Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-08-31
MIND A BLANK
When His Wife Refused to Kiss
Him Says Bessey
And He Did Not Know What He
Did Then.
He Wept Freely but Tears Not LIKELY TO
Affect Jury.

BATH, Aug. 30-In the trial of Bessey
for wife murder the first witness of Thurs.
day, was James Stanley who boarded at
Bessey's last spring. He testified that on
Tuesday night before the tragedy there was
row between Bessey and his wife; it was
late at night. He got up and told Bessey
that he could not abuse woman while he
vas in the house. Bessey was pushing her
about, saying she was drunk. | heard bes-
sey say. I'll conquer you or Rill you" The
next Friday night Bessey said while talk
ing with me about his wife getting a divorce,
"lll fix her In fortnight if she tries to
get dl0rce."
Charles A. Jordan, night wstchman at
fogg's mill, Bowdoinham, testified to the
trouble or row at the Bessey house on
Tuesday night before the murder While
Oh bis rounds at | ! that night he heard loud
| noises and a crash in Besseys house. He
heard Mrs Bessey saw, "Mel, let 90 of my
arm; you'll break it,"
Mrs. Bessey escaped from the house by a
window. AS she came near to ne | saw
that the front of her dress and the left
sleeve were torn and she was in great
fright. Her hair was dishevelled and she
WAS crying. | heard Bessey say, as his
wife left the house, damn you, go drown
yourself
Mrs. b, ssey stayed about the mill yard,
and about l o'clock | found her between
| two piles of clapboards. She was cold and
thinly clad. I advised her to get shelter,
and she went to her daughters.
The next Saturday Bessey a.ked me who
| thought was to blame for the row. and
upon my telling him it was not Mrs. Bes-
sey, he said you will see what will come
out Of it before a week"
Ernest Russell, who watched Bessey at
| the lookup on the night of the murder, tes
tified that Bessey, about IL O'Clock, asked
him how bis wife was ard upon being told
she could not live, he said, II hope she will
die" About o'clock Bessey was told
there was some hopes of his wife. Damn
her, intended to kill her" he said. At
o'clock Bessey said, II loved my wife but
Henry Lake was at the bottom of all this.
What fool have made Of myself but its
all over now"
At 10 o'clock Attorney General Powers
stated that the evidence for the State was
all in except two witnesses who would be
heard later, which was granted by the
couIt.
In his opening for the respondent Mr.
Brown occupied one hour. During the re
view of the case by his counsel the prisoner
wept several times and once there w8s
heavy sobbing. He often swept away tht
tears with his handkerchief which he hello
constantly in tn left hand.
Lawyer Browns defense is that Mrs.
lsessey was lewd woman, and set her
husband, Who was perfectly infatuated with
| ler, wild with jealousy, and when she final
ly 1epulsed him and would not come back
70 his home, he stabbed her, being guilty of
manslaughter only.
OF the ten witnesses called and sworn for
he defense, Philander Bessey, a brother Of
tue prisoner, was the first to testify. H.
sail that Mel and hiswife lived at his homt
when they were first married. She ap-
peared full the second night she was
here. Saw Mrs. Bessey drink rum and
Vhiskey several times, saw her so full or
| he street she could not walk without assist
| .nce. Have heard my brother make COM
| Jlaint to his wife about her conduct with
,thtr men. OF my own knowledge | don't
| ;now that she was improperly intimate with
| ther men. | heard Bessey tell his wife
| hat she had given him loathsome disease,
nd she admitted it but promised not to do
| again. That WAS last summer. l heard
3essey say to his wife that he would not
BOARD Henry Lake. Mrs. Bessey said if
Lake went she would go too and all of the
oosrders l saw nothing intimate between
| Mrs Bessey and Henry Lake.
| After the murder Mel seemed crazy. As
he rushed into my house he excitedly said :
| I've killed her." and when Sheriff Cornish
arrested him my brother said, Bert, |
loved her, you know it"
| At ~ u court suspended to . p. NJ.
| In the afternoon Mrs. Dora Bessey tes,i-
| led that she had seen the wife of Melvin
3essey under the influence of liquor. Saw
her once when she could not help. herself.
| She told me once that she was drunk. went
With her to her home and led her into her
,ouse where she became sick. Saw Mrs,
Bessey hug and kiss Lake. He was lying
on sofa at Mrs. Bessey's house. AT an
,ther time saw Mrs. Bessey put her arms
,round Henry Lakes neck. This was on
ne street. was married four years ago
md divorced year last April. Have not