Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-11
ARGUMENTS.
A Court Room Filled with Peo-
pie Still as Death
To Catch Every Word That Fell from
CounseIs' Lips.
Mastery Efforts Of Attorneys Bringing to
Close Mysterious Case.
ARGUMENTS.


taken in the Getchell case has not been fully
manifested until Thursday when the argu-
ments were made.
As early as o'clock in the morning peo-
pie began to come to the court house to
make sure of seat for the day. By the
time Mr.. Heath began his argument for the
defense every available seat inside and out
side the bar was taken and many were
standing.
The prisoner had little more color in
her face than for the past few days and had
resumed the holding of her little boy.
Minnie Jones also sat beside her.
As the half past nine bell rang court was
promptly announced.
Mr.. Heath's argument was the brilliant
effort anticipated.
He said in opening, you are not sitting
here to explain mysteries. Such a burden
as that could not be imposed on you. Your
duty in this case is exceedingly simple, al
though to reach it you will have to sift out
of all this moss of testimony who has told
the truth, whose memories are accurate
who have told you the whole truth. You
will not be complicated in this case with
questions of law. There are no degrees of
murder in this case. A verdict of murder
in the second degree or manslaughter in
this case are not permissible. This unfor-
tunate woman is either guilty of the most
fendish, atrocious murder in the annals of
crime or she is innocent.
The government claims that she COM
mitted this most wicked crime on the house
tops to be seen of all; that she invited her
neighbors and the doctor to come and see
the victim die; that she poisoned him by
degrees and sat by until the end.
There is but one more heinous crime than
this, the killing of his mother by a son.
The law does not require you to take
upon your minds the burden of saying that
this woman did not commit the crime.
With us, not proven and not guilty mean
the same thing. There is no way for you to
find that this woman did not do it. You must
find whether guilt has been proven beyond
all reasonable doubt. (The counsel said
he wished we had in this country the Scotch
verdict. He would then argue on her in
nocence.
You are satisfied that every government
witness has been treated fairly, that the
greatest pains have been taken that on the
cross examination no witness has been
bullied or have words been put in their
mouths. We have sought to draw from
witnesses for the government who sought to
convict, were eager to convict, with half
truths, we have sought to draw out the
trh Ia kpr,t y, Co. hat th,
free.
You are to speak through your foreman
and state whether the government has
proved its case. 1t would be the utmost
folly for me to argue if she didn't do it who
did, as l understand the county attorney
will do. You are not here to work out
my steries inscrutable to all save the AL
mighty. The government says this woman
is guilty. The law says it must be proven
beyo reasonable doubt.
If we had the system of Scotland
would be glad to stand and argue with
my mind and my conscience behind
it that that woman is innocent. But
such is not the condition here, so that in
duty to all concerned, shall confne my
self chiefly to that proposition, that the
government has not proven its case.
The degree punishment makes no differ
ence in the truth. That the punishment for
such crime is ameiorated from what it
once was should not make the slightest diff
ference.
You've had the story of the lives of this
woman and her husband laid before you.
There is no family in which some little diff
Guilty does not arise. The government
has gone into this examination with
microscopic power and with willing wit
nesses eager to prove that Henry Getchell
who died with his arms about the neck of
this woman did not love her.
This part of the argument and passages
a little further along were very eloquent
and pathetic and the prisoner and Minnie
were affected to tears.
Referring to certain witnesses for the
prosecution, Mr.. Heath spoke of the malig-
nant attempts to array trifles to condemn
this woman; that which she was kind to bim
and he to her she was planning and execu-
you have warm blood coursing through your
veins, you have wives, some of you are
fathers. You know from the story of their
dome site life, you know that this story set
up by the government is a human impossi-
bility. The county attorney said Henry
Gett hell loved his boy. Do you doubt that
his wife loves that child as well? Do you
believe that sfter that babe came to them
such thing as is charged could be posi-
bl p (This part of the argument was one
of the most affecting passages in it,
You know gentlemen that the prattling of
that babe would have held her to her hus-
band. A woman may forget for a moment
her husbands honor, but will mother bring
her child to poverty, render him fatherless
by q fiendsh crime II do not believe it. 1t is
admitted that kind relations existed between
husband and wife before his death. Il it
proven that love had left this woman's heart
and hate malignant hate, had entered there
in?
You do not believe woman would kill
her husband by a process causing him ter
rible torture unless love had left her heart
and feeling akin to that of an int ane per-
son had ent cred? ther. in The g5vernme Mt
has told You that because she was infatuated
with La.orest Trask she committed this
crime. After all you have heard of the
REALTORS of LafoI lest Trask with that fam