Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-25
N0Wo NY i0i0SloPh
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
THE THEORY OF SUICIDE
To Get Stain And Cromwell
Clear.
ANOTHER RAILROAD TIE UP.
Capital To Fight The Sugar
Trust.
ALL THE COLuERIES GOING.
Professor Smyth Gains
Another Point.
THE DEATH OF CASHIER BARRON.

A Case of Suicide According to the
Theory Set UP by the Defense.
+ BANGOR, Feb. A.-In the Stain trial this
morning the prisoners appeared more cheer
full The defense proceeded to demonstrate
Charles w. Curtis, cashier of the National
bank at Dexter, testified relative to the find
ing of the body. He supposed at first that
Barron had been murdered, but adopted the
suicide theory about a year later. Witness
could see how his pushing the vault door be-
hind which the body of Barron was lying may
have made the dent in Barron's forehead; but
did not believe the door struck Barren's head
DIR. A. Abbott of Dexter testified that he
went into the Dexter Savings bank the morn
ing after the tragedy and particularly noticed
the floor of the coal room which was quite
dusty, the tracks leading into the coal closet;
there were no large places where the dust
had been wiped off. Witness found bunch
of keys in box of waste paper, and the key
to the handouts behind box of coal ashes.
He had testified before the auditors at Dex~
ter that he believed one of the keys found
in the bunch would unlock the inside
vault door; the matter was fresher in
his mind then; did not try the key in the
door. There was no coal over foot from the
hod, which had apparently been tipped over
very carefully. Witness was on coroner's jury
which gave a verdict of murder, knowing all
the circumstances of the tragedy; entertained
no thought of probable suicide until year
afterwsrd. President Bradbury of the Dexter
bank gave testimony corroborative of the
suicide theory, and said that Barron appeared
very nervous and agitated in the days imme-
diately preceding his death.
George Hamilton of Dexter, testified that
he had seen Cromwell place himself in the
same position as he found Barren. Expert
ments with the door of the safe, which when
pushed threw his head against the wall and
hanges of the safe, struck Cromwells fore
head and cheek, the places where the wounds
were on Barron. He produced the handouts
and the pail handle used as gag on Barron,
also the Irvine found around his neck, also a
similar piece of Irvine discovered in the coal
room, one end of which was freshly cut.
Mr.. Hamilton referred to Barron's report
made to the bank committee November 5,
1877, and said it gave the banks assets as
$21S, S19, while the trial balance showed
them to be 1920, 319; loans on collaterals
were $40, 789, or $4,000 less than the trial
balance. Witness was not certain that the
bank received 50, 100 from the Barron estate
as an offset to the deficiency in the accounts
and that the estate afterward sued to recover
back this amount. Neither was he positive
the bank was willing to pay 81 400 and have
the case defauited. He then detailed the
circumstances Of the finding of Barron and
said he had no doubt at that time that he
was murdered. He signed the coroner's
finding that death was caused by blows on
the head. Witness described the expert
ment made by Detective Dearborn of shut
ting himself into the vault, binding and gag
ging himself in the sane way in which Bar
ron was bound and gagged, and said
there was no dust on Barron's clothes
when first discovered. The bank subse-
quently put out s., 900 to hunt down the
murderers, but its officials had held aloof
from the prosecution against the prisoners.
Several depositors in the bank during 1877
testified that they made no deposits or drafts
on the dates entered against them in Cashier
Barron's books as testified to by Mr.. Hamil-
ton. Joseph Abbots, one of the bank trus-
tees, corroborated Mr.. Hamilton's testimony
as to the condition of the books, but was
forced by Attorney General Baker te admit
that he did not know as the bank lost any
thing by the wrong entries.
Nathaniel Dreslin, who saw Barron soon
after he was taken from the vault, testified
that no blood was flowing from his wounds
and there were no indications of a struggle
having taken place. Mary L. Wood, en-
ployed in the telegraph Office directly under
the coal room, heard no scufhe or unusual
noise. Adjourned.
The defense will probably complete it,
-,