The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-30

anything yet presented; and afforded a
wide field for cross examination.
AS soon as the court came in Mr.. Blake
was called and the cross examination
began. Mr.. Blake described again how
he went to the Prawda house, looked the
premises over to see if he could find a
gun, and then took Prawda into the
she'd to question him.
"Why did you ask him the questions
alone?" asked Mr.. Soldiers, who conduct
ed the cross examination.
Because thought it best"
"Why?"
THAT was my reason"
"Why was it"
Because thought 1t was best to ask
free to talk"
who were in the house then?n
Mrs. Prawda, George Carter, Mrs. Le-
Lennel, and l think Mrs. Moxcey.n
when you got him into the shed what
did you ask him?"
Il asked him where he was.n
"What did he say?"
He said he was splitting wood"
"Did you ask him further?"
II asked him where he was when he
heard the report and he said he was in
the barn doing chores.
"Did you examine the gun?
ayes. took it down, run my finger
into both muzzles, smelled of it. exam
lined the swab and saw that it was dry,
saw dust on the b ,rrel and stock. and
concluded that it had not been used re-
Gently"
"Did you take Mrs. Prawda and ques-
tion her?"
No."
"Did you say anything to herr"
I said that it was sad affair, and
she said, st is dreadful. Mr.. Blake,
dreadful
"Why did you not question herr"
"She was much overcome, and I
thought it was best not to-"
WAS not Mr.. Prawda overcome also?"
"He was when he talked, she was all
the time"
Just before Mr.. Blake left the house
for good that night, he had a converse
tion with Prawda in the dining room.
At this second conversation Prawda had
said that he was in the privy when he
heard the shot. He rushed to the house
to meet his wife at the door. She asked
him and he asked her about the noise.
In the course of this colIoquy Rrawda
said, "Maybe some one fired a gun.
Maybe the old lady is shot" Then
Prawda said that he went into the
front room and heard groans. Then he
and his wife started up stairs, as has
already been stated.
did you notice any conflicting state
ments in the stories told by Prawda?
asked Mr.. Seiders.
81 did"
did you call his attention to these
conflicting statements?"
"No."
"Why not?"
II did not want to.
@Why didn't you want tor"
"I had my reasons"
Deputy Sheriff Clarence L. Buckman.
of Yarmouth. was called next by Mr..
True Mr.. Buchanan visited the house
Thanksgiving morning, reaching there
about 8 O'Clock, in company with Con-
stable Blake. AS they drove up Prawda
stood in the doorway, "wringing his
hands and taking on"
Witness entered the house, and went
up to Mrs. Myers room.
The counsel for the government asked
the witness to state a conversation he
had with Mrs. Praw6a.
"Was it in the presence of Mr.. Prawda?v
interposed Mr.. Seiders
Part of the time, and part of the
time he was in the adjoining room, but
able to hear
The attorneys for the defense objected
all conversation that did not take place
in Prawda's presence.
Witness then went ont to describe Mrs,
Meyers room as he saw it that morning.
Witness had conversation with ,Praw-
da, in which the latter told witness the
story of being in the privy, etc, and how
he ran into the house, where he said,
on hearing groans;
my God, that's mother" He then
started up stairs, but the light went
out. He shouted annie, bring me a
lamp" She brought it, and he started
again. Again it went out and he called
for some matches. While lighting the
lamp his wife pushed by him. The old
lady they found standing In the door.
She said: Run Tor the doctor, the lamp
has exploded" Prawda said he started
at once for Geroux's. AS he went out
the door he stumble over the water pail,
falling headlong. After returning from
Geroux's he returned home, harnessed
his horse and started for Carter's to
ask him also to go for the doctor.
Witness asked Prawda if he examined
Mrs. Meyers room before going to
Geroux's and Prawda said he did not.
Then witness asked MIN how he hap
pened to speak TO the Geroux family
about the old lady being shot. Prawda
could not explain very well, but later
Mrs. Praw da explained that Mrs. Meyer
he'd said when they reached her that
the lamp exploded just ike shot" and
that this had given Prawda the impress