The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-02-03

dict-Argument of the Attorney Ger
eral and Judge Bonney's Chaege to tn
Jury.
The trial of Prawda came to an abrup
close last evening at ten minutes to si1
o'clock, when the jury brought in ;
verdict of murder in the first degree.
The closing moments of the long trial
which has lasted nine days, were inter
esting and impressive. The large audi
ence of the afternoon had remained, al
had also the prisoner from necessity, ano
his faithful wife from choice. AS the
jury came in Prawda showed a little
nervousness, moving uneasily once sor
twice in his chair. But he soon mastered
this transient feeling, and sat absolutely
unmoved while the following utter
ances, SO momentous for him, went on:
The clerk, (Mr. Libby" Gentlemen of
the jury, have you agreed upon ver-
dict?"
The Foreman (Mr. Ricker)-"We have. "
The Clerk" Pass in the Indictment"
The Indictment is passed in.
The Clerk-"Mr. Foreman, what say
you, is August Maths Prawda guilty or
not guilty?"
The Foreman Guilty.
The Clerk" Guilty of what, Mr.. Fore
man?n
The Foreman-"Gu of murder in
the first degree.
The Clerk" Gentlemen Of the jury,
hearken to the verdict as the clerk has
recorded it. You upon your oaths say
that August Mathis Prawda is guilty of
murder in the first degree. So say you
Mr.. Foreman?"
The Foreman" Yes.n
The Clerk-"So you all say gentle
men?n
All the jurors-"Yes."
When the word, guilty" fell from the
foreman's lips, Mrs. Prawda, who had
waited with the most intense anxiety
depicted on her features, bowed her
head, wrung her hands and broke into
piteous weeping. Prawda, himself, did
not turn his head, or manifest the least
concern up to the time he was taken from
the court room to the Jail.
Judge Bonney Immediately dismissed
the jurors, telling them 60 return next
Tuesday. Prawda's conviction means a
sentence to Thomaston for life unless his
counsel should succeed, by appeal to the
Law court, in getting a new trial. 1t is
understood tnatssome steps will be taken
today in this direction.
Yesterdays Proceedings in Detail.
Yesterday was the ninth and closing
day of the Prawda trial. Senator George
NJ. Seiders mad not closed speaking for
the prisoner when the court adjourned
Thursday, and resumed at once when
the court came in yesterday morning at
O'Clock. An audience as large as on
other days was awaiting when the
Honorable Court" was announced by |
Sheriff Cram. There were no prelimi- |
naries. The phlegmatic German Prawda |
was in his customary seat. The long ar |
ray of witnesses for the State, no longer |
retained by the county attorney, but at |
tending because of their great interest |
in the case, had filed into their accus-
toned seats. Deputy Sheriffs Despeaux
and Chute had half an hour before
led up the jury from the Falmouth, and
the patient twelve had taken their seats,
with joy at the prospect that
soon they could be free to go out among
other men, read the newspapers and eat
and sleep without a guard. Mrs. Praw-
da came to the court room early, in order
b greet her husband with the customary
hand shake, when he should arrive from
the Jail. She has stood by Prawda 10y
ally throughout all, though all of her
relatives are arrayed in open or construc-
i've opposition. She has greeted him
every morning and hidden him good bye
as at the close of each day the officers
have had led him away.
Mr.. Seiders took up the thread of his
argument at the point where the testi-
nony of Constable Blake came IN. He
the statements of this witness
With a scathing denunciation of the anx-
ETY. of Mr.. iola Ike to get case against
orawda. The testimony of Deputy
Sheriff Bucknam was commented on
,riefy and then the statements of
Thomas Carey were taken up. Mr.. Seid- S
RS denounced Carey as man actuated
,y venomous hatred of the prisoner.
md overcome by malice and evil !
pirit., so that his testimony could not
re depended upon. The time that t
'rawda had, from the shooting to the '
isit to Carter's was considered as i'm s
ortant. The State claims that he had +
hirty minutes. Mr.. Seiders did not ad- t
ait this. The time when the shot was j
red, as fixed by the Strouts, was $50 S
H., local time, or 7.30 standard time. t
he clock of Mr.. Gerow was five minutes
lower than local time and fifteen min +
ties faster than standard. Gerow start t
d for the doctor at exactly eight o'clock
y his clock, or 7.45 standard time. +
nus from the time of the explosion to n
he time Mr.. Gerow, after Harvesting, L
tarted for the doctor, the Prawdas !
'ould be allowed four minutes to find v
frs. Meyer and do as they said they did, u
'rawda himself would have three G
,inutes to go the eighth of mile and h