The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-12
WHERE DOGS WOULD NOT BARK AT HIM.
Mrs. Cosey Said She Could send
Norton to State Prison.
Solving the Mystery of the Shooting
at North New Portland.
The Prosecution Trying to Show the
Motive for Murder.

NORTH New PORTLAND, April 1.-THE
hearing In the case OF State vs. Norton. for
murder, began at noon, before Judge o. A.
Priest, of Skowhegan. Acting County At
torney S. w. Gould appeared for the State
and j. j. Parlin, ESQ.,, and Hon. S. J. Walton
for the defendant. A defect in the warrant
caused some delay. Norton pleaded not
guilty. He appeared calm, but was observed
to be somewhat uneasy, as Attorney Gould,
in opening the case. set forth what the State
hoped to prove. The State claims that the
woman had said she knew enough about
Norton to send him to prison for life, and
that the motive for the crime was Norton's
desire to destroy all evidence of his past acts
of criminal nature. d. S. Page was the first
witness. He only changed his testimony
from that given "Wednesday by admitting
that he once heard the Cooley woman, stand
ing in the door of Norton's house, cry out
murder" He had been present several
times, when Norton and the woman had
quarrelled.
Nora Page. wife of the last witness, testi-
fed that she was called Monday by Norton.
She heard Norton say, while at the bedside
of the dying woman: "Well. girl. are you
thr0ugh?" She had heard the Cooley wo-
man, on one occasion, some time ago, cry
murder" three times in succession while
standing in Norton's door. Mrs. Cooley
wardrobe was large and good. She had bet
ter clothes than the average woman In town.
DR.. Andrews gave an account Of the hold
ing OF the autopsy on the BODY OF Mrs:
Cooley. In his judgment, pistol pressed
against the head and discharged would frac-
| ture the skall, so that the powder would
penetrate the cranial cavity. He saw no
powder in the cavity and but slight indica-
tiOns of powder on the surface OF the wound.
DR.. Bennett coincided with DIR. Andrews
as regards the powder in the wound. He
called to see Mrs. Cooley last Friday. She
complained that her head and back ached.
He heard wrangle between Norton and the
woman about Norton's throwing her on the
town. Norton said she could take care OF
herself.
This conversation was objected to by the
defense.
L. Fl. Moulton, selectman of the town, said
he called on Mrs. Cooley two weeks ago, to
see about keeping her. She said 1t was a
hard thing for Norton to throw her on the
town, but she would ask no tavors OF them
and could take care of herself. She said she
knew enought about Norton to put him
at him. When she left there,
Norton would go to prison for life.
The witness was going to state that she told
him that Norton was the cause OF French
mans death several years ago, but the
defense objected. Pending the decision Of
the court, as to its being admitted, the court
adjourned until Saturday at a. m. Crowds
at a high pitch. Startling developments are
promised for tomorrow. The people Of this
section will be surprised at the facts to come
out, says an officer in way to know. Sheriff
Vaughan and four deputies are present as
rumors of trouble ahead are rife.