Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-03
Afternoon Session.

At 230 the court came in and Attorney
General Baker continued his argument.
Mr.. Barker on resuming his argument,
considered the doings of the prisoners on the
22nd of Feb. 1873, when the tragedy oc-
Cured, He followed them on their final trip
to Dexter. He called attention to them as
Mrs. Miiler's boariers, who had previously
been to her house on the 10Th of Feb, re-
naming there until the following morning.
lie spoke of their mysterious actions, the va
lse which when lifted was heavy, and when
shaken gave forth the sound of clanking iron.
He noticed the remarkable identification of
the men, especially Stain by Mrs. Miller.
Following them he showed that the prisoners
were next met on the road from Bangor to
Dexter by Mr.. Fernald on the morning of
the 22nd, driving into Dexter with a tall
rangy horse ;at a. NJ, driving on Spring St,
in that village they met Mr.. Rarron and fol
lowed him. He mentioned the many per-
sons who saw the burglars that day in Dex-
ter, and reviewed their testimony at length.
Also the evidences that the men watched at
the Savings Bank door in the afternoon,
making their headquarters in the Masonic
hall above, where cracker and cheese crumbs
and cigar ashes were found. Further the
proof that Stain wore a brown overcoat and
Cromwell a rubber one, which Mr.. Mason
testified he saw him wearing in Medtield.
He said that the present treasurer of the
Dexter Savings Bank who was called TO the
stage and testified tn Mrs. Cleayes
told him she couldn't remember faces.
was spoken of as Convenient Hamilton"
Ii what lie had stated were true, how did
these men, who were seen to come out of the
Savings Bank entrance at 80 on that after
noon, get out otherwise thal by means of
just such keys as these said Mr.. Baker,
holding up a bunch of keys found near
Stains mouse. The fact that Charles Stains
story, where he says that two men came
down stairs while another escaped by back
window, tallies exactly with Mrs. Cleaves'
story, where she states that she saw two men
come out o. the bank entrance, and that third
came from behind the bank building, and
joined them, stamps Charles Stains story
with truth Notice the prisoner 5 route from
Dexter as they flew from the scene of their
crime We have traced them driving their
tall rangy horse, followed tlTem to Canaan,
to Clinton, to Watervile and down through
Vassalboro, where they talked with Mr..
versation. they manifested a surprising
knowledge of the country by in
auiring if there wasn't road
down on the Sidney side, and that they pro-
ceeded down aud upon the river where there
was no road Eloquently Mr.. Baker por-
trayed Dave Stains confession, wrung from
him by guilty conscience and the white
face of the murdered Barron gazing AT him
in the dead watches of the night. Said he,
it is beyond the brains of Charles Stain to
manufacture this story, and because he is
weak of mind is the very reason that his
father selected him as tool. John Harvey
was defended. There are two things in his
life " hich deserve notice, Since his i'm
prisonment he has led an upright life, sup
porting his family by honest toll, and in his
testimony he didn't make one single state
ment, 10 matter which way it cut, which has
been controvertel, not excepting dates.
Who were these men, gentlemen, who drove
into Dexter that day, and who were repeated
ly seen both going and coming. and in the
village, if they were not the murderers, if
they were not the prisoners at the bar I:
Docs the defence show that they were any
one else. Here the attorney general at
tackled the alibi set up by the de
fence and discussed the evidence of
the witnesses Introduced to support it,
undermining it where weak points could be
discovered. He claimed that ii was not
credited that Cromwell had sunstroke or
E
who saw him. ever knew he was sick. He
declared that J. II. Bakers testimony was
weak, because he burned his diary when in
his experience he knew il was weak. From
{ the engine company's book he argued that
Stain didn't become a member of the COM
panv until June ISIS, because he didn't sign
the constitution and bylaws when he was
voted in March 4. 1878. He said that Mrs.
( Moody testified that Stain gave her the boots
on Thursday the 2lst of February and Mrs.
Gilmore swore that Mrs. Moody brought
them to her house that day. Mrs. Gilmore
/ however further stated that it was the same
day that man came to ssher house hunting
after Chas Iamant's horse, while the ac-
count which was in the Boston Herald of
February -, the following day, read that a
horse had been stolen that same forenoon,
so that Mrs. Gilman swore that men we're
hunting after the horse before it was taken.
The discrepancies in the testimony of Stain
Cora and Mrs. Moody, about the boots were
noted The testimony of the Thorn
ases that Stain at home
on the night the horse stolen
was doubted, because they testified that the,
had moved out of Stains house the fall pre-
viously. The darkey story vas ridiculed
Mr. Baker said that there wasn't any darkey
that Fowler says he was a white man o.
dark complexion. Fowler's note book show
it was on the 22d of February that he drov'
sheep, while Stain, in relating what he dis
that day didn't include the darkey story
The Attorney Generals peroration was elo
. queut, and at 8 o'clock, after seven hour
and half. he closed his argument, whicl
, is pronounced one of the most masterl
pleas ever made on criminal case in Maine
: During the plea David Stain displayed won