Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-01
ssreaELl case.
CONTINUED from LIST page.

And yet there remains more to Of
proved. 1t is fair to speak of the
conduct of the prisoner. MIR. Getchell
was simple, hard-w orking. supplemented
honest, trusting man. He married this
woman six years before. She had kept
house for him a year prior to marriage.
They had one child, boy. There lived
it tina! neighborhood married man, sepa-
rated from his wife, one Laforest Trask,
who the testimony will show became I'M
! duly intimate with this woman. She was
| infatuated with him and he with her.
That she violated her marriage obligations
| with this man Trask there can be no doubt,
that she took every opportunity to be with
him will fully appear. He was there
a great deal of the time and in
Mr.. Getchel's absence. Last summer they
were twice at Ocean Point together. Mr..
Getchell went with her and stayed while
He then came home, but Trask stayed and
slept, practically, in the same room. She
came home and went back. Trask fol-
lowed her, was with her there. Kissed her
good bye when she came away, and she
was asked if she was coming back again
next summer, and she said "Yes, and
things will be different then and she could
did not want her husband to know
Trask was there as he was jealous OF
her," With the permission of the court cvi-
dence will be introduced to Overwhelmingly
establish the fact of undue intimate rela-
tons between them. She used signals to
him from her window, and sent letters mott
flying him when her husband was to be
away, and he would visit her. Sometimes
he would come over to the barn in the
| absence of her husband.
And when such unholy relations exist ii
is either divorce, elopement or death, and
| in this case it was death.
The question will be asked, where did
she procure the poison? l know not, nor
is it necessary to prove it. She had it.
Only last summer she spoke ofpoisoniDg him
to death, and said, what in thunder do
care for him." She got it she had it she used
it. Whether it came by letter when she
notified the postmaster not to let anyone
have the mail but herself, I know not.
Whether she and Trask got it when off to-
gether, know not. That she had it and
used it you can never doubt after listening
10 the testimony. 1t is easy of procure
ment.
Now gentlemen with singleness of pur-
pose, with but one object in view, the dis
covery of the truth, let us devote ourselves
to the consideration of the testimony.
The taking of testimony began at 5
o'clock, and DR.. George f. Brickett of
Augusta was called to the stand, and testi-
fed that he prescribed gin and sulphur for
man named Getchell, several weeks
before the death. The doctor had seen the
man before, but didn't know his name.
Simply knew he was one of the Getchells
of Sidney. He had prescribed about two
weeks before for the same man. Couldn't
remember what his first prescription was.
The second time become convinced that
what the man needed was something for
muscular rheumatism, and prescribed gin
and sulphur.
VIM. H. Libbey, the coroner who ordered
the body of Getchell disin.erred for autopsy,
was then called. Mr.. Libbey testified as to
the autopsy, also that he took the jars cor
tanning the remains for analysis TO Prof.
Robinson's house in Brunswick. The
jars were very strongly sealed. The remains
were dug up by Mr.. Keene, assisted by a
brother of the deceased. He understood
the doctors who made the examination got
the .rs on the street. He did not see them
cleansed.
DR.. L. J. Croker of Augusta, was
called. He knew Mr.. Getchell, the de-
ceased, seven or eight years. He was called
upon to perform the autopsy Dec. 20. He
was assisted by DR.. W. P. Giddings and
DR.. Turner of Gardiner, DR.. Geo. H.
Brickett of Augusta, and DR.. Driscoll of
Sidney. He said the external appearances
of the body were more natural than would
be expected in one so long dead. The skin
generally had very natural appearance
The upper portion of the body was not rigid,
while the lower portions were. Found NO
evidence of abnormal or diseased condition
in any of the external organs, except in the
left eye. Internally all seemed to have a
healthy appearance save that the stomach
was greatly distended. The liver was dis.
tended with blood and weighed little more
! than usual. However, there was no indi.
cation of disease of the liver. They found
congested condition of the kidneys. The
back part of the lungs were very much con.
gested and full of blood, but there was nc
evi lence of inf animation. The heart wa.
found to be in a normal condition. The
only post mortem change that he saw wa.
! that the bowels were turning dark. There
was no blood clot on the brain; nothing alb
normal. One 81 lie of the heart was little
thickened, such as is frequently found ir
people comparatively healthy.
Q-Did you discover any cause fol
death?
| A-No, there was none save terrible con
gesiion of blood iato the lungs.
| Q-What would cause that?
Attic, construction of arteries O.
veins, either strsngulation or spasm.
The witness said the jars were new ant
and clean and were thoroughly washed ant
were sealed. lie said there was red
! Noe. of eL:n on3 little d;soolo> ~; -,