St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-26
SENTENCED TO DEATH.
Isaac B. SawteIIe Must Die for
Killing his Brother.

Killing his Brother.
DOVER, N. H.. Dec. 25.-Isaac B.
Sawtelle spent his Christmas day in
listening to arguments of counsel be-
fore the jury which was trying him for
the murder of his brother. The court
came in at 9:O3 and Lawyer Edgerly at
once began his argument for the pris-
oner. After speaking of the -impor-
tance Of the case, he alluded to the rules
of law necessary for them to un-
tion of the evidence. The Indictment,
he said, contains two counts, one charg
ing wilful murder of his brother in
Rochester; the other that he hired, pro-
cured or induced some party in the
state of New Hampshire to go into
Maine and commit the crime. Counsel
clolmed that the evidence failed to
show conclusively that Hiram Sawtelle
was in Rochester at the time the MUIR
der was committed-that his identity
had not been fully established He
called attention to the testimony offered
as to the time the pistol shots were
heard Oh the Rochester road, and the
time at which lsaac's team was seen
i'll that vicinity: Without the testi-
mony of the Willeys, the state failed
crime in New Hampshire, and that
testimony has been contradicted by a
number of reliable witnesses. The
state does not show that Isaac Sawtelle
was on the road at any time when they
allege that those shots were fired.
Counsel claim there was no evidence to
show that Hiram Sawtelle was killed
behind the Morrill, barn, or that he was
shot by Isaac while in the buggy. His
theory was that the man was killed in
the state of Maine, near the grave where
the body was found buried, and that
the blOOdStainS found upon Isaae'S coat
and vest came from his sore wrist.
Counsel touched very lightly upon the
second count of the indictment denying
that the fact had been established that
Isaac had any accomplice in the crime.
The court took recess till o'clock,
at which time Attorney General Barn
ard began the argument for the state.
The defense, he said. deny that Hiram
ever left Boston, that he ever arrived in
Rochester, and that he was ever killed.
The only fact admitted by them is that
the body of some man was found head
less over in Maine, and with the arms
taken off, and of which they knew
nothing. We all know that the icentifi-
cation OF person is difficult thing.
Usually we remember person by the
expression and cast of countenance.
Whoever buried this man in Maine
knew this fact, cut off the head, arms
! and clothing to render identifi-
cation impossible, but the speaker as
serted that the Identification had been
accomplished without the shadow of a
doubt. The attorney general then out
lined the history of the trouble between
Isaac and Hiram over their fathers
property, claiming that Isaac found
that he had got to get Hiram out of the
way, or abandon all hope of getting
complete possession of the property.
He could have assassinated him in the
city, but he could not get rid of the
body, and finally decided upon this dia-
bolical plot. The attorney general then
sketched the movements of Isaac,
while in Rochester, and claimed
that the states testimony COM
pleted a perfect chain of evil
dence against the prisoner. The spade
that Isaac bought has never been found.
He bought it conditionauy. If bs did