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

| after the uocuol, saying THAT ne oho"s, y
the shot was meant tor hin SELF ana
feared another might b nrt,.
| At this point counsel Tor tn tea &c
asked for time for cohsu1tat2oI. rms
was interpreted to mean that they
wished to decide whether the prisoner
should or should not be put onto, the
witness stand. After half an hours re-
cess the court came in again, ana M, me 4e
| news was whispered from mouth TO
mouth that the prisoner would testify IN
his own behalf This was confirmed I'M
mediately when Mr.. Chase said:
| "Aueust M. PrawGa Take the Stand"
There was Instantly hustle OF excite
ment as the prisoner arose calmly and
walked to the witness stand.
"Order, ORDER" said the judge, and
Sheriff Cram arose and made the audi
ence little speech, counselling them to
keep order.
@You swear that the testimony you
shall give on the case now on trial snail
| be the truth, the whole truth and moth
| ing but the truth, SO help you God, was
| the formula which Assistant Clerk OF
| Courts Libby put to the prisoner.
Prawda gave an affirmative nod OF the
| head, and was ready to proceed with his
| testimony. 1t was then exactly i've
o'clock, and for the next hour, in low,
rather monotonous voice, broken
| frequently by questions from Mr.. Chase,
| the witness related in broken English
| the proceedings of that eventful night.
| At first the strictest attention was re-
| quired to understand him; but after the
| audience became accustomed to his
| dialect it was easier to understand. he
| said that he came to this country in 1896,
| landing at Portland. He staid in Port
/ I,, Iolf 6nu of
work. He could not speak word OF
English9when he landed. He had lived
| in Cumberland five years. At the time
| of his arrest he was working as section
| hand on the Grand Trunk. Witness had
bought his farm four years ago, paying
$3.50 down and giving mortgage for
| $500. He was married two years ago last
September. Last May his mother-in-law
came to his house and remained through
the summer and fall. Witness remem-
bered ~
The 2Sth Day of Last November.
He worked on the section all day, COM
ing home about half past four. AS he
came home he saw his wife coming from
the barn to the house. She told him that
she had been with sick woman. Wit
ness went to saving and splitting wood
unbll supper was ioauy. uSii ho sou
down to supper. While eating supper
his mother came down. Something was
said about the dog. After The supper
he took his lantern and went out split
ting wood. Then he went to the barn,
fed the horse and COW, shut the dog up,
and closed the doors. Then he went into
the house, blew out the lantern, lighted
his pipe and sat down to smoke. Then
after some conversation with his wife he
started Cor the privy, according to his
usual custom He went in and shut the
door after him. i
His wife, wishing hinsto get pail of
water, followed Rim ouf3and coming to
the door, said to him.
"Mattis, are you in there?n
eyes" replied the witness.
She then said: "Will you get some
water. have got my telts (slippers)
onn Witness replied, Put on my rub
Der boots and get it, s
Then she went in leaving the pail.
Almost Instantly witness heard an ex-
| plosion. He ran in Immediately, stop
| ping for nothing. At the door he met
| his wife, and the questioned one an
| other as to what had happened, she
thinking it was outside and he inside.
! Very soon they heard a sound up stairs,
and concluding that something was the
| matter they ran up, having the trouble
about the lamps so many times de-
| scribed.
"Mother, what has happened?' asked
| Mrs. Prawda, when she saw he1 mother
in the doorway OF her room.
@Lamp or schus6.n in German, replied
Mrs. Meyer Witness thought that it was
ga lamp or a shot," that she said.
The witness then told how he ran to
Gerows for help, telling them the story.
MY mudder is shot or lamp has ex-
ploded," were witnesses words.
"Is she dead?" asked the Gerows
Mrs o' G a said, 5aAlasshe shot outside
the Window" Witness replied, !" 1t must
have been" From Gerow's he went
directly home, stopping nowhere He
found his wife standing beside the bed
on which her mother lay. His wife
asked him to bring some warm water,
which he got in the kitchen. His wife
dipped cloths i'll the water and bathed
her mothers face. Then Mrs. Meyer
called him to her bedside and taking his
hand in her two said;
"Mattis lam Going to Die.
Be good to Annie"
At told her l would be-" testified the
witness.
After Mrs. Meyer released his hands the
witness wanted to see if the lamp had
exploded, and searched on the floor find
ing the lamp uninjured. Then he de
cided that it was something else that
hurt Mrs. Meyer. A little search showed
the bullet hole in the PARTITION. Then
with his wife he looked at the window,
finding the little hole in the glass. Then
he knew that bullet had been fired
through the window.
At this discovery, witness testified, he
felt bad because people used mother
this WAY y
A little later his wife said that her
mother was faintipg, and the latter spoke
to him again, saying that she was going
to die. Then his wife told him to go
look for the DOCTOR He took the lamp
that was in the blood and went down
stairs,with it, setting it in the corner of
the hall. Looking out he saw no one
coming and returned to his mothers
room. A little later he heard the sound
of wheels and went out, finding Welch's
EXPRESS team. He told WEIGH his mother
was shot and asked him if he would be
SO kind as to go for the doctor.
Il don't know what you say, where is
rour wife?p was Welch's reply.
His wife came down and repeated the
request, to which WEIGH replied that if
the old lady was as sick as they said,
they had better go into the house and
see to her.