Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-11

would not hurt bis il dia rus ber conscience.
He stated that Henry told her to write tie
Letter. Mrs. Getchell told you wha. the
letter really contained, that it was about
carrying those coats which this human
tiend. they would have you believe, worked
upon to support the family.
You heard Abbie Keen testify about an
open letter in which there was something
about meeting Abbie Keen says. What
was the rest of the letter to qualify that
sentence which Abbie Keen says she read.
The very openness of the transaction whi h
if Mrs. Getchell and Trask have forgotten,
if it be true, the very openness of the mis-
sive disproves it.
What the testimony of the postmaster has
to do with adultery it is impossible to guess.
They seeing each other nearly every day,
never wrote love letters. Picture Laforest
Trssk writing love letters, breathing senti-
ment and rich with quotations from the
English poets, l leave him to brother Car
Teton.
Now we come to Eliza Williams, that gos-
sip and scandal monger. She testified that
Trssk went into the defendants bed room.
On the cross examination she reluctantly
admits that the door was open ana Mrs.
Getchell was at work there. There was op-
portunity for adultery at the barn that day
she tells you about. There were plenty of
such opportunities. She admits Henry
Getchell was at work about the place. 1t
is admitted that this fiend who hated her
husband was in the habit of sitting with her
sewing where he was at work. Do you be-
lieve that Trask if he was committing adul-
terry would have sat in the lap of the woman
he had a mad infatuation for, in the
presence of woman with such face as
Eliza Williams? Adulterous love is secret.
Eliza Williams testifes she saw Mrs Getch-
ell destroy letter to her husband from
Lendall Titcomb. 1t has been shown that
the Titcomb letter was to Mrs. Getchell.
The Belgrade campmee,ing incideLt has
received much more attention than ii de-
served. If Mrs. Getchell had guilty pur-
pose she would not, as is claimed, walked
down there in the face and eyes of every
body. If Annie Dudley and Trask did not
go down to Partridge's for corn the govern
ment could have summoned the Partridge
boy. 1t could have summoned Maurice
Damren. 1t didn't. Did Annie Dudley
commit perjury? l don't know which
ground the government will take, whether
Ida Haskell told the truth about not being
down there, or whether Herbert Gilmore told
the truth that she was. Herbert Gilmore has
not told the truth about the Ocean Point in
cident when he said Trask asked him not
to tell at home that he was down there.
This when it was abundantly proved that
Henry sent down money to his wife by
Trask. In contradiction of Ida Haskell
about that night at the Belgrade campmeet-
i'm hrin lohf tha oil
&C was put in. Probably the almanac was
manufactured for the de fense.
Then as to sleeping in he unfinished room.
If there was any wrong done at the Ds-
mon house in that room with the door open
opposite the Damon room, Mr.. and Mrs.
Damon would have known it. They ought
to have been summoned.
How reluctantly Mrs. Gilmore was
obliged to admit in connection with the
blueberfying incident that there was
no way cf going save through
the woods. She didn't know that
the whole truth could be brought out.
If it were true as Mamie Peaslee states,
that Mrs. Getchell sent message for Trask
to come to her bedroom, the manner in
which she says it was done disproves any
guilt in connection with it. Mrs. Burnham
denys it, the other parties deny it..
That poor woman, Mrs. Burnham was
tangled up on irrelevant testimony. The
county attorney matched his brilliant mind
against that poor woman's and he won as
you would expect he would.
Mamie Peaslee says Trask and Mrs.
Getchell in the presence of her and
Poor went into the Lyon cottage.
If that had been true the publicity
was such as to disprove guilt. But
Henry Lyon, hope some of you know
him have had dealings with him, for on his
testimony hangs the credibility of Mary
Peaslee's testimony, he says there was no
way at that time for anyone to enter hi.
cottage. Now Mary Pesslee asks you to
believe that on that wharf in the presenc 4.
of a dozen people, Mrs. Getchell kissed
rrask good by. Weigh the testimony be-
tween Mamie Peaslee and Mrs. Rosanna
Burnham. You don't believe that poor
woman committed perjury. Where are
Clarence Burnham and others who saw j. !?
Just think Of the absurdi,y Of the idea .
Who could be 40 madly in love with La
forest Trask as to kiss him in public.
But look at the circumstances. He was
Soluk IlSut " Cluucy anu bO WAS MIS-.
Getchell. The story is an improbab lity.
next come to Eliza Williams statement
on rebuttal of Minnie. 1 submit to you
who stands nearer the throne of purity and
truth, Minnie Jones or that woman? Mrs.
Williams declarations are no proof what
ever of the things stated in this conversaiio on.
1t bore only on the credibility of Minnie
Jones testimony. But I'm not content
to leave it there. Mrs. Williams suppo.
sition is that this little girl without any
previous conversation or excuse. this little
girl whom Mrs. Williams admits loves
her mother, that this little girl
made that statement. Gentlemen, /
will leave that with you, your consciences
and your God.
Surely those alleged signals could not
have been for adulterous purposes. as they
were it is said, in the presence of Arletta
Getchel. Another witness says he saw,
actually saw coat hung out of the window.
This to prove adultery! Abbie Keen's story
about the signals of lamp and lantern il
the product of her heated Imagination.
Then the story about the letters burned
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