Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-12-31
THE DEFENCE.
Evidence To Show an AIibi
for Thompson Brothers.
Eloquent Opening by Attorney Good
win In BshaIf of the Prisoners.
Government Will Call Witnesses in RebuttaI
OF Statements by Defence.

The hearing in the case of the Thomp
son brothers, charged with the murder O
Augustus sawyer, was continued IL
Meonian Hall, Monday morning, opening
with an eloquent appeal by Attorne,
Goodwin in behalf OF the prisoners.
The attendance for the day was tn,
largest Of the hearing, especially in thu
afternoon, when the hall was well filled
The interest in the case increases, ant
the hearing, tomorrow, promises to bSH6i
| largest attended of any.
The opening argument, by Forrcsa
Goodwin. ESQ, was as follows:
Your Honor:
Seldom in the history of criminal prac.
tice in this State has there been case in
which at the preliminary hearing so much
time has been occupied, or IN which 50
voluminous mass of testimony has been
presented to the presiding judge Usually
the prosecuting officers have presented a
lew OF their strong points without ex-
hibiting their whole case, and that has
been sufficient for the court to commit.
But in this case there has been no direct
evidence. The links of the chain of cir
cumstantial evidence have been so remote
and so disconnected that the distinguished
county attorney, influenced by the person
who worked this case up, has been forced.
at great expense 10 the county, to put in
vast amount Of testimony and on i'm
material and Insignificant points.
The public has been quick to resent
such course of procedure. The feeling
In this community in this case is not the
morbid sentimentality which the county
attorney in his opening represented it to
to be; it is the outraged sense of public
deeency and justice. These men are
American citizens, guaranteed protection
by the constitution in their happiness.
their liberty and their homes and If an
unknown newspaper reporter can come
into home as guest, be treated as
friend and then from the statements of
his host concoct q story full of misappre-
tensions and inaccuracies, and drag his
host before the bar of justice to answer to
the charge Of the murder of man of
whom he never heard, then none are safe
the constitution Is farce and we might
as we'll live in the Fill islands as in
Maine.
A newspaper rightly managed and intel.
ligently directed is d magnificent instrn.
mcnt for good It protects tbe innoccpt
Furnishes the guilty and maintains the
equilibrium of society. But when wrongly
directed and used for personal ends and
sggrandizemc,it. careless of nnb,ic RIGHTS
it becomes an instrument Of tn, devil in
carnate. 1t Furnishes the innocent ac
quits the guilty and DESTROYS the neaca of
society.
The defence 80 a.,..,,, ....,s
tha nonn,. .,ttasso, o IN. p..ssu Mhcn
bis sta.o,,,a,,t ~ 9. -. s M ~
,,,n s,,r,,,;s.:ssSs ~ : s's' ~ Wet
iistan;na Iii 9h.taS s..SsH : uese'opeo'
nnrtant -, - - rosaAr..,. i'l Sums ~
would at least have tehfiencp; =, fix thn
crime upon the accused. Is finil that the
chimerical creations Of hIsy yUpenisiy ,vere
not even sustained by the testi,nonv NJ |
his witnesses.
We were more thar axrr surprised |
when. on Saturday nflns wjthnnt bay;no
put In a single Important fast or nrovsn |
q single material circumstance thai
pointed to the guilt .of fhe nrisonars tha
distinguished ATTORNEY closed his ease and |
had the effrpnterv horn Of his misgni5ad
enthusiasm. to ..ask your honor 10 nd
probable ca,ieappainst these men
We do NOT claim that this i a case Of |
conspiracy, for that wouia be 70 imneacb
tho officers Of thc law: we do mt claim
that it is a case Of malicious nrosecntio,
for the State can feel no malice Z wa do
not claim that it is 4 case of false arress
for the sheriff OF this county via rxs.,ra
out theconnplelnt upon which these men
yerp arrested has always. consoin,i. ~ tl,aI
high dignity Of his Office. conductcd thai
criminal affairs of this county l1non theI
broad plane OF truth and Justice and mi
such d manner that criminals baveI
asa;.nad ~ ,o-,,aot L;,, 49,, 80 =. -1 |