Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-12-11
BURTON ON TRIAL.
The HaI|oweIl Case of Assault
With Intent to Kill.
Charged With ChIoroforming Miss
Ida N. Katon, Nov. 10.
Rather Strong Circumstantial Evidence But
Burton Denies Whole Story.

rendered at noon.
state VS.. same, same counsel, on an in
dictment for breaking and entering the
slaughter house of Daniel Berry and the
larceny therefrom of Is pounds of corned
beef, on the night of the 25th of October
last. The case was opened to the jury
before adjournment at noon. Upon the
coming in of the court in the afternoon,
the respondent withdrew his plea Of not
guilty and pleaded, Ilolo contendere. The
case was then continued for sentence until
the April term. In the case Of the larceny
of the oats exceptions were filed.
State VS.. A. p Burton. County attor-
ney for State, A. NJ. Spear for defendant.
Indictment for an assault upon one Ida
NJ Katon at Hallowell, in November last,
with intent to kill and murder, by the use
of chloroform.
Walter A Katon brother of the party
alleged to have been assaulted, was called
by the government and testified that on
the night of Nov. 10, he was away from
home, but returned about o'clock in the
and mother, and he and Burton occupied
IA room together on the second floor across
the hallway from the room of his three
sisters Ida, who is 21 years old, and two
Younger, the latter occupying bed by
themselves.
81 came in at 3 O'Clock, locked the door
and went right up stairs When l went
up stairs l seemed to feel as though there
was somebody near me, and as | turned
round at the head of the stairs l could see
into my sisters room, the door of which
was open, and onto her window, the
curtain of which was up. l stepped into
the doorway of her room and / saw Mr.,
Burton from his hips to the top of his
head; could see his outline. spoke to
him twice and he made no answer.
~ went into my room for a light which
| found there, lighted and turned down.
When | got the light 1 heard him jump
onto the stairs in his stocking feet, and
when | went back he spoke to me and
made the remark that he had caught me,
| or something like that. went into my
| sisters room and looked around, and
smelt chloroform, as l thought.
81 looked at Ida and found she was
| white, and | found stocking saturated
| with chloroform lying about an inch from
her mouth and nose, and her pillow satu-
rated l tried to bring her to and she got
| to breathing and spoke.
| "When | first saw Burton he was in my
sisters room about six or eight feet from
me. l asked him what he wanted and he
made no reply. When l saw him on the
stairs he was about the second step from
| the top and he had hold of the rail as
though he had turned about half round
after he had jumped.
"After had seen that my sister was
alive / went in and accused Burton of il
and he said he had just come up from
down stairs had been to the water closet
but there are five doors to pass through to
90 to the closet and not one of them but
opens hard and you can hear it all over
the house, and there was not a door open
after locked the door and went up stairs.
| Burton had gone to bed when | went in
and accused him.
."I says: My sister has been chloro-
| formed and you did it,
"He SAYS: Il didn't. | haven't been
out of the room, only down to the water
closet. =
Il says; There is the stocking satura-
ted with chloroform' and he smelt of it
and says: BY CORY, that is chloroform,
| haint it,. "
"The stocking belonged to Seth Webb,
who roomed with us, but was away that
night The bottle here in court was found
out doors, under Burton's window the next
morning. l slept in room with my
brothers that night but | heard a window
| showed up in Burton's room after went
| to bed.
% / did not inform my father or mother
of this affair that night. My sister didn I
want me to. l locked the stocking up in
my trunk until morning about $. 30 when
| took it out The stocking was all wet
when | found it rolled up by my sister.
| Nv sister was lying on her right side.
| Ii was about five or 10 minutes before ]
could get any life into her.
| The witness was then cross examined
as to the location of the rooms and as 10
the light of the moon.
ssBurton had no light when | saw him
on the stairs and there was no light in my
sisters room. When | saw him on the
stairs he said he had caught me. He had
| iol,ed me before this about being out late.
| understood his remark as having re
| ference to my having been out late. l did
not accuse him of anything until after
had been into my sisters room. Hey went
right by me into his room and went into
my sisters room. / went into his room
and accused him and he said: No, Walter,
didn't. | have been to the water closet
and inst came from down stairs.
81 said: Il don't believe it. You just
came from her room.
"He says: No 1 didn't either. You
are mistaken l had been on good terms
with Burton"
Annie f. Katon, the mother of Ida, testi-
fed that Burton had boarded at her house
since some time prior to September; that
on the night in question she and her hus-
| band slept down stairs and she was sick
with cold and did not sleep much.
! Heard Walter when he came in and
I went ND stairs and heard loud talking up
l there afterward Was in position TO
hear anyone going through the rooms to
the water closet, but heard nobody. Ida
/ came down stairs very soon after Walter
came in. She was very much excited and
very cold and kept wringing her hands