The Portland daily press., 1888-02-23
STAMPS FORMER comRADE,
John Harvey, Relates His Story of
the Gangs Business.
The Confessions which He Says
were Made to Him.
Witnesses who Remember Seeing
Stain and Cromwell In Dexter.

BANGOR, Feb. 22.-The court house was
packed with spectators this morning to wit
ness the Stain trial, and the interest deepens
Many people from out of town are in atten-
dance and the press at the door to gain en-
trance is great. Several of the counsel take
turns in questioning the witnesses.
The first witness called for the prosecu-
tion was
MRS. MARY ANN BEAN,
wife of Jonathan Bean, residing at the Forks
of the Kennebee but who formerly lived at
Parlin Pond. She testified: 81 saw Charles
f. Stain at Parln Pond, in the door-yard of
our house. He drove in with a bay horse
with star in its forehead. He stopped at
our house over night and went by the name
of Frank Snow, and came from the direction
of Carney's returning tho same way. This
was in November, previous to the winter
when | heard of the Dexter bank rob-
berry"
Cross xamination-"This Frank Snow
again came to our house the first of this win
ter. He was sitting in a sleigh and walked
by him. exchanged no words with him
but knew him by his voice ds he was talking
with Mr.. Bean"
JAMES j. PARLIN
of North Auson, testified: II have seen the
gentleman before me called Cromwell; have
seen him twice before-once at North Anson
and once last week.I saw him in North Anson
in the summer of 1877. My attention was
called to three men on the sidewalk near the
building used as a savings bank, and he was
one of them. Soon after this time / heard
of the express robbery at Dexter and the
Barron tragedy. Cromwell carried satch-
ell in his hand, but | do not distinctly re-
member the others. l went into the Jail last
week and the man in the second cell / rec
ognized as Mr. Cromwell although l sup
posed he was in the tier Of cells above
me-"
Cross examination-"My impression of
Cromwell when saw him in North Anson,
was that he wore dark suit of clothes and
a soft, slouch hat; think he wore mustache.
In December or January, Mr.. Mitchell
showed me picture which did not recog-
nize. Later he produced others and inden-
titled one as Cromwelps."
JOHN #. HARVEY
Of Medfeld, testified: 81 have known Stain
for 80 years and Cromwell for 16. Crom-
well lived about three-quarters of mile
from Stain l lived with Stain from the 9TH
of January 1876 and was there until March
1877. In JANUARY 1876, he lived in house
near the village and in the winter following
in small house. did not live at Stains
house after February. Our business then
was principally stealing. / saw Cromwell
at Stains house at that time.
There were three different recesses in the
house near the village, one of them built at
she time the house was erected, between the
doors in the second story, the dimensions
being seven feet and a half in length, two
and half In width and sixteen inches deep.
Another was sheathed up by the side of the |
in the second story with matched !
Doards two and half feet by three and |
lalf. Entrance was gained at the top by |
lifting up the boards in the attic. There |
Vas q third place similar to the first located |
lear the entrance OF the water closet on the
second story. heard Stain and Cromwell |
Jay they had a machine for boring safes |
which was hidden in the Western part of |
he State. They procured it in New York of |
Scott" and 'Wooster SAM"
"They talked about Maine as being a
much better field for operations than MasSa-
husetts, and mentioned Winthrop, Skowhe-
,an, Dexter and Bangor. This talk was in
he summer of 1876. | saw false whiskers.
immies, reyolyers and other burglars tools
It Stains; saw Cromwell frequently after L
eft CharlestOwn State Prison in February
1880, where had been three years. Crom-
we'll worked for me in November, 1882. on
arm. During that time Cromwell related to
ne the story about the Dexter robbery one
lay, while cutting up corn. Our conversation
vas about the Stain gang being in Jail,
lgainst whom Cromwell gave. evidence. He
aid: If Charlie and old Stain get together
hey will.probably down me- Charlie wrote
o his father, asking for $25, who replied to
lin that he would rather send rope to hang
lim."
Cromwell spoke about the Dexter tragedy |
md I.asked him what it was. He replied:
Cashier Barron of the Dexter Saving Bank
was knocked down, gagged and placed in the
1ault where he died. Stain and did the
OBJ. Charlie Stain knows about this and 1
I'm afraid if those down-easters get hold of
aim they. will obtain evidence enough to
lang Stain and l.
Cross-examination-' Cromwell gave
ne the first insight into the Dexter robbery
n November; next July young Stain called |
NY attention to the robbery at Dexter. lie
5old me that when he heard of the Dexter
affair he was satisfied that bis father dld the
,he job. He was on his way to see his father |
n Dedham jail. Guess l said on the train
IN my way TO Dedham that l had Stain and |
Cromwell locked up for three months. did
lOt tell any one that l would give him any |
sum of money to swear TO the story against |
stain and Cromwell The next time this |
,ase was brought to my attention was last
June, when | was interviewed by Detective |
Bean. told him didn't think Stain and
Cromwell had anything TO do with the Dex-
er crime. When | saw Bean the second
lime l told him what Cromwell had said |
lb0ut the Dexter robbery. l detest Stain |
md testified against him to send him to jail"
Re direct-"There were keys and hand |
,uffs among Stains collection of TOOLS"
MRS. A. e. MILLER
Of Bangor testified: I'm February, 1878, | |
,esided opposite the Bangor House. heard |
# Mr.. BarrOn's death on the morning of the |
sd of!February On Friday previous to the |
,obbery, tall man with light ulster on |
,alled:at my house and engaged board for |
himself and friend until the next Monday. |
de returned with his friend at night and |
hey both carried valses. The tall man said |
hey might be out some nights. He was |
travelling for drug firm and the other, a |
short man. for hardware firm, so they said.
Having occasion to go into their room next |
lay, I.took up their yalises and were heavy |
and iron clinked. The men were in and out |
.hrOp on Friday. They did not take their |
yalises when they went out They gave no
names. Both men departed on Monday
morning, one saying that he would go on the
early train, and the other driving off, later in
the day saying he would go to Oldtown, but |
taking another road
Last December | visited the Jail and was