Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-01
CONFESSION NOT ADMITTED.
Abner Thosne's Counsel Score a Point-The
Trial Getting Exciting.


day forenoon at the Thorne murder tria
was the largest at any trial since the erec
ton of the court house in 1914.
Sumner f. Newell was recalled and tes
tilted: l dill not hear the burglar l crap
pied with when entered my store on the
night of the tragedy fire any shot. | Dc
not know that he fired; think the mark o.
glancing bullets on the store was made be
fore Whitman was shot.
Cyrus Ripley testified: Thorne has LIVED
with me for IL years. l identify the cloth
ing, p0ckeibook, ETC., as Thorne's but can
not identify the 32-calibre revolver exhib
tied as Thornes.
Benz. S. Doe testified that he dug three
bullets from the store after the murder
He identified the bullets. On cross exam
ination was not sure of their identity.
A. p. Wedge testified that he saw Mr.
Dee dig the bullets from the store and KEEP,
the m until delivered to the coroner. He
positively identified one bullet.
Isaac w. Andrews testified: Was cor
oner in this case. This is the bullet de-
livered to me by DR. Rounds as taken from
Whitmans body. 1 recognize it by marks.
L ulu uTOp IL Ou tuc uOOI VI Il C[OWu6u
room and it was found and handed to me
by an unknown man. 1t was free from
blood. The bullets were lost for a while
and were in an overcoat pocket in the hotel
office. | don't know where the bullets were
Sunday. They could have been tampered
with, but don't think they were.
A. S. Austin testified Was juror at the
coroner's inquest. The coroner gave me
the bullet taken from Whitman's body for
saf. keeping. This is the bullet. Differ
mt persons examined this bullet in my Of
fee Sunday. The other three were in a
locked valise in back room. l did not
touch them nor did see any one do so.
George M. Atwood testified; was awak-
ened by shots that night and heard Officer
Garland shouting, "Hold up there" A sho,
bag full of keys mostly made by the boy
burglar was exhibited.
The court ruled that the alleged confes-
sion of Thorne was inadmissable, a strong
point for the defense.
Herrick Davis testified that he was awake
on the night Of the tragedy, heard two shots
and after an intervale, four or five more,
another interval and more shots.
Loren B. Merrill testified that he found
empty cartridge shells in paper in
Tborne's room, just after the murder, and
think these are the same shells.
l.. f. Stene, recalled, said he saw Mr..
Merrill take these shells from paper in q
box in Thorne's rooms. Found one shell
with the primer exploded. Thorne told me
where this exploded shell was. Thorne
confessed to me that this was the shell
taken from his revolver the morning after
the murder, when he was on his way home
back of the houses in the fields. Thorne
told me that he knew thst he fired only
once that night, bece=ss hs took out all the
shells IL his revolver and found only one
empty shell, and then put the whole in the
paper in the button box in his room. am
a brother-in law to Officer Garland.
Stephen D. Hutchinson testified that he
picked up false whiskers, dark lantern and
bag in front of his store on the morning
after the murder. Did not know what be-
came Of them.
Flora +. Garland-Am Officer Garlsni's
wife. Sat up all the night of the murder
in dark room, watching. Instantly after
the shooting ran to the bureau and found
Mr.. Garland's 80 size revolver in the
drawer.
Samuel II. Whitman testified that he
worked at Officer Garland's. Saw Mrs.
Garland take this revolver frcm the drawer
that night.
Three witnesses testified that they saw
the mark of glancing bullet on the store
six months before the murder. The State
rests