Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-03

I down into tnls closet his was denied by
the respondent Stain, who claimed that this
n was small closet left rough when the house
e was built, and that the hole through the floor
; was cut for the purpose of gaining access to
T the attic from the second story. and that for
+ year or two, until the Attic stairs we're put
" in from the front hall. step ladder was used
in this closet,to get into the attic. and that a
e door opened directly from one of these cham-
bers into the closet: that after the attic stairs
: were put in the closet was sheathed with
wood and used clothes closet. Dodge.
l who said he built the house, denied this, and
: said that this was secret closet, and that
n access TO the attic was through hole in the
l floor. where the attic stairs now are, and that
the attic tairs did not lead out of the front
l hall as claimed by Stain but out of a room
; over the front entry, a room partitoned off
and would measure in size about eight feet
by six.
And the respondents aver that one Eliza B.
5 Hewins of Medfeld, Mass, will testify that
she is the daughter of the lady who now owns
the house above referred TO; that she has
{ lived in said house ever since Stain left it !;
that no change has been made in that part of
the house where said secret places are said
TO exist that the closet above referred TO is
a small closet. sheathed with wood, opening
with door from of the sleeping rooms,
and is used for clothes closet, and that
there is no room of any description over the
front entry. and that the attic stairs lead up
directly OFT of the upper front hall.
Also, that W. II. Bullard, of Medfeld,
will testify that he is carpenter and builder
and has been for some years. that he worked
on Stains house making repairs while Stain
occupied it, that he is familiar with the SO
called secret places in said house, and that
the one in the floor of the closet was correct
ly described; that he is also familiar with the
so called secret closet next the chimney;
that il has door opening into one of the
sleeping rooms, that it was left rough when
the rest of the house was plastered and a hole
cut through the top and through the attic
floor by which with ladder access was had
to the attic; that when the attic stairs were
PIT in leading from the upper front hall, this
closet was sheathed up with matched boards
| SO as to make a clothes closet, that he did
the work himself and knows that there was
no secret about this closet He will also
testify that there never was any room over
the front entry, but that the attic stairs lead
directly out of the front hall He will also
| say that since the trial he has made careful
| examination of said premises and finds them
unchanged that he went into the attic of said
house, removed the floor boards over said
closet, and that the square hole leading down
into said closet is plain to be at the
present time, that it was made by cutting off
the floor timbers to the desired width and
putting headers" across to sustain them,
and that these headers still there as
originally put in
| 9th. AT the trial the government attempt
ed to show that one of these respondents
bought crackers in Dexter, and TO connect
that event with minute quantity of cracker
| r. bs anil he n HnIl
over the bank the morning after the Barron
! tragedy.
| Charles l.. Winslow, of Dexter. who was
a witness for the government at the trial,
will testify that he in Masonic Hall a
day or two after the Barron tragedy, and
moved the cushion upon the settee where
these crumbs were found, and that behind
the cushion he found the whole length of the |
seat quantity of similar crumbs mixed in
with dust, looking though they had been
accumulating there for long time. MIR. |
Winslow will also testify that since the trial
! ne has become salts d that the stranger
whom he testified about coming out of the |
bank at half past five. ON the 22nd of Feb, |
1875, was not stranger. but that it was Mr. !
| Curtis, cashier of the National Bank
| 10Th. The respondents aver that in the |
preparation for their defence persons were |
| found and inquired of who declined to give |
any information upon points at issue within
their knowledge and that thereby they were |
prevented from establishing certain matters |
! of defence as strongly as they might have |
done if this evidence could have been made |
ilayailable, That since the trial these parties
are more willing to state facts within their
know ledge, and that upon the point in issue
as to CrOmwelIs sickness from sunstroke
| during the fall and winter of lS77.S import
y l.. "A
trial.
| That DIR. }. II. Richardson, a reputable
| physician residing in the town of Medtield, |
Mass, will testify that he was called to see
Oliver Cromwell on the 9th day of Septem-
ber, 1877, and found him suffering from Il
severe attack of sunstroke that he attended /
him for that trouble, making calls on the
| l4th, 10th, 18TH 22nd, 18th and 30th of said !
month, and that when he ceased calling he
was still suffering from said trouble and
must in his professional opinion have con
tinued to suffer for long time after that
DIR. Richardson will produce his books
showing the original charges to Cromwell at
the time mentioned.
| Also, that James Buutin, of said Medford, |
will testify that he worked for the same man
during the fall and winter of 1878, that
Cromwell was at work for, when he received
seeing Cromwell every two or three days
during that fall and winter; that he knows
he was sick and staid about the house most
of the time and that he was not away from
home for any length of time.
| Also that Pascal Grover, a credible citi-
zen of said M,diield, will testify that be sup
| Piled Mrs. Cromwell with straw hats from
the straw factory during the fall and winter
of lo17SS, that he was at her house every
/ Tuesday and some times oftener, that he
generally found Cromwell at home complain
ing of being sick, and that he remembers
| that Cromwell used to assist his wife in sew
| ing straw.
| llth. At the trial the government at
tempted to show that these respondents,
stain and Cromwell, were in the town of
| Dexter on the 22d day eff February, a. ID.
1873, and TO do this they produced quite a
number of witnesses who claimed to recog-
nize them and to have seen them in Dexter
ON that day. The respondents in opposition
to this claimed that they were not ill Dexter,
| but on the contrary that they were in Med
field, and they produced some testimony to
| that effect.
| And the respondents say that in prepara
ton of their defence upon this branch OF the
case. ever. possible effort was made both by
themselves and their counsel, TO obtain evi-
dence of this part of their defence; that their
counsel made three different trips to Med
field before the trial and interviewed at least
fifty citizens of that town, but that owing to
the great lapse of time (ten years. and to
the fact that they had no particular event by
which their presence in Medfeld could be
connected with the 22d of Feb. 1873 it was
found almost impossible to find witnesses
who could or would attempt to remember.
t,a fth oh
was received by the respondents counsel from
Massachusetts,, stating fact well known to
the respondents, but the date of which. ow-
ing to the great lapse of time, they had for
gotten, to-wit; That horse was stolen from
Charles Hamant, in the village of Medheld,
on the night of Feb. 2lst, 1873, or on the
morning of Feb. 22d
When this became known the respondents
were certain that evidence could be found
showing them in Medtield at the time of this
robbery and their counsel took the despatch
! tn he. ('auufy Attorney and reuupstpl that il