Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-15
STAIN-CROMWELL.
Petition for Pardon Tabled by
Governors Council.
Two Days Arguments on the Barron
Murder Case Closed.
Hon. Josiah Crosby Claims Suicide. Atty. Gen
Powers and Atty. Pierce Say Murder.

The hearing before the Governor and
Council, on the petition for the pardon of
Stain and Cromwell, in State prison for
numbering Cashier Barron of the Dexter
Savings Bank, Feb. 90, 1873, has closed,
after nearly two days discussion.
In the beginning of yesterday morn.
ing's session Of the Council, Mr.. Pierce
continued bis argument In behalf Of Mrs.
Barron, to the effect that Cashier Barron
met his death at the hands of Stain and
Cromwell. He spoke of a Mr.. Pope, who
lived at Gardiner in 1877, and who re-
fused to keep Stain over night when he
came to his house, as he had known him
In Medfield, Mass, and had considered
him a suspicious character. Pope said
that Stain, upon failing to procure shelter
at his house, vent to a neighbours, not
far distant, where he remained that night.
The people were uneasy and had the
watchdog where he would be liable to at
tack Stain, should he arise in the night
and rove about the hou:e. This time
Stain was alone and was headed for Dex-
ter, Pope claimed.
Another point of evidence which Mr..
Pierce brought up was the statement
made at Watervillc by a man named
Pearson, who said he saw q team pass his
house on the morning following the Dex-
tnr vnrv1ou NTH tuo WAN IN a. 1onlol
for Augusta. His explanation regarding
the description of this team Tailed with
that of other persons who said 1t must
have been the n in charge of Stain and
Cromwell upon their flight from the town
of Dexter.
In speaking Of the question Of identity,
Mr.. Pierce said that he believed 1t an easy
matter to distinguish men of Stain and
Cromwell's age 10 years hence. He said
that he saw these men in Dexter on the
day Barron was murdered, to the best Of
his recollection. At the time of this ter
riblc murder and intense excitement In
Dexter, Mr.. Pierce said the detectives,
who claimed to be experts, concluded it
was the.work of professionals from New
York, and they produced photographs of
the famous Johnnie Dobbs and ''Wor-
cester Sam, together with likenesses of
noted crooks from various parts of New
England. Mr.. Pierce said that when Stain
and Cromwell were arrested and brought
IN novtor ho ront RI tho 1onot ont nf
curiosity, to see them, and recognized
David Stain as the man whom he saw in
Dexter on the day Of Barron's death. He
next called the Councils attention to the
fact that much had been said regarding
the kind Of gag discovered in Mr.. Barron's
mouth, that it was not the kind burglars
that this had no weight, he produced a
gag very similar to the one used In the
Barron case. He said that it was used in
a bank robbery at Milford, n. IT,, where
the national bank was robbed Of over
500, 600. The treasurer was attacked,
tortured, made to open the vault and
6tlS, Wll6u tuC IOUDcTo uuC Hdulf
after which they bound and gagged him,
using the gag held by Mr.. Pierce, which
was simply a piece Of a broom handle
with a hole bored through the center and
two strings tied on the ends. The case,
| Mr.. Pierce said, has been Investigated by
him in Massachusetts, where he claimed
that be found further evidence that Stain
| and Cromwell were the guilty parties.
He said that Stain, in his testimony, said
that he was employed In Franklin, Mass,
in a shoe shop. To that place Mr.. Pierce
went and found that Stain had been en-
ployed on a farm near Franklin and had
worked for a mar named G. W. Dorr, who
4 formerly lived at Dexter. This mans
name Stain did not introduce in his testi.
mony in court. In the interview which
Mr.. Pierce had with Mr.. Dorr regarding
4 stain, Mr.. Dorr said that he could not re-
member the time, but did recollcct that
Stain had told him hat he had been in
Dexter. Mr.. DORIS brother-in-law, a
trustee OF q D60k III FTankllu, anu u
prominent man, was also seen by Mr..
Pierce. and he stated that when visiting
at his brothers farm he engaged in con-
yersation with Stain one day and the lat
ter smoke about Dexter being a pretty
place, implying that he was to some ex-
tent familiar with the town. On his trip
to Massachusetts in this Investigation
work, Mr.. Pierce said that he met a
vounr man who had worked with Stain
on the Dorr farm and that he once saw in
Stains pocketbook what he considered
were two United States government
bonds.
Another valuable piece of evidence
which Mr.. Pierce introduced was the
statement of G. N. Bird of Arlington, Ct,
who on July !, 1877, opened a store in
walpole, Mass, and became acquainted,
in a strange way, with Oliver Cromwell.
BIRD stated that q strange man came to
his Mace one night in October of that
.,od him I'M and said that he