Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-21


ed foreman. The jury was thus made com
plete. The jury had been selected from
forty eight men.
BY Associated Press.
As early as seven O'Clock the Court House
was beseiged by vast multitude of men and
boys waiting to gain admission. The law
yers witnesses, reporters aud attaches of the
court nearly filled the room, and very few
spectators were able to gain entrance. A
dozen ladies occupied seats within the bar.
At s.45 Mrs. Cromwell entered in weeping
condition. The prisoners appeared 35 min-
utes later, manacled and in custody of Depu-
ty Sheriff Barker of Dexter. Cromwell was
attired in a neat gray suit. His hair was
neatly brushed. He was greatly affected and
after entering wept for brief period, but
Stain was impassve. He wore dark suit
and closely watched the proceedings. He
was thinner in flesh than when at Dexter and
his moustashe, which had been dyed black
at Dexter, was light sandy shade.
At 1890 A. NJ. the impannehng of the
jury began. The prosecution was entitled
to five challenges and the defence to forty.
There were thirty men in attendance to draw
from, of whom ten, as follows, were accept
ed to sit on the panel to two men on which,
both defense and prosecution were entitled to
peremptory challenges James Brickett of
Levant. Daniel S. Humphrey of Bradford,
Andrew J. Welch of Bradley. John f. Gray
of Lixmont Charles A. Severance of Or
rington, Silas C. Hatch of Bangor, Lewis NJ.
Fortier of Oldtown, James I. Wiswell of Or
rington, Oliver Cobb of Patten, and X. NJ.
Given of Orono. Four were excused, one of
whom, Jacob Puffer, was relative of Mrs
Barron, and another, Henry 5. Dole of Dex-
ter, being trustee of the Dexter Savings
Bank, was challenged by the defence.
At Hip 4. NJ, the array was exhausted
aud the court ordered the summoning of
twenty more men from Bangor to be in at
tendance at the afternoon session from which
to complete the panel.
At HIPS \. NJ. the court adjourned until
2.30 p NJ.
At 2.30 L. NJ. the filling of the panel was
resumed and George A. Davenport and Jo-
seph G. Blake Bangor were selected to COM
pletc it, Five were challenged by the de-
fense aud one by the government. Six were
excused on account of having formed an
opinion and one for deafness. Mr.. Gillen
of the defence. exercising the privilege ac-
corded him by law peremptorily challenged
Joseph G. Blake who the last man ac
cepted on the panel, and the vacancy -sas
filled by Christopher c. Toole, Bangor Hon.
$. c. Hatch, Bangor. was chosen foreman.
At o'clock =. NJ. County Attorney Ap-
pleton proceeded To open the case for the
government. After noting the enormity of
the crime of murder for which the prisoners
were indicted by the grand jury, Mr. Apple
ton efned the law in such cases at consid
cradle length showing what constitutes a
reasonable doubt beyond which the govern
ment must convince the jury. He said it
is not required to convince to point where
the jury shall be morally certain. The At
t0rney then entered into a history of the
tragedy, reviewing the case from the time
when Cashier Barron left his home and wife
apparently cheerful and in the bloom of
health to 20 to his post of duty at the bank
how he was found gagged in the vault groan-
ing his life away; how the affair was shroud-
ell in my stery up to the time of the arrest of
Stain and Cromwell. The environments of
the savings bank building. the stairway,
rooms of the bank, the vault, condition of
the apartments after the tragedy and various
circumstances connected with the cashiers
terrible death were all pictured, and numer-
Gus points bearing on the case noted. A
plan of the room was presented to the jury
The county attorney next proceeded to pay
his respects to the Stain gang and their oper-
atoms. At the date of the murder, he said
and some time previous, in the town of Med
field, Mass, there was gang of desperate
men associated together for criminal pur-
poses. and they were accustomed to meet to-
gether in a house in that town and plot and
plan together; that David S. Stain was the