The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-23
THE LONELY GRAVE IN THE WOODS.
Prosecution Shows How sawtelIe's
Mansled Body Was Found.
The Wounds which Caused Ala
Death Described by Physicians.
Who Was the Man Seen with Isaac
by Mr.. Sinclair

DOVER. n. e., December 22.-At the
opening of the Sawtelle trial today, new
face, noted among those In the bar. was that
Of Judge Burbank of BIddeford, who was
county attorney of York county at the time
OF the murder, and who would have been
the prosecuting officer had the trial taken
place in Maine. as at one time seemed prob
able. The judge was an interested listener
to the proceedings and seemed anxious to
fully estimate the strength of the govern
ment's case.
John Greenleaf, now postmaster at Roch-
ester, told of his joining in the search for the
body, and of being the first to find the grave.
The earth was leyelled over it and some
pine boughs scattered round In digging
for the body gold collar button, and also a
white button were found. Not far from the
grave were evidences that horse had been
tied to a tree. 1t had stood there some time.
There were evidences Of something having
been dragged over the ground from the wood
road to the grave.
no snow in the woods around the grave, and
that the trail was not discovered until after
the finding OF the grave. Witness under
stood that parties had been down the wood
road In the search, but not through the woods
on the other side.
Special Officer Michael G. Shields of Sta
ton 8. 5.Boston, the officer who tracked Hiram to
Rochester, looked up Isaac's movements, and
was with the searching party that found the
body, testified that on the day previous to the
finding OF the body he found piece Of brown
paper near the wood road running to the
grave. paper prOduced.) He then procured
piece OF paper, from Wallace's hardware
store In Rochester. "The connection be-
tween these" said Mr.. Kivel, ~ shall show
later"
Police officer John b. Witham Of Division
8, Boston, who was with Officer Shields In
the investig ations the two were making at
the orders Of Capt. White, corroborated the
testimony OF his brother officer.
DIR. John l.. Daniels of Rochester de-
scribed the finding OF the body. Witness
said that one knee was first found and then
the feet; the arms were then removed, being
on the reverse OF the proper sides; the body
was then lifted out and a careful examina-
tiOn made for the head. which could not be
found. Witness then testified to making a
postmortem examination Of the body. The
head had been severed close to the body, As
had both the arms. The skin was cut
smooth as with sharp instrument. Bullet
holes were discovered on the left side be-
tween the fifth and sixth ribs, on the left
side near the breast bone, and Just above the
elbow on the left arm. The first bullet
(speaking Of them In the order mentioned)
passed through the lungs and heart and
passed out between the fourth and fifth ribs.
The second bullet was taken out just under
the skin, at the back. and the third from the
left shoulder blade. The first bullet would
have produced almost instant death. The
second would have ultimately produced
death. The 6esh around the bullet holes
was blackened, showing that the weapon
had be held close to the body, while shreds
Of cloth were also found In the wounds
From all indications witTess should Judge
that the head was severed from the body at
the grave. In his opinion, death was caused
by the bullet which pierced the heart. There
were no indications Of disease about the
body.
CHARLES S. Parker Of Rochester and Frank
Il Goodall identified shoe found near the
grave.
Willis Sinclair, storekeeper In East Roch-
ester, testified that on the afternoon Of Feb
ruary Isaac entered his store and bought
lamp, pen aud penholder, and paid for them;
In leaving the store he failed to take por-
tion Of the burner and the chimney. Wit
ness looked out the window as Isaac went
TO his team, and saw man looking out Of
the buggy. The man was sitting on the
right hand side. He was young man, per-
haps % or 30 wears of age, and smooth faced.
Isaac went around the back Of the buggy
and got In on the right hand side. On cross
examination witness said It was not dark a,
this time, because the lights were not lighted
In the store. The man looked out Of the
buggy just as Isaac opened the door. Wit
ness could not tell what the man who looked
out had on his head or what his clothes
were, out should say he was a dark Com
plexiOned man.
DIR. John Parker of Lebanon told of his
making the autopsy In company with DIR.
Daniels. His statements were practically
c0rrobOrative OF those made by other physi-
clans. To make IL more plain to the jury as
to where the balls entered and came OUT,
Mr. Kivel had the witness point out upon
his (KivePs) body just the places. The illus
tration was an apt one, and could not fail t0
0e appreciated by the jury.
DIR. Edward 5. Wood of Harvard College
stated he received from Deputy Sheriff
Parshley carriage cushion and rug, a
hatchet and mans wearing apparel. He
tested all suspicious spots to ascertain whe-
ther they contained blood. The test for de-
termning the kind of blood Is the measure
ment of the cOrpuscleS. The blood corpuscles
Of different animals are of different sizes.
The cushion was covered with many suspi-
cious spots, not blood stains, and three bloc
stains, In two the corpuscles measuring 1926
inch. The average In human blood varies
from 1-3250 of an inch to 1890 In diameter
All were thin, had been subjected TO much
friction, and did not show plainly. The car.
inches In diameter. The amount of blood
was so great that 1t had penetrated and
showed on the under surface. Though of
less diameter than above, the corpuscles
measured 1-3259 inch. On the overcoat stains
we're found, c0rpuscles measuring 1-3259 lnch
Upon the lining was row Of sizable spat-
ters, the corpuscles being 1924 inch and
1889 inch. In the small cl0t on the back
was found imbedded a small bit Of adipose
tissue. Two small stains were found on the
left lapel OF the diagonal sack coat, the cor
puscles averaging 1854 inch, and one small
spot on the front of the diagonal vest, the
c0rpuscles averaging 1-3249 inch. The black
neck tie contained at least four brown blood
stains. the cOrpuscles being 1-3243 and l. 3240
| inches. The pocket cut from the blue trOuS-
| ers contained large bl0Odstain, with a
| greater diameter inside than outside, show
| Ing 1t came from the inside Of the pocket
| outward. The c0rpu; cles were 1-3254 inch.
Hiram Sawtelles handkerchief contained
several bloodstains, ard had an appearance
| of having been wet. The corpuscles meas
| ured 1920 inch. There was also dirt on the
handkerchief and iron rust stain. The di-
| ameter of the red corpnscles was the only
| means Of distinguishing human blood from
that of other animals. The seal, opos-
| sum and Guinea pig have gl0bules approx
| mating those of the human blood In size, but
| none of the domestic animals have such.
Mr. Edgerly's ross-examinati0n was brief
and failed to show anything damaging to
the states case. The witness stated he was
/ not positive the stains were human blood.
The blood Of dog contained larger corpus
| cles than human blood.
Mrs Sawtelle, recalled, stated that Isaac
middle name was Bridge, the name under
which he registered at the Falmouth In
| Portland. When he left the store he took
Iengerines, caramels and chocolates. She
identified the blue thread with which Hiram
sewed on a shirt button the day ne left Bos-
ton, and her hu bands socks, on which she
| recognized the laundry mark. She identified
the handkerchief by the iron rust MARKS and
its cheapness. Cross-examination brought
/ out the fact that she, herself. bought the
handkerchief for Hiram. The stock
ings were delivered to her al
| the American House.
| Henry l.. Berry and Frank 4. Wallace
identified the hatcnet. spade, pick and han.
die bought at Wallace's store In Rochester
| by Isaac.
| George G. Ellsworth testified thai
/ on informatiod from some children he found
a hatchet eight or ten feet deep In the watel
In Salmon Falls river, % to so feet from thu
i Maine side.
Court at $50 took recess until tomorrow
morning.