The Portland daily press., 1890-03-13
The Barron Case and the Dexter
Merchants.

To the Editor of the Press:
Mr.. Cyrus Foss, being in Bangor the other
day, one of his friends, presumably an agent
OF the Commercial, interviewed him in re-
lation to the Barron case, and reported him
in part as follows: sit is safe to say that
nineteen out of every twenty business people
of Dexter believe Stain and Cromwell tinno-
cent of the crime of which they have been
convicted"
Does Mr.. Foss remember the inquest, when
Barron lay dead, with marks of violence on
him. how these men stood up and testified to
their belief that foul murder had been done
ana swore to the fact that on the evening be-
fore the tragedy certain suspicious strangers
had been seen lurking about the bank build
ing and to their belief that these men were
probably bank robbers and the veritable
all these business men and ali
the professional men of Dexter,
and every one who could get hearing bore
willing testimony to the upright and honor
able character of Barron from his boyhooo to
the day OF his death, and eulOgized his noble
courage and fidelity in dying at his post de-
Tending the trust that had been committed
to him? Afterwards, ana for reasons best
known to those most concerned, a new
theory was sprung upon the public. Barron
was not murdered but had committed suicide
and then, as If suddenly waking out of a
dream, these business men who had ex-
hausted the language to find fitting words of
praise for their dead associate, remembered
that always in his business transactions
through life be had been decidedly dishonor-
able and untrustw0rthy. His bank books
which had passed two rigid examinations
without fault were brought out to show
false entries, erasures and defalcations; and
a reputation hitherto without blot or stain
stood pilloried and at the mercy of any one
vile enough to cast mud at it.
~ Years after suspicion pointed to Stain and
Cromwell and they were arrested and
brought to trial for the murder. On the trial
they were identified and sworn to as two of
those men seen skulking about the bank on
the evening previous TO Barron's death.
These business men were in court; did they
lift hand to corroborate the testimony of
the witnesses and help to fix the guilt, If
guilt there Were. where it belonged and
thereby vindicate the honor of their old
townsman? Or did they drag in poor dead
Barron. put him on trial and do their utmost
by representing him as defaulter and
suicide, to screen tho prisoners at the bar
and help them out OF danger? Twelve men
in box found Stain and Cromwell guilty !;
and the opinion of nineteen-twentieths Of
the business men of Dexter has not been so
constant or so consistent asto bear feathers
weight in the mild of the general public in
opposition to the verdict. 1t is believed to
be righteous and just. Today, outside of
Dexter, all those who knew Baron, believe
him to have been the high minded, onorable
gentleman and faithful servant that he was
declared at the inquest to have been by those
who knew him best of all; and the whole
rank of business men with all there elo-
quence cannot stake this belief
These outside people have an opinion of
their own about the discrepancies In the bank
books; and very decided opinion with re-.
gard to good deal of trumpery that from
time to time has been paraded to support a
discreditable hypothesis; and many of them
the inside reason for defaming the Character
of martyred Christian, and now even after
the crucifxion, raising that old cry-s'release
unto us Barabbas"-and the other thief
p. l..