The Portland daily press., 1894-12-22
THE HEARING.
Important Witnesses Gave Full De-
tails,
SOME DAMAGING FACTS FOR THE
RESPONDENT.

Mrs. Kimba1I, Sheriff Parker, Selectman
Mcclellan and Constable Libby Present
Facts That Are Highly Significant
Lewis's Rice story-He Would Plead
His Own Case-His Manner in Court-A
Very Peculiar Man-Hearing Contin-
ued Today.
The bearing before Judge Gould yes
terday revealed several important facts,
otably the following: Mrs. Kimball
testified that when she and Lewis found
Coburn's body she thought he had fallen
and hurt himself, and said, "Oh, if l
had come too, could have saved him."
Lewis replied, You would probably
have laid there too, if you had come"
When Mrs. Kim ball made this state
ment on the witness stand Lewis shook
his head decidedly, and made other de-
monstrations of denial.
Also Constable Libby testified that
when Lewis came back from Gorham he
said that he did not know till then that
Mr.. Coburn was murdered, but thought
that he was kicked by cow. Yet up in
Gorham, previous to this statement,
Selectn4an Mcclellan swears that be
heard Lewis say in Harding's store, Hu
was murdered with an axe"
These were the most important dis
closures of the hearing.
At about 9.25 Recorder Tompson
read the charge of murder to the pris-
oner, James Lewis. He was eager to
reply to the charge, and before Recorder
Tompson had quite finished he said
"Not Guilty" in loud determined, tone
of voice. County Attorney True began
for the State by stating the facts of the
murder, the location of the Coburn
house, and the fact that the parts of the
premises to be considered are the barn
and the stable. The road runs about
north and south, and the barn parallel to
it. On the side next the road IS the small
er door which admits to the tieup and
the place where the stock is kept.
On the 18th of December there were
living on the farm Mrs. Kimball, Byron
Coburn, Joseph Coleman, and the re-
spondent James Lewis.
During the greater part of that day
Lewis was absent in Portland. After
supper he went over to the Lowell house.
The last person who saw Mr.. Coburn
in the house was Mrs. Kim ball, who will
testify upon the stand. Mr.. True said
that he would leave the development of
further facts to the witnesses.
The witnesses for the State were then
asked to stand up and be sworn. They
were Mrs. Kim ball, Frederick r. Fay,
Lewis Mcclellan, DR.. Straw, Joseph Cole
man, Tallman Lowell, Constable Libby,
Josephine Lowell and Edward II. Elwell.
DR.. Straw was the first witness to take
the stand. He had been in practice II
years. On the evening of Dec. 18th he
was in the Methodist church in Gorham.
While there news was brought to him at
a little after O'Clock by Edw ard
Graham of something unusual at the
Coburn house. He then went to the
Harding store, and then to Mr.. Nc
Lellan's stable They harnessed up and
drove down to the Coburn house, arriv-
ing at about S.15. They went into the
house first. In five or ten minutes they
went to the stable and saw some of the
neigh bors there. They found Mr..
Coburn near the PARTITION, where the
COW was tied up, lying on the floor. His
body was lying ON tine planking of the
stall. Witness examined tine head. notic-
ing three cuts. The head was about
foot from the partition, upon which
were spatterings of blood.
DR.. Straw described the wounds as
subsequently, examined by him and 9TH
ers, said that they were caused by an ak,
and we're sufficient to cause death.
Cross examined by Mr.. Seiders. He
fixed the time of his being called at the
church by the passage of the train,
which goes by at 7.54. He noticed the
blowing OF the whistle. There are no
other trains arriving at about that time.
after waiting just long enough for Mr..
Mcclellan to come out of the vestry and
join him.
He examined the spatters on that wall
enough to know that they were of blood
and brain matter. From the wounds
themselves, at that time, he could not
say positively that they were caused by
an ak.
When he first arrived there were several
neigh bors present, among whom he
noticed young Mosher. He did not know
the respondent, but he did know Graft
am, and saw him there that night. Did
not talk with him or hear any remarks
made by him in the presence of the re-
spondent.
AT the church GRAHAM was outside and
told witness about the circumstance OF
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