Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-28

1878. she said; our house was a little beyond
the school house and frequently saw Oliver
Cromwell returning from the school with hi.
little daughter Lizzie during that month
Mrs. Moody was sick in my house during the
winter Of 1878. remember that Mr.. Stain
gave her a pair of shoes. Cross examination
IL canno, say that l ever saw Cromwell
come TO school with his daughter as We lived
beyond the school house. She would come
TO our house al night. The first time Mrs.
Moody went out after her sickness was to go
for DIR. Kelsey to attend my husband.
cannot hX the date. l remember that one
Charles Hsmznt had q horse stolen one day
| in Februarysand two gentlemen came to my
door inquiring after the missing animal. DIR.
Kelsey was in the house on a professional
call. | never saw Stain wear anything other
than a dark moustashe. came to the trial
with Mrs Cromwell and We stay together
here. We have not talked over what we
were going to testify.
j. II. Baker of Medield was called. |
have known David L. Stain for Is years.
His moustache was always dark. Stains
business in 1877 and 1878 was working on
shoes. remember of seeing Mr.. Stain on
the evening of Feb. Is. l carried my boots
down there and perhaps remained for half An
hour. Stain was at home. l don't remember
when went after the boots, but don't re-
member of ever waiting more than three
days. | remember when Chas. Hamant's
horse was stolen in Medfeld. | can't hx the
date. The next morning was at my fathers
factory. We were discussing the robbery.
l shut up the premises about the time the
horse was stolen. | saw Mr.. Cromwell go
: An~p haa of tho mill fThara w
food and he made the remark this will
drive musk rats out" l never remember
noticing Cromwell or Stain in the summer
and fall of 1877.
Cross examination | saw no particular
difference in Mr.. Cromwelrs condition as re-
garded his health. can't say that | ever
knew of Cromwell being SO sick that he
couldn't labor from 1876 to 1877 fix the
date on which saw Stain by my diary which
destroyed because it contained personal no.
tees which didn't want dragged into court.
first refreshed my memory from the diary
before destroying it. | did have talk with
Stain on the night of the 18th about engine
matters. David l.. Stain was a member of
our fire company on and after the 4th day of
March, 1878. l have not stated to an attor-
ney that would keep the fire company rec
newspaper report made me say that there
was a meeting of the engine company on the
22nd of February, 1878, and took pains TO
deny it to newspaper reporter. Attorney
Gen. Baker elected by determined questioning
that the witness once stated that there was II
tremens' meeting at Stains on the 18th day
of February based on an entry in his diary
which he afterwards denied. | didn't make
any statements as to the dates on these
points previous to the finding Of my diary,
one Sunday in December. The next day |
burned it. Rhodes, a former witness for
the defence was the first and only man who
asked me to obtain evidence to prove an
albi for Stain. He showed me a letter from
the prisoner. Stain think joined the fire
company in 1876. He was not member on
June eth, 1877. didn't know that Stain
was not a member of the fire company in
February, 1873 when | said that there was a
fire company meeting at Stains. After the
company disbanded June IL. there was a re-
organization in about month and didn't
know whether he was a member or not.
might have visited Stains house once in two
months. 1t is barely possible that he was
not at home during 1872 and 1873.
Redirect. never was at STAINS except
on business. was summoned to come here
Yesterday. ne HTst UTt COMPANY
being l2 miles away was unable to obtain
them before catching the train. came
here reluctantly Mr. Cromwell lived
mile and half from me and might have
been sick one or two months and not
know it.
Re-Cross- Examination didn't first re-
late the boots story after the engine story
was exploded don't know any difference
Al, -, Oh I cod tba fur,
found this alleged meeting of the Fire
Co pany to be in 1850 instead of 1873.
V. A. Sprague of Dexter was called My
office was nearly opposite to the savings
bank building. On the afternoon of Feb.
%, 1873. was looking out of my west win
dow in full view of the bank and saw no
strangers about. had occasion to go into
the National bank about IL. 80 A. NJ, and
met Mr., Barron coming down the stairs,
He told me the National bank was closed
and asked me if | would lend him $500.
told him | would. and returning to my office
got the money and proceeded into the saw
ings bank where found Barron. He said
he didn't need the money now as some one
had come and | saw Tax Collector Merrill
counting out some money to him. Mr.. Mer-
rill counted out $3.50 in bills Some of the
money was in silver and S5S was in town
orders The money was paid to Mrs. Hoop
er to make out her draft. s-Examina-
tion.-No man had better credit in the com
munity than he. l think Barron was little
more liveler than usual when saw him that
day. | noticed he joked little, once.
Mr. Barker offered the record of Norfolk
County Superior court, showing the convic-
ton of VIM. Bell and John Harvey in April.
! 1877, for the larceny of $40 worth of finger
rings, a suit, jacket and cap from the
New York and New England depot, their
sentence being three years at hard labor in
the state prison. He also presented the rec
ords of Charles Stains prison life, showing
that he served three years in the Maine state
prison for horse stealing, one year for OBJ
tanning goods under false pretences and three
terms in Jail for various crimes.
| Geo. F. Hathaway, turnkey of the Bangor
! Jail, testified that the height of David l..
Stain was ) feet, inches, and when he
came to the Jail, his mustache was colored
black, and he had ceased dying it at the
turkeys request.
Cromwell was a study during his cross e1
animation. Its an easy thing for an limo
cent man to appear guilty when people are
determined to see him in that light. Crom
wells remembrance in some particulars wa:
especially strong and on other points his mem
ory was wonderfully defective. His ac-
Acknowledgement of fear of Stain, his partial
corroboration of Harvy's testimony his think
ing it very rash for Stain to refuse Charley
the s25 because he Charley knew that hi
father had stolen hens, his accurate knowl
edge of his business on the 22nd of Febru
ary, 1873, these and other details gave an all
of lnsincerity to his words, at least that ap
pears to be the general opinion here. l
must be confessed however, that he did bet
ter than many expected.
Stain watched Cromwell closely. 1t mus
have been perfectly apparent to him tina
some of Cromwel1s acknow Judgements wer'
rather discreditable to his perfect innocense