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

to pour that poisoned gin and sulphur down
the sink spout to run out on the snow where
her little boy was in the habit of playing,
and liable to get enough of the poison to
kill him. -
Again that bottle was left in that buttery
all the afternoon where Fowler and others
might have drank. When Jack Fowler
brought out that gin in the evening he
might easily have taken gin enough to kill
him as others might have done. There that
bottle was allowed to stand silent witness
of her guilt until the doctor might acct
dentally turn it down the sink. The county
attorney will argue who did do it? But
that's not for you to prove.
The defence in its desire to get the truth
would have been able to save two hours
had the government told us tina. Prof.
Robinson had analysed the contents
of that bottle. But it was
part of the policy of secrecy followed
by the prosecution.
OF course we haven't proven suicide. We
didn't expect to prove it. The probabili-
ties point against suicide, but it affords
reasonable doubt. When we approach the
realm of accidents we come to the unknow-
able.
If you can't state that you are inxardy
certain she's guilty, then she must be &C.
quilted. - ~
As to the conversation testified to by the
Robinsons as to the third drink of gin, this,
to my mind, arose from a misunderstand-
ing. One that came from the last part of
remark about gin counteracting the effect
of the medicine, and from that they uncon-
sciously framed in their minds converse
ton that really didn't take place. They do
not recollect any reply being made.
Mr.. John T. Fowler, in this case, has
certainly not told the truth. He's the man
who suggested giving the gin he suggested
vomiting. Why vomiting? Getchell hadn't
Der how the experts fastened to qualify
been intensely bitter.
The only proof that there was any strych-
nine in the gin depends on one statement of
Jack Fowler, when he ssid he took one
spoonful of the mixture of hot water, two
to one, and sugar, and he said it was Bit
ter, so bitter it rolled his stomach.
Why, gentleman, gin does disguise the
bitter of strychnine somewhat, but even
then would be so intensely bitter that per-
son drinking two swallows of it would spit
it out Immediately. Jack Fowler is the
man who is perfectly cure Minnie took
breakfast with them, who is perfectly sure
Henry did not go for the water, which has
been disproven. Why does Jack Fowler
invent that statement about Henry lying
on the lounge; that Henry said he was
afraid to take any more gin? This when
Getchell had taken two swallows of the
clear gin and sulphur and sat down with
rel III to his dinner. This man, when he
drank the diluted, sweetened gin, noticed
the bitter taste before aud after it was
given him. JacK Fowler was bound to
swear this bitter through. On its direct he
stated that Getc.,ell did not say anything
about its being bitter. Although he swears
he saw Getchell drink from the bottle in the
morning, so to fix the opportunity on Mrs.
Getchell, he then swears that when they
wanted the gin again, they could not find
the bottle.
Gentlemen, will you send this woman to
living death on such testimony of such a
man as Jack Fowler?
Throughout the argument was sustained,
exhaustive, eloquent, and listened to with
such close interest that for hours there was
almost perfect quiet in the court room.
The argument was Ave and one-half hours
in length and did not lack interest for a
minute of that time. No abstract, indeed
no full report, could give but a faint idea
of the impression made by this mastery
argument.