Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-02
THOaNE MURDER TRlsL.
fhe Evidences 81! In and the Counsel Making
Their Arguments.

PARIS, March l.-Thursday forenoon
Hon. Geo. d. Bisbee opened for the re-
.pondent in the Thorne murd,r trial. Ev.
cry person is presumed to he innore,t un.
I'll proved guilty. No one knows ho shot
Whitman. The struggle on the store plat
form between Mr.. Newell and the burglar
occurred in utter darkness. Shots came
;bich and fa frCm the north of them
Whitman was south of them, no person
knows just where.
The State claims that this burglar was
Thorne. It's own witness, Mr.. Newell
testified that he did not know the burpla,
| fred Thorne, then, did not shoot Whit
man. Several witnesses testified that
Thorne was good scholar, regular at
| tendant at Sabbath school, and was gener-
ally considered model young man, and
hat Officer Garland gave slightly different
testimony before the inquest.
At this point the defence asserted that
there was no necessity for further testimony
because the testimony presented by the
State had proved The innocence of the re-
spondent.
Hon. James S. Wright closed for the re-
spondent. The death Of Whitman was the
result of bungiing work. When Mr.. New
ell entered the store the burglar tried to
dart out behind him showing that he in
tended no harm to any person. Newell
grabbed him in the doorway and was in
stantly dragged on the platform of the
piazza. At the same instant, according to
the States testimony, five or six shots were
fred rapidly, all from the same direction.
Mr.. Newell is clear headed. He remem-
bers every detail distinctly. 1t is clearly
impossible that a man struggling in his
arms could have shot another person with
out Mr. Newell knowing it. Mr.. Newell
testified that 10 far as he knew the burglar
be grappled with fred no shots.
Mr.. Wright continued his srgu 'ont for
the respondent in the afternoon. Ihe evil
dence shows that Whitman was probably
standing at the south end of the piazza. Ac-
eording to Officer Garland he fired his shots
from The northeast angle of the piazza
southwest toward the door. His evidence
as to the number of shots he ticed is con-
Trajectory. The State claims that Garland
fred Ave shots and Thorne one. The evil
dence shows that there we're seven or eight
shots. How can these other shots be ac-
counted for unless Officer Garland used his
.ther 80 size revolver, or the burglar had
an accomplice?
Attorney General Powers a'g1ed for
the State: The defence have been
driven to the wall in every posi-
ton taken. The State changes its
position and Claims murder in the first
degree. They virtually admit that Thorne
was the burglar who was surprised IN the
store on the night of the murder. The hat
dropped by the fleeing burglar has been
identified as Thorne's. The combination
of the safe and key to the inside vault were
found in Thorne's pocket. Thorne himself
admitted to Mr.. Newell that he fred once.
Add to this Mr.. Stones testimony yesterday.
Officer Garland had no revolver of the
size that caused Whitman's death. Whit
man was shot before Garland fred a. all.
The bullet taken from Whitman's body fits
Thorne's revolver, but does not tit Gar
lands. The burglar, when grabbed by
Mr.. Newell in the doorway, had the free
use of his arms Newelis words were ::
..The first shots flashed right up in my face
and were apparently nearer than the
others" Thorne himself admitted thst he
fired once.
Thorne alone had a revolver using the 32
size, central fire cartridge, such as was
found in Whiiman's body. Thorne must
have fred before Mr.. Newell threw him
down. This revolver cannot be accidentally
discharged. 1t is hard to pull. Thorne's s
words were 81 fred but once" This does
not imply an accident.