The Portland daily press., 1890-12-19
JEANETTE SAWTELLE ON THE STAND.
The Widow of the Murdered Man
Tells Her Story.
a Rigid Cross Examination Falls to
Snake Her Testimony.
Her Recognition OF Her husbands
Muillated Remains Described.

DOVER, N. H., December 1s.-Wheu eourt
came In today, Judge Doe stepped within
the bar and shook Isaac Sawtelle hearti.
ly by tbe hand. an act Of frlendlIness which
seemed to touch the prisoner considerably
rhe court was opened without other formal
ity than a rap by the crier on his high desk
TO the left OF the jury. and when Ii was
thus ready for business County Solicitor
Kiyel lost no time In getting down to work.
Several railIoad men were examined, giving
evidence as TO Hiram Sawtelle's trip TO
Rochester in response to kilograms sent by
Isaac, and then Mrs. Jeanette Sawtelle, the
widow of the murdered man, was called.
Every eye was fixed upon the slight pale
faced lady who responded TO the call and
took her seat in the witness chair. She was
dressed In black. with widows veil worn
.,0m small bonnet and also had a light
veil over the upper portion OF the face. Her
voice Was very low and somewhat unsteady
as she answered the first question OF Mr.
Klvel. but gradu lily grew hrmer as shs re-
covered her self possession. Mrs. SawtelIe
testified to the disDdte5 OF the brothers over
the property after Isaac got out Of the states
prison, and TO her husbands positive asser-
tion TO Isaac one day about week or 10 days
before his disappearance that he Isaac had
had his share OF the property and should not
have another cent OF IL. Isaac said IN re-
spOnse that neither should Hiram have it,
closing with the words: "Do not drive me TO
extremes. Hiram" Mrs. Sawtelle then told Of
lsaac's departure for Lowell with his
mother and his little niece Marion ON Satur-
day, and OF the receipt Of a postal Monday
from Isaac saying that the little girl had q
bad cold. The receipt OF the kilograms was
next related and the departure Of Hiram for
Rochester. On that day she said he was
dressed in blue coat, dark vests and pants,
dark blue overc0at and black silk cap, with
visor, and had on low cut shoes. Isaac re-
turned Thursday and said he had not seen
Hiram. emphasizing 1t by adding, $50 help
me God" A few days later while witness
was talking about Hiram's disappearance
Isaac asked her not TO talk to people about
the matter. Later she accused him directly
of doing harm to her husband. and Isaac
said, you wrong me, Jennie" Again,
when at home, she had expressed to him her
wonder that he could look upon the two
children so calmly when he thought what he
had done to their father. Mrs. Sawtelle's
voice grew unsteady again as she related
this portion Of her experience, and her agi-
tation was evident also In her murmured ut
terances.
Fortunately for her the noon adjournment
came Just at this point and gave her need
ed rest.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Sawtelle resumed
her testimony and every eye was fixed on
her and ears strained to catch her important
words. She told first Of Isaae's PROPOSE
tions to search for Hiram, ana then Of her
Identifying the body Of her murdered hus-
band at the school 0lhOuse in Lebanon. Her
testimony on this point was most positive.
The SOCKS on his feet she, herself, had
mended, and the laundry mark on them,
she knew. The handkerchief. the
shoe found In the woods, and the sleeve and
shirt buttons she was certain were her bus-
bands. She described very minutely the
peculiarlties of the hands, corn on one
OF the feet, which Hiram had cut into few
days before, which she had pOulticed, and
also callous or protnberance on one instep,
made by wearing too tight shoe. All these
marks she found on the body In the school
house, and had not the slightest doubt but
that 1t was the body Uf her husband. She al
so recognized sleeve button found at the
grave as belonging to Isaac. Her identidea-
tion Of the white shirt button was by means
Of the blue thread wi which 1t had been
sewed, and to make 1t more certain she had
the spool from which the thread was taken.
This closed the direct examination for the
present. Mr.. Kivel saying that he would re-
call her later to Identify the shoes and hand
kerchief which would be shown.
Counsel Edgerly failed to break down Mrs.
Sawtelle on the cr0ss-examtnatiOn, much OF
which was devoted to the disputes regarding
the property. The witness did not know
Isaac until her marriage with Hiram some
eight years ago. She got money from Isaac
while he was 10 prison, always to do busi-
less for him. She did not get $3.50 between
January and April. She did not remember
Isaac getting $500 or $500 at one time. She
used none lOf the money for the prisoners
Dard"n but gave some TO Mrs. Foss for that
purpose.
l.Dess was positive the shirt button
shown her was Hlram's. Hiram, iust before
leaving home. sewed them on an old shirt he
wore. Isaac had six sleeve buttons like that
shown the witness. The siZe and kind Of
gold enabled her to identify them, although
they were dented now. They were in good
condition when she first saw them. The
witness would not acknowledge Hiram's sig
nature and her mothers, shown her by coun-
sell The paper containing them was not ad-
mitted. as no connection was shown with
the case. Hiram's attorney, Mr.. williamson,
was his mothers guardian. She bad not ex-
amined the body since the preliminary trial
in Rochester. She examined 1t In Boston,
after the examination at the schoolhouse.
She did not know which foot had sore on
It. Ihe lunches spoken of were on both
feet. She did not see the feet without stock
lngs on until she examined them In Boston.
Hiram p0ulticed his thumb aud inger few
days before he disappeared. He weighed
l40 last winter His whiskers then were as
long as Isaac's arr now. He took no gloves
or fnittpns with him.