The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-02-01


| then drove on.
| MIR. Powers began the cross examina-
| ton with yigor:
"You are a State detective, are you
not, Mr.. Bassett?"
Il am" s,s
Were you employed to find the guilty
| party?n
mo"
| "During this time you have sat with
the counsel for the defense and assisted
| them?n
part of the time I have sat within
| the bar, but have not assisted in the case
except once, when was sent out OF 4the
| court room"
"How many days did you spend out in
Cum berland and Yarmouth"
II was in Yarmouth Saturday, Sun
| day, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday OF
| last week, and Sunday and Monday OF
| this week.
"And the fruit of your labor on those
seven days is what you have testified to
here?"
aThen there were many things that
you found out that you were not asked
ebout?"
Before the witness had answered this
question, Mr.. Powers said That Will DO,
Mr.. Bassett.
When Mir. Chase called for
Mrs Prawda.
there was great interest in the court
room. AS she stepped on to the witness
stand Mrs. Prawda appeared rather better
than she had as she sat in the chair in
the rear of the seats of her husbands
counsel. She was dressed in black, with
a dark shawl over her shoulders, and a
black bonnet, wound with a heavy crepe
mourning veil, ON her head. Once Mrs.
Prawda must have been pretty, and even
now in spite of her forty-five years or
more, might be looking were it not
for trouble with the left eye, which
covers the dark eyeball with white
film. This eye gave to the whole coun-
tenance an unfavorable expression.
Mrs. Prawda began in a low, nervous
voice, which soon grew louder as she
gained confidence She talked very rap
idly during her entire testimony. She
said that her name was Annie Meyer
Prawda, and that she married the prls-
oner on the 5th of September, 1891.
Since that time she had lived at the
house of her husband in Cumberland.
On the 2Sth of last November she had
been away from home all day nursing
sick woman. She returned late in the
afternoon. About the time she came
home she met her mother, who told her
that the dog had been in the front room
all day. Witness said she did not want
the dog there, but her mother said that
she thought the dog had been put in
there by the witness, and therefore
would not let it out. Then Mrs. Meyer
went to her room up stairs.
The witness then got supper, as her
husband had by that time returned home
from his work as usual.
While witness and her husband were
at supper her mother came down and
said, MATHS, did you know the dog was
that he did not. Then Mrs. Meyer said
that she did not let him out as she
thought Annie put him there. Witness
here denied that she had put the dog
there, but her husband said: 81 guess
Annie put the dog there asst enough.
Then Mr.. Prawda wanted Mrs. Meyer to
take supper with them, but she declined,
saying that she had supper in her room.
After supper witness said she had some
pies to make, and her husband said he
had some wood to split Witness rolled
out her pies and put them in the oven.
About this time her husband came in
from splitting the wood and sat down to
smoke. Witness went TO washing her
dishes.
Presently her husband said that it was
time to go to bed, but witness said that
she could no goas she had not finished
her pies To this Prawda replied that
he had to go to the privy, by. which time
she might be through with her work.
So he went to the privy, as was his GUS
tom. Witness. seeing that she needed
some water, went GUS with the water
pail and spoke to her husband, whom
She heard enter the closet and then leav-
ling the water pail, returned to the
kitchen, where she was busted about her
dishes and cooking. While turning
from the oven to the sink she heard
that
Terrible Explosion
The witness rushed to the door, where
she met her husband, who was running
in, holding his pants with his hands.
Each questioned the other about the
noise; and Immediately heard a sound
from her mothers room, and concluded
that something had happened to her.
For Gods sake, Maths, go, for l
can't CO." was the exclamation of the
witness. Mr.. Prawda then took the lamp
and started but as ne was going up the
stairs it went out.
aFor Gods sake, Annie, hurry, my
lamp is going out" he said :, and witness
brought another lamp. This also went
out, and witness had to bring matches
Tor hor nuSUdHu W TcIlSuG ~ fAo uC
was doing SO witness pushed by him, and
running to the door of her mothers
room, saw her mother leaning on the side
of the door Her mother said in German:
"The lamp exploded and the chimney
went off, exploding like shot," Then
her mother asked Mr.. Prawda to go for
doctor and John Jacob, and Mr.. Prawda
started.
Then her mother asked her to take off
the pocket, which was tied on, and told
her to keep it, telling her that it con-
tanned $40. Witness helped her mother
on to the bed, and then gave her back
the money, putting it under the pillow
and telling her to let John take care OF
it.
Witness then made her mother as COM
Portable as possible, bathing the wound
frequently, until her husband returned.
After Prawda returned this scene took
place as described by the witness:
"Mother took Maths by the hands and
said: Mathis, l am going TO die, and
want you to be a good boy to Annie
She has had good deal Of trouble ever
since she was young.
Witness then detailed how her husband
searched for the lamp that was supposed
to have exploded, and found it unbrok-
en-. Then Mr.. Prawda found a hole in
the wall and said that it was something
l..n;luc tl,a Iapon Than tbav want ~