Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-14

after all this evidence was in, afte
you have heard that the jury would neve
have agreed had they known the trutl
o the B G. Sanborn receipt; You SO,
that the jury was kept out many hours
twice reported inability to agree, ant
were repeatedly instructed before the,
could arrive at a verdict.
! Mr.. Crosby then turned bis attention tt
Judge Peters opinion, and ~endeavored t.
show that he warped the testimony il
several important particulars.
1 Addressing the Council: "You havt
the handouts testified to by George A. Alb
bolt, important evidence not before the
jury you nave Josiah H. Drummond's ties
timony that everything fitted the wounds
you have the insurance papers and other
papers. and the evidence that Barron ap-
pointed an executor older han himself
you have the auditors report; you have
evidence that the jury had not. You
have the Leavitt papers. There was nc
coal scattered over the floor, no smooch,
no dust on Barron's clothes. No noise
was heard in the bank. represent men
in Dex ter who simply want justice done,
who nave nothing to gain by it; who
want to see Stain and Cromwell treated
like human beings. These men collected
between $4,000 and $4,000 for Barron's
family and which we shall pay over when
the boy attains the age of 81. These mer.
all liked Barron, they do not wish to sully
his name; they are not doing all this for
the sake of victory. We do not feel, how
ever, that injustice should be amended.
We would indeed be mean men If we did
not make IN effort to right this wrong.
Il. H. B. Pierce, Esq, then addressed
the Governor and Council at length. He
said he regarded this an extraordinary &C.
casion, because an attack is made upon
the reputation of the lead treasurer and
his family. The family nave ever stood
in the attitude Of repelling this accusa-
ton. The officers had kept all knowledge
in their own hands, so that when this
charge of suicide was made the family
was in entire Ignorance of whatever in
formation might be had from the books
The allegations were then much greater
than now. They alleged then that Bar
ron was a defaulter for more thar $4,000.
But when all was summed up by the
auditors, the discrepancies only amounted
to some $1,000, (Crosby-s1700). AS to
the allegation about the bond, it could
not be found. We could not prove any
thing about the murder, save that we had
evidence of strangers In town and in the
bank on that day. The press was full of
statements ~emanating from these same
bank men, to the effect that Mr.. Barron
committed suicide. Even Judge Peters
believed 1t until the auditors statements
were made. AS to the insurance paper
upon which such an Interpretation had
been put, there is nc mention about the
Leavitt loss. Mr.. Pierce then stated
what he considered caused Mr. Barron to
take out this life insurance. THE Eu-
ropean & North American bond purchase
In 1875 lies at the bottom of this paper"
Then the assets got very low and Barron
did what a dishonest man would not do,
wrote to Bank Examiner Bolster about
it. 1t seems he advised getting some
thing out of what had been charged off to
profit and loss, so as to bring the surplus
up to the proper point. This life insurance
was charged into tho surplus. All the sub
sequent changes were made to keep out
of view this addition to the assets. Moth
ing was taken out of the bank. This
practically covers all that is suspicious
concerning Barron's relations with the
bank.
These alleged fictitious entries, with
possibly one exception, relate TO this and
the Fitzgerald transaction. His books
showed. if the bond entry was genuine,
just what was due from Barron to the
bank. 1t was a ~dishonorable thing for
the bank not to give Mr.. Barron credit
for the $4,000 aocruing from his life in
surance. 1t was ridiculous to allege that
for the tri6ing sum involved Barron took
his own life. No one who heard the tes-
timony could doubt but what strangers
were in town on that day and travelled
through the new snow II Waterville. The
evidence was overwhelming.
Mr.. Barron on the morning of that
fatal day appeared to have 1925. Every
check taken until passed into the national
bank was represented in his cash balance.
There is evidence that quite a number
went into his bank that morning, pre-
sumably to get checks oashed. We say for
that $685., giving the dead man the bene-
fit of doubt, he may have had every dol
lar of his cash balance In his cash tray.
When the murderers took the contents
of that cash tray there would be no evil
dence unless some person should explain
that they had let him havec checks or bills.