The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-28
DID KILL and MURDER.
Finding Of the Coroner's Jury in
the Meyer Case.
AUGUSTUS PRAWDA ACCUSED OF
THE CRIME.

He Was Promptly Arrested and Is Now in
Jail-The Sheriff Said He Wanted Matt
for a While--Thereupon Prawda's Fell
and. After Putting ON His Best Clothes,
He Came Willingly to Portland.
The Meyer inquest at Yarmouth yes
terday was resumed soon after the
arrival of the morning train from Port
land. John II. Carter, John H. WEIGH,
Calvin N. Linnell, John J. Meyer, and
William H. Freeman, were called. With
the exception of Mr.. WEIGH, who simply
heard Mrs. Prawda tell Mr.. Prawda to go
for the doctor, and Mr.. Freeman, who
was at the house, after the shooting,
the witnesses have already been fully
reported in the PRESS.
There was something of sensation
when Mrs. Anna M. Prawda, daughter OF
the late Mrs. Meyer, and wife Of AN.
Prawda, was called. She was examined
at length, and it will be recalled that
her story has already been fully pub
lished. Sheriff Buchanan, was examined.
1t is understood that he gave a very
important bit of evidence to the jury.
In searching through the Prawda house,
he found bullet similar to the one now
in the possession of Constable Blake,
and which caused the death of Mrs.
Meyer. The jury adjourned at noon,
and at one O'Clock went to the house of
Constable Blake, who is sick with the
grippe, and listened to his evidence. Mr..
Blake was the first person who visited
the house in an official capacity after the
shooting. On the spot he wrote down
stood to be regarded as a very important
witness for the state. He produced the
| fatal bullet, which has been in his
charge since the shooting. The jury then
returned to their room, and in short
| time began their review of the evidence
already presented. AT this point County
Attorney True, who had conducted the
examination on the part of the govern
ment, retired, and waited with the re-
porters outside. A few moments before
| the verdict was announced he was re-
| called, a signal to the reporters that the
end of the investigation had arrived.
After the verdict had been signed by
Eben N. Perry, Foreman Charles 7.
Grant, and Jurors Leone R. Cook,
| Charles W. Jordan, William II. Marston,
| Thomas L. Curtis and Alfred T. Small,
! it was given to the reporters.
Stripped of portion Of it's legal
phraseology the verdict recites that
Augustus M. Prawda of Cumberland,
a laborer, on the 2Sth of November, 1898,
with force and arms, in and upon one
Waldbury Meyer, feloneously, wilfully
and of his malice aforethought, did
make an assault, and that the said
Augustus M. Prawda certain gun then
and there loaded with gunpowder and a
leaden ball. which said gun he, the said
| Augustus NJ. Prawda, in both his hands
then and there held" etc., in such way
| that the shot, when discharged, struck
the said Waldburg Meyer in the head. in
such way as to cause her to languish
and die on December 18th. In conclusion
the verdict recites that Prawda did
"feloneously and wilfullyn both kill and
murder" Mrs. Meyer.
| At the inquest, Drs. Stephen II Weeks,
| John F. Thompson and Hanson, testified
| as to the result Of the autopsy made by
/ them. The testimony of the physicians
was in substance the same, the follow
ing being a summary of that given by
DR.. Thompson:
O'Clock in the afternoon, about three
hours after death. The rigor..mortis, the
regidity which occurs after death, had
| hardly commenced. There was no dis
coloration excepting on the left sida Of
| the neck, just above the collar bone
| That was a blush black discoloration
about as large over as the palm of the
| hand. No wounds were to be seen ex-
cepting about the face. The body was
somewhat emaciated. The left angle of
the mouth was gone. The Tissues were
destroyed to the extent of three-fourths
of an inch. The edges of the wound were
| thickened and black. There was destruc-
ton of bone in the left upper jaw, in
| voIving only the lower portion of the
bone in which the teeth were inserted.
This was directly opposite the wound in
the angle of the mout The upper jaw
in the right side was gone, excepting the
upper portion of the jaw bone. Practi-
| cally, the upper part OF the bone was all
that was left, the lower part being en-
tirely destroyed SO far as could be ascer-
tanned The cavity was foul and bathed
in offensive pus. black looking interior
due, evidently, to the death of the
lacerated parts. The lower jaw on the
right side was broken in two places.
One fracture was near the middle of the
law, and the other was near the chin. AT
about the middle of the right cheek
there was an opening one and one-half
inches in ono direction, and about three
quarters of an inch in the other. This
opening on the right cheek was about
three-quarters of an inch higher than
the one on the left side. just below this,
near the angle OF the mouth and at a
level, little lower than about the
middle Of the large opening, was another
opening about one-quarter of an inch in
diameter. a little square hole as if it had
been punched out. That was about a
quarter of an incn away from the long
one and towards the center line, towards
the mouth. These openings extended
through the cheek into the mouth and
exposed the parts inside the mouth. The
wounds were in state of suppuration.
Before leaving Portland, Mr.. Tue, h ad