The Portland daily press., 1888-02-22
ON THE STAND.
Young Charles Stain Tells His story
Of His Fathers Crime.
The witnesses Account Of the Visits
Of Barron's Ghost.

The witnesses Account Of the Visits
OF Barron's Ghost.
Evidence Introduced to support the
story of the Gangs Movements.
BANGOR, Feb. 21--Great interest begins to
be manifested in the Stain trial. and the city
was crowded today with visitors from over
all the county. Everywhere the trial was
the one engrossing subject Of conversation.
At the hour Of beginning the proceedings
this forenoon, the court house was surround
ed by crowd much larger than that which
made entrance to the building difficult yes
terday.
Stain was very pale on entering court this
morning, but he continues to maintain his
calm bearing, which he has exhibited from
the beginning. Mrs. Cromwell is demuIe
little woman in black, and cries softly at
times. Cromwell watches her great deal,
and is also much affected. The prisoners
were allowed to sit with their counsel. and
came down from the dock at the morning
hour.
The government proceeded with their wit
nesses on coming into court. first calling
CHARLES l. cRowELL,
Of Stanford, Conn. He testified that he was
In Dexter on Feb. 22d, 1878. On the evening
of that day he visited the Masonic building
between and 8 o'clock, finding Cashier
Curtis of the National Bank. Nathan Wood
and Mr.. Bradbury there. He proceeded to
describe the discovery of Mr.. Barron in the
vault, by the party at that time. He crawled
over the safe with lantern, and saw Bar
ron lying near the north door, his head
towards the street. He lay on his back, his
head thrown back There was dent be-
tween the eyes, cash on his cheek, and
blood was flowing. A gag was in his mouth,
and he was gasping for breath. His legs
were drawn up, a cord lay on his breast and
whiskers, and was attached to o gag,:pass-
ing around his neck where it was tied. The
gag was pail-handle.
81 cut the gag out of bis mouth" contin-
ued the witness, "and he stopped breathing
blew into his mouth, and he resumed MS
breath, after which | passed him out be-
tween the safes. His eyes rolled In their
sockets, and he appeared like dead man.
His hands were confined behind him by a
pair of handouts. On being removed to the
national bank office these were cut OF. L
Bank that night, and found in the rear room
portions of set of false teeth, pen and
coal hOd. all near together. In the north
west corner of the north room was a WIN
dow looking out upon driveway connect
ing with Main street. The window was
open. the lower sash being nearly pushed up.
saw footsteps in the coal room. Ihey
seemed to be long marks, as II some one
had slipped on the floor,
Cross-examinatlon- The cash on Barron's
| nod a a
which, with the bruise on the foreheed, were
the only wounds saw. l. was one Oh the
first men who went into the back room.
saw in the coal dust indications Oh strug-
gle, but no indications OF where tne Dody
might have fallen on the floor. The coal
hod had been tipped over, and most OF the
coal had run out 4 did not notice any coal
dust on Mr.. Barron's clothes"
Re-direct-"The stove in the public part OF
the savings bank room was In front OF the
windows. To 90 from the stove to the coal
closet one would have to go into the rear
room, and on this route the coal hod was
found Barron's bunch Of keys was found
in the coal room, behind the'boxes, also the
key to the handouts on Mr.. Barron. These
were in the vicinity of the coal hod, teeth
and pen. The cut was across the right
cheek"
CHARLES F. STAIN,
son of David Stain, the prisoner, next took
the stand and testified as follows:
II saw Oliver Cromwell and William Scott
frequently at my fathers house in Medfeld
in the summer Of 1877. They would hold
meetings and lay plans for operations, and
especially favord Dexter as a promising
field"
The counsel for the defense here objected
to evidence showing the existence OF a gang
plotting to commit outside crimes, which the
government desired in order to show that
there was band of organized conspirators
for general purposes Of crime.
"Sometimes | was present at these meet
ing" continued the witness. I'm July 1877,
they talked about the banks at Dexter, Wat
eryille and Anson which they proposed to
crack. They had all their tools on the floor
consisting of boring machine, seven little
drills, hammers, keys, revolvers. knives,
false whiskers, etc. A closet was built In
the side of the chimney to contain these
tools. There was also receptacle In the
cellar and between the floors. l visited
Maine the last of July or the first of August,
1877. By directionvf my father drove to
the wharf of the steamer Star of the East, in
Boston, from Medfeld with the horse Flora
and double-seated beach wagon. l met
there father, Cromwell and Scott. We went
to Gardiner by the steamer. There we stopped
at boarding house near which was bow
ling alley and thence drove with our team to
Skowhegan arriving there the next day. We
separated there, the three going to Dexter,
and l, by order of father, to Bingham, where
was to remain until they came. renamed
at Bingham two days and half at the stage
house. At the end OF that time tne W gang ap-
peared and we drove to Scion. we tnen re-
turned to Mefeld the same way we came
stopping at the Farmers Hotel IN Augusta.
On the return the gang stopped at place on
Blackstone street, in Boston 10 nave Keys
made To the doors of the Dexter bank. A
man came to our house and stayed four days
and a half fitting keys. l heard them talk
over the situation of the bank and mention
Cashier Barron.
they said to see how the keys would fit. We
went in the same manner as before. The
horse this time was called Star. He was
large and dark and had one white hind foot.
| on both trips | was to be known as Frank
Snow. The. horse Star was shipped on the
| boat. and father, Cromwell, Billy Scott and
| / went TO Gardiner. We stopped at the same
| place as before In the afternoon we start
| ed for Waterville arriving there between z
| and o'clock in the morning AT a little
square we stopped and father ana scout visit
| tu lut COpiC . 4Notfohea ~''-~~ 49,.
| KEYS which would not fit Thence we went
| TO Dexter via fairfield and Pittsfield. We
| reached Dexter about $50 in the. evening.
| Before arriving father told me to drive to Car
| news by way Of Solon and Bingham. left
them in Dexter. Next day at II o'clock ar
| rived at Bingham, stopping at the stage
| house three or four hours. Then went TO
| Carney's where stopped seven days and a
| half excepting one night when visited Mr..
| BeaIs at Parlin Pond with the horse star
and Carney's light buggy. At the end oi
| seven days and half returned to Bingham
| by an order in letter addressed to Frank
| Snow. / met the gang at the stage house and
| after an hour and half hitched up the morse
| and started for Solon. We then returned
| home by way of Skowhegan, Wateryllle and
| Augusta, stopping at the farmers Hotei
| again. | went home alone on the boat ano
| they came eight days afterwards. l over
| heard them say that some key would mo-
| fit the savings bank doors. They want
| ed keys to fit the doors of both the bans
and Masonic Hall. They again visited tht
| man on Blackstone street, Boston
after the return | went away from nom'
in January, 1878, going down east. On FeD
%. 1878, was in Auburn jail. went thence
TO the State prison, from which was released
February 5, 1881. In the March following
was at home in Medfeld two nights. L ma nae
been at home one day and one night: IN