The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-27
NAMES IDEA OF JUSTICE.
a Conviction On Perjured Testim ony
Affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Of the full bench of the supreme judicial
court OF Maine refusing e new trial for
1 David L. Stain and Oliver Cromwell, who
were eonvictedin February, 1858, Of the muir
der OF ). Wilson Barron, cashier Of the Dex-
yer HaFi1gs Bank, has brought the most cele-
prated case IN the criminal annals of Maine
one step further toward its lOng-delayed
close. This decision, which is con-
Neyed IN an elaborate opinion, drawn
WIN considerable literary skill by Judge
70 ter, and cJncurred il By all the mem
o+Ts OF the bench, astonIshed the general
puoi.c, VINO. In tue light Of developme IS
since the trial, had come 70 believe in the
| innocence of the prisoners, and to feel con-
hdent OF a new trial and final acquittal for
| IAem. but those acquainted with the case
| were not surprised at the result of the courts
Protracted deliberations, for the lro ceedings
from the very first have been characterized
| by . Unmistakable current of prejudice
against the prisoners
The alleged robbery of the Dexter Saw
lngs bank and murder of its cashier &C.
cur ed Oh the evening of Feb %, 1878. 1t
was legal holiday, bu5 Barron spent the
entire day at the bank, when there was
little or no occasion for them to be there.
| lie was last seen alive at o'clock in the
AFTERNOON, and at z O'Clock was found in the
vault bound, gagged. ami uuc luscious. He
dled without recovering consciousness.
| ne coFoners jury AMI everybody else
| decided mat he had teen murdered, and
strenuous efforts were made to capture the
| guilty parties. Rewards vera offered for
| the apprehension of the murderer or muir
derers, and skilled detectives searched high
and low without success. The dead cashier
| was eulo5lzed on all sides as one who had
died in defense of his trust, a fund of $1,000
was raised for his widow, and he whole
ahalr was given up as one Of the great mys-
| terleS Of crime.
1t was not long, however before an ex-
| animation OF the books of the bank dis
| closed rather a mixed state Of affars-a
| peculiar system of keeping the accounts,
ana also small deficiency. This deficiency,
| IL mas always been q serted by Barron's
friends aud by tue prosecution in the case
| against Stain and Cromwell, was SO small
| tLaG the cashier could easily have replaced
| 1t, but the deans various accounts were in
| such muddled condition that even an ex-
| pert would be unable to tell exactly
| now much the bank did lose The announc-
ment Of irregularities Of any magnitude on
Barror's part, however, soon recalled to the
minds OF many prominent Dexter men cer-
| tain pecul1arltIeS in his conduct Just pre-
| vlous to the tragedy, which, had his books
| pee round all right, might have been for
| gotten. 1t was remembered that Barron
mad Insured his life for large amount, and
| nad made anxious inquiries Carding the
| payment of life policies in case the person
insured should commiJ suicide. He had ar
| ranged various matters as though expecting
| an early demise, remarked upon one occasion
t. a friend that she might drop off at any
ume," remained in the bank all through a
holiday without dinner or supper. and on
that fatal day even left his watch and
revolver at home. More than all this,
| However, a prominent citizen Of Dexter
| els OF a startlngly significant re-
| mark once made TO him by Barron
| VIZ. II tell you what it is, l have got to do
| one OF three Jhings-get out of this country,
| marry Chloe, or blow my brains outp At
| that me B IRONS ii st wife was dead. and
ne had become acquainted more or less in
| tImately with the Chloe mentioned, whom he
| did marry, who now IS the Widow Barron
| just bat state OF affairs suicide, leaving
the country, or marrying Chloe was ex-
pected TO remedy must be left to general
| inference.
IL vas upon these stories aud more of a
| ike nature, coupled with the queer book
keeping Of Mr.. Barron, that the theory of
MS suicide was based, AID dozen of the
| most prominent merchants, manufacturers
and prufes ,ional men of Dexter who would
be glad TO believe The dead cashier Innocent
OF any crime, are convinced to-day that
he took his own life in .entionaily or
through accident, il the effort to make it
appear That burglars entered the bank, aad
70 escape troubles that bad long worried
aim. but wnen, in 1887, Oh irles F. Stain
appeared upon the see le with his startling
story of how his father, Cromwell. and
alo her man did the Dexter Bank Job, a
greaL ma people who had up to thai time
Fente tanned the Su eide theory Immediately
changed tueir minds, aud there was gen
erai ciamor from part OF the public and
most OF the press for the arrest and cJnvic-
ton of the men pointed out by the informer.
STAIN and Cromwell were arrested at Med
field, Mass, brouG It to Dexter, given a
1urried hearing, held for trial, aud, early
in October, bundled into Bangor
jail, where they have been ever
since. Young Stain first told his
story to Sheriff Mitchell of Norridgewock
Jail just why he told it has not yet
definitely traaspired, but the public were
given to uaders and that his narrative was
given TO spite" the old man-in fact, for
revenge. The circumsta ces indicate.
however, that it was purely financial
ven ure on Charley's part. Inc story once
Ut Sheriff. Mitchell and various state.
county, aud local officials, assisted by not a
few newspaper rep rters, preceded to
revise, expand, and brace 1t up with other
testimony IN the effort to secure the CON
vlctlon Of the suspects, and thus finally
clear up the ten years mystery of the Dex-
ter bank, while i cidentally gathering in
whatever small profits might accrue.
Inc great c ise came to trial in February
lSSS, in the court house at Bangor, before
Chief Justice Peters and a Penobscot county
jury. 1t lasted two weeks, and resulted in
the conviction OF both Stain and Cromwell
OF murder III the first degree A resume
of the evidence submitted at the trial
appeared in he Sua at The time. Charley
stain was, of course. the principal witness.
and he succeeded III establishing beyond
question taGt he was the greatest liar in
Name. While at the time Of the tragedy
nobody in Dexter had noticed any strang.
ers about the village, there were dozens
of people at the trial who pretended, after
a lapse Of ten years, TO identify Stain and
Cromwell as two suspicious cnarac ers
whom they bad seen in Dexter on the event.
fui Feb. %, 1875 driving a team, walking
the sti Gets. g. ing in out Of the bank.
etc. The twenty odd witnesses described
the prisoners eleven different ways, but
readily pointed them ut il the court room.
Tie value of such identficat.ons need not
he discussed. The court regards them. as
Justice Foster says in mis- opinion, as 'the
most important evidence offered in the
case.n shat is enough, or, at least.
it is conclusive. Much of the important
part OF the testimony for the prosecution
has been demolished since the trial by new
! evidence discovered by the defe &C. and the
/ defence to-day althOuUh LAWS A Rarkar