The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-07
PLOTTED BY A PHYSIC.
THE NUMEROUS CONSPIRACY TO
STEAL MIsER BENEFITS $ss, 900,


Family In Brooklyn, Became Way
ward and Agreed to Plumber the
Maine Miser-Masks, Pistols and
Lantern-Dramatic Court Scenes
DR.. Weed Goes to Prison.
From the Neto York World.
BANGOR, ME-, March 3.-This afternoon,
while the jury in the great and deeply ex-
citing Stain and Cromwell case were in
the iury-room, there was being enacted, not
a stones throw away, another scene in the
great dramatic case which, next to that of
stain and Cromwell, has excited more inter
est than any ever before occurring in
Maine. 1t was in the police courtroom,
where DR.. George F. Weed was having his
hearing for completely with Clarence Whit
new and James Foster in the robbery of old
Peter Bennett at East Newport.
The developments in that little, narrow,
stifed courtroom this afternoon were the
most singular and startling ever made in
criminal case in Maine. Here is physician
who for years has been well-known in the
medical profession in this State. He has
stood high in the estimation of his brother
musicians both in point of character and
intellect, and the breath of suspicion was
never aroused against him. He has resided
for years in the prosperous town Of New
mort. and his practice has been confined to
that place and the surrounding country.
He has been the leading physician of the
place, married a charming woman from
good family and has always had the respect
of his fellow-citizens. Never before has it
been shown that physician of his standing
has violated the condolences imposed in him
by the families in which he practised, but
this Dr. Weed did, and in manner that
will cause him to hereafter remain dead to
his fellow-men and to the world.
He had been the family physician of old
Peter Bennett for many years. This
penurious man had never required the
services of doctor until within the past
two years, when feeble health compelled
him to part with few of his boarded
dollars for medical treatment. In the room
in which DIR. Weed treated him stood the
wooden trunk containing $4,000. The
doctor had seen it many times and the old
man has quietly told him the amount and
asked his advice upon it. He conceived the
idea of giving the old man one night as
medicine powerful opiate and then going
into the house and taking possession of the
miser's store. How this was done was told
in to-day's hearing before Police Judge Ezra
c. Brett, and the room was so crowded that
there was hardly breathing spa a.
Whitney and Foster, the New Workers,
were first brought into court, handcuffed
together Then came DR.. Weed. His wife
and daughter, who were in the room, upon
seeing his manacled hands burst into a fit
of weeping. He was dressed handsomely
and wore tall silk hat He is a man of
about 81 years. with a long. flowing brown
beard sprinkled with gray, and hair slightly
thin on the top Of his head. He wears geld
I. Il
ical appearance. He was very cool, and
stood calmly during the reading of the
Cha 'ge responding in firm tone, 'Not
Guilty. Count? Attorney Appleton was
busy in the Stain q Cromwell case, and so
Peregrine q. White appeared for the State
and made an extended ope ning, in which he
alluded to the sensational features of the
case, the importation of two New York
crooks to do the job and the visit of the
family physician of the victim to him, and
the administering of opiates. These facts y
said Mr. White, distinguish this as one of
the most unique and dastardly crimes ever
perpetrated IN the State of Maine
Peter Bennett, the miser was first called
to the witness stand and the tottering,
feeble old man, who k"1 -; little else in
this world beyond his love of money. told
the story of the robbery and the numerous
assault made upon him. He SAID that DR..
Weed was his family physician, but when
he sent for him that night to dress his wounds
be could not be found. Hours afterwards
he made his appearance. Only day or two
before that the doctor was out to see him
a I'd left some medicine, which he directed
him to take FIidy night an Sunday. the
night of the robbery. He took it the first
t me as directed and did not wake until
long inIO the next day. He suspected
nothing wrong and on Sunday repeated the
dose, but the morning after the robbery his
suspicious were strongly aroused. He had
the bottle on a mantel and noticed that
after visit from DR.. Weed it had disap-
peared.
The old man was long time giving his
testimony, and after he finished the greatest
excitement was caused by the calling of
James Foster to the stand. He occupied the
reStof the afternoon with bis dr. matte
narration of the robbery. never before told.
On the cross examination there came a
desperate effort to discover the identity of
this man, 50 persistentlV and successfully
concealed, and the contest between him and
DR.. Weeds attorney, Matthew LaughIin,
waged sharp and strong until the Judge
lnterpoSed. He gave his name as James
Arson Foster and his age %. II will not, -
he said, with look of stern determination
upon his handsome features. Estate tie
name which my father bears and which is
my right one, for positively will not bring
my people into this affair They are hon
orahle people, and they will not continue to
he disgraced by me as they have been in the
past NJ family lives i'll Brooklyn. One
year ago left them for reasons best known
to myself aud obtained employment as a
bartender in a place on Third ave lie, i'll New
ork city. 1t was then that / changed my
name for the one l now bear. My family
knew where | was and are not at all to
blame for my actions On the afternoon of
Friday, Dec. ?, between II and = o'clock,
stood on the sidewalk on Broadway, in NV
York, and friend approached with Car
ance W hitney, whom | had never seen be-
lore. We were introduced, and then the
three Of us went into saloon near by and
had couple of drinks. My friend, who Is
man Of good character, then left US and
whitney and | got private room and went
INTO 1t. Whitney took out a letter from
Newport, Me-, and told me of the small
fortune down here that man could have If
he would pick it up. was no Christian so
TINS story did not shock me, but ! believed
What he said and in twenty minutes | had
agreed to meet him that night and go down
last after this money. That evening at III
O'Clock we took a train at the Grand Central
depot and came straight through TO New
port, arriving there at O'Clock IN the after
noon. 1t was then dark and Whitney
aAghted upon the depot platform, while
dumped off on the other side and hid myself
Ia q coal she'd uaar tho ft.aipht track In