The Portland daily press., 1888-02-28
cRoMWELL's WILD LIFE.
His Career as Sailor, Preacher,
Gambler and Convict.
STAINS Companion Tells His Story to
the Jury.
Mrs. Cromwell Corroborates the Ev-
idence of Her Husband.

idence or Her Husband.
BANGOR, Feb. 27-The second week of
the Stain and Cromwell trial began this
morning. The interest is unabated. In fact
it is more and more intense each day, not
only in Bangor but in all the surrounding
towns, where the news of the latest testimo-
ny and developments in the case is eagerly
sought after by those who are not able to be
at the trial in person. The case will doubt
less figure as the most important in the Grim
inal history of Penobscot county. The feel
ing in Dexter that has existed since the sui
eide theory in regard t. the death of John w.
Barron was first advanced, has been bitter
from the very first. The town has been di-
vided into two factions equally positive in
their belief, and on this account the present
trial has the greatest significance.
Saturday was regarded as an important
day for the defence. The incident of the
steamboat receipts created no little excite
ment in the court room. 1t was TIE one top
ic of conversation in Bangor yesterday, and
what the outcome win be was matter of
speculation on all sides. Some interesting
developments about these receipts are prom
ised and the result is awaited with incTeas-
! Ing interest
This morning the court opened with
another large crowd in attendance. The
prisoners came in smiling and greeted their
friends warmly, one of W HON, a lady, tossed
good sized orange across the aisle to Stain,
who caught it as handiy as high salaried
base ball player The counsel for the de-
| 10 fba;v
side.
EDWARD ii. CHASE
of Dexter, testified Il met Charles +. Stain
in Dexter three weeks before the publication
of his story about the Dexter tragedy. He
related to me the story. He began by say
| ing things to me of horrible nature and to
| tell me by piecemeal about his fathers
crime. / took him around behind the school
house near my house to hear his story. The
| sum and substance of it was that the Stain
| gang came down to Dexter on the Star of the
! East and Charles came with them. He
narrated his first trip going through Skow-
hegan. | think he said the object of his first
| trip was to see what could be done about
breaking the bank at Dexter and in order to
do this they had to separate. They re-
| turned by boat and afterwards made sec
| ond tour to Dexter. On one of these trips
! he said thev drove back home by team. At
ter this young Stain went over to Mrs. Bar
| r0n's and made it condition with him
that he should never reveal this trip. When
| we arrived at Mrs. Barron's house told him
| to stand back while ] went forward and
| asked Mrs Barron if she wanted to see Stain
in my presence. She said yes and he pro-
| ceeded to tell the story in an abridged form.
| We staid perhaps an hour. After we got
! home we sat up and talked about the tragedy
until o'clock in the morning. Next day he
took his team and went off AS | under
1 49, 4. lrf< D
| he was on the hill back of Dexter at the
time of the murder, waiting to take his faith
| er and Cromwell away. After the murder,
when they got to Skowhegan, his father got
paper containing the account of the death
| of Barron, and on reading it he said they
| must separate"
| On cross-examination the witness stated
| agaid that Challes Stain told him that he
waited for the Stain gang on the hill back of
Dexter when the murder was committed. 4
| did not regard his story as truthful, although
| it might be truthful, by what he finally told
me, and taking his whole conversation into
| consideration could not make it out either
| way, whether he was at Dexter at the time
| of the murder or not. / found by cross.
examining him that he told different stories.
| have an impression that later on Charles
Stain told me that he was not at Dexter on
the day of the robbery" Witness went over
the details of Stains various trips in Maine
again and on redirect examination said that
man named Doc. Andrews watched at the
window opposite the bank on the day of
Barron's death according to one of Charles's
stories.
OLIVER CROMWELL
then took the stand. The court room was
hushed and all eyes were turned on Stains
companion. He said 81 have lived in South
Walpole, Mass, for six years previous to this
time. In 1877 lived in Stains lower house,
moving into it in May. In july 1877, was
employed by Bradford Curtis haying. and
did not leave him at any time during tha at
month. also worked for Curtis in August
and am positive that was employed by him
both of these months. In November | was
not able to do anything. On the 10th of
pacitating me for any labor. My youngest
daughter Lizzie was about six years old and
went to what was called the South End
school in November. | know her name was
placed upon the roll of honor in the town
records. lived in the same place in the
winter of 1878, and my daughter went to
that school during the month of February. [
took her to the school every day. | called at
Mr. George Gilmore's occasionally. l have
not spoken to Mr. Stain while in Bangor Jail
nor since. | don't ever mean to- | wouldn't
speak to him any more than would to the
devil. | was never in Dexter and never
heard of the place until Detective Bean
came to my house last fall. | was not in
1877, nor in the following February never
was in Maine until brought to Dexter by the
officers last fall"
Cross examination: 81 was born in Louis
lana. My fatt.er moved to Missouri where 1
lived until was thrie years old. when we
moved to Massachusetts,, living in Taunton
and Mansfield. AT the age of IA ran away
and went to sea returning. home after three
years and going to school"
Counsel for the State here ques toned the
witness sharply, asking if he did not learn
how to tie sailors knot and also if he did
not tie the knot on Barron's gag. He said
he didn't know how to tie such a knot and
that he never saw the one on the gag.
Witness continuing said: 81 worked on
Mississippi steamboat six or seven months,
next after which returned home and went
back to school at North Hampton, Mass,
where graduated when p years of age.
Then went to Missouri and again returned
home. At the age of % years / visited the
South and took up the occupation of preach
er in Baptist denomination. This / left af-
ter six months, it not being congenial to my
taste. Ny fathers name was Jesse b.
Sn ith and my name is Oliver Cromwell
Smith. In 1855 was arrested in Bangor and
adopted the name of Oliver Cromwell by
which name have since gone. My next
occupation was gambling Ny business. on
the Mississippi steamers was gambling.
Haven't done anything Of that sort for IA
years. abandoned preaching for gambling,
as it was more profitable. After gambling a
while on the rivers came east and lived at
different places in Massachusetts. / first
went to Medfeld to live in
1871. l met Mr.. Stain in 1870
by invitation of Mr.. Harvey to go out there.
l never knew any men being organized for
purposes of crime at Stains. | moved away
from Medfeld and after living three years at
Foxboro, returned to Stains and became
more intimate with him. The first | saw of
anything wrong was in 1878 or 70 when
Stain and used to help ourselves to grain
for our horses from cars on the switches.
We commenced our depredatlons previous to
Mr.. Harvey's return from New Zealand
trip in 1876"
Attorney General Baker here called the at
tenticn of the witness to the secret places at
Stains house. Cromwell laughed and said
he never knew of any such recesses. except
a common closet to which entrace was gained
by taking up board in the floor. A keg OF
rum had been kept there and the closet was
called the 'tap room." ,.,.
Witness said he did not associate with
Harvey much. All he ever had to 40 with
Harvey was on four occasions within 20
days. Continuiu 1, he said: II never saw
Mr.. Stain with Us but once, think in 1876 or
1877. L never had much to do with Billy
Bell. He worked for Stain on the farm caring
for the horses and making shoes There
never was any gathering at Stains OF Bel.
Harvey and myself for planning expeditions