prominent moustache and the shape OF
his head. He glanced about at me in pc
culiar manner"
SAMUEL MORRILL,
was the next witness. On taking the stand
he said 81 was in Dexter on the day of the
Barron murder and in the Masonic building
between and in the evening. was in the
entry at the head of the stairs when Mr..
Barron was removed from the vault. went
into Masonic hall 20 minutes after Mr. Bar
ron was taken out. Four other men were
with me. The door at the foot of the stairs
leading up was unlocked and open crack.
The doors were always supposed to be lock-
ed Two windows in front gave view OF
Main street. 1t was not the practlce TO
smoke there"
Cross examination.-'Mr. Barron had a
room in the roof of the building where he
medicines and had to go up the
Masonic hall entrance. never saw any
smoking in the building. Some times they
had crackers and oysters in the banquet hall
on the third floor"
LEVI BRIDGHAM
a druggist, next testified: 81 resided in
Dexter on February %, 1878, doing business
in the Savings Bank block. The keys to
the Masonic hall door were kept by me.
| let John G. Moody have them about a
week before to visit the hall and suppose
he locked the door. On coming out he re-
4, 10 and n
out of my possession again until after the
tragedy. went into Masonic hall that night
and did not know any ane used key on the
door. The next forenoon / and others made
a careful examination of the hall. On sofa
near the front window we. found what ap-
peared to be cracker crumbs.
ATWOOD J. COBB,
resided in Dexter, Feb. %, 1873, and was jan
itor of Mansonic Hall. He testified: Il
had the keys to Masonic Hall and visited it
between and o'clock that evening with
others, No one to my knowledge had been
up previously. On arriving at the head OF
the stairs noticed the hall door was un-
locked and open about foot. | had my
KEYS for four days previously and they had
not gone out of my possession. There was
Masonic meeting on the 18th Of February.
and locked the door myself afterwards.
The doors were always locked. The next
forenoon found cracker crumbs on seat
next to Main street; also found ashes In
front of the secretary's desk. Never saw
any Smoking in the hall. 1t was prohibited.
There had been no sociable in the hall 1or
year"
Gross examination. GMr. Barron and Mr..
Bridgham had keys to the hall and the form
er had room above the hall LOT compound
ing medicines
JOSEPH II. LARRABEE,
lived in Dexter when Mr.. Barron was found.
He said: 81 saw cracker crumbs on the
sofa near the main street windows in Mason.
ic Hall on the morning following February
%. Also sew cigar ashes on the floor. a
settee was right in front of the window ano
the shutter was OPEN"
z. C. BAKER,
of St. Albans, testified as follows: Il live II
the southwest corner of the town, on the
road leading from Dexter to Pittsheld. a
team went by about s In the evening, driving
pretty fast, from the direction OF Dexter. L
went on towards Pittsfeld. l noticed bu
two persons in the vehicle"
FRANK BAKER,
Of Hartland, lived at st. Albans, Februar.
20, 1878. He testified: 81 saw team abou
8 o'clock which met on the Hartland road
about a quarter of mile from my father
1t was moving rapidly in the direction OF Ca
naan. 1t was a sleigh and contained tw'
persons and the horse was dark"
DANIEL HALL
lived In Canaan, about two miles northeas
of the village, February %, 1878, on the roa'
from Hartland. He said; "a few minute
past Q O'Clock, on the morning of the Esd,
was aroused by the bells of sleigh passing
7 pot ND and, the night being light, coul
zee the team plainly in front OF the house
The horse was good-sized one. and Wha
horsemen would call a 'rangy' horse. In
man next to the house sat erect and drove
While the other was tall and stopped. Bot
wore capsH
HOWARD W. DopGK,
of Clinton. a trader, stated; u saw tear
pass through Clinton village about Q o'eloc
on the morning of the 23d of February, CON
inc from the direction of Canaan and goln
in the direction Of Waterville. Two me
were in the sleigh; one was short ana 81 !,
ting erect, and the other taller ana sils4.l sttl
STOPPING. My impression Is tnaI tie iaSvs n.s
wore a rubber coat. L should call tiie noi
rangy one. 1t is ten miles from Chhtoh
Canaan"
JOHN d. CHANDLER,
of Waterville, testified: Il lived IN wac
vile in February, 1878. heard Of the bal
ron tragedy between 8 and O'Clock oatu
day morning, Feb. %. Ny business va