The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-01
New Evidence Filed in
Court Today.
1t is COrrObOrative of Claim
of Alibi by Defendant.
TheWitneSSeS Have Their Characters
Certified to by Prominent Men.

Pursuant to the order OF the court
made some time ago, when the matter OF
assigning date for the hearing of the pc
tition of Lawrence Keegan, found guilty
by jury OF the murder of Emily Cham
bers, was heard, T.. q. Pierce, Esq, of
counsel for the prisoner today filed affi-
davits OF new evidence in the case with
the clerk of the appellate division OF the
Supreme Court.
The number of these affidavits is 10 and
four of the most important are TO the
effect that the makers of them saw Kee-
gan on Westminster street on the after
noon OF September 27, between and 4 80
o'clock. The new evidence offered is of
an important and interesting nature.
Damon 4. Chapman, who resides at Riv-
erside and who is jeweler by trade, and
also q bairdresser, says in his affidavit
that he left Riverside at about o'clock
in an electric car for this city; that he
came here on the 9th OF Septem Der,
1894, TO get some wages due him from
man for whom he worked named George
r.. Curtis, who did work for the Waite,
Thresher Company and that he intended
after he received his wages to pay his
dues as a member of Court. Westminster
OF the Order of Foresters to w. III.
Field, the financial secretary of the court
named, whose place of business at that
time was on North Main street in this
city; that Lawrence Keegan was at the
time a member of Westminster Court
where Chapman had seen him and ex-
changed a word or two with him previous
to the 9th of Septem ber, and he had also
seen Keegan on the streets OF Providence
previous 10 the day named and had then
talked with him many times. Kee-
gan, when Chapman met him on
the day named, was in front of
the Industrial Trust Company's
building and was alone and he ssluted
him and asked how things were at the
cUurt, to which question keegeH- replied
they were not taking many in now. He
told Keegan he was going to pay his
dues and then Keegan told him he saw
Field just go up Westminster street.
Chapman understood the remark to mean
that the financial secretary of the court
could not be found at his place of busi-
ness on North Main street, 80 the wit
ness aid not go there but took car and
went home, leaving Keegan standing in
front of the building next east of the In
dustrial Trust company's building at a
time which must have been about half
past four. Chapman saws he arrived in
Providence before o'clock on that day
and was paid bis wages by Curtis in his
shop on Orange street, and that 1t must
have been later than s:20 o'clock when
the conversation referred to took place.
Keegsn at this time, witness says, was not
very drunk hut had more than enough.
On the afternoon of the 9th inst.
Chapman claims he was only in the city
during the last week in September on the
day named and on SATURDAY, the 18TH
inst, when he paid his dues, that fact be-
ing entered in the regular dues
account book that he has in his posses
sion and it was necessary TO pay his dues
before the end of the month of Septem-
ber i'm order to remain in good standing
in the court and for that reason the
fact was impressed upon his memory that
he started to pay his dues on Thursday,
the 9th of the month named.
He also met Keegan on the Saturday
night named and spoke TO him but did
not then known his name but recognized
him when he saw his pictures in the
papers as the man he had talked with and
who was member of Westminster Court.
On the 18th of July, 1895, Chapman
first saw keegan again, after the
times mentioned, when he went with Il.
&. Pierce, Esq, out TO the jail in
Cranston, but on that occasion did not
speak TO the prisoner nor had he informed
counsel for Keegsn of the facts in his
affidavit until after Keegan was convicted
of murder. Cha pman says that he has
barber shop at AZ Chestnut street, but
during the latter part of septemb ber he
worked at his home in Riverside on jew
elry for one Curtis.
Ellen Quinn, wife OF John Quinn, who
resides at 964 Atwefls avenue, in this
city, says that on Thursday, the 9th day
of September, 1891, she was driven by her
husband in an open buggy TO the school
OF the Christian Brothers, on Fountain
street, in this city, and IL was her inten-
tion 10 take her little boy, who was a
pupil at the school, and drive him home,
but as the school closed at $3.50 O'Clock,
she was too late, he having gone home.
After leaving the school her husband
drove to Burke's wholesale liquor saloon
on Eddy street, and went i'm while she
waited in the buggy. Her husband was
i'm the saloon, she thinks, about ten min
utes and then drove through Eddy street
to Westminster, and turned up Westmin-
ster street and drove home. Immediately
after the buggy had turned into West
minister street Mrs. Quinn says she saw
Keegan, with whom she was acquainted,
on the sidewalk, IN front of the Five and
Ten Cent store, walking slowly down the
street. He was smoking cigar and
when she bowed TO him he took of his
hat to her and her husband and there
was no conversation between them. She
swears positively that il was after
O'Clock when she saw Keegan and sup
poses il was very near o'clock. When
she read in the papers of the supposed
connection OF Keegan with the murder
OF Emily Cham bers she told her sister of
having seen Keegan ut the time named
and she never had any doubt about the
Gay ngsThursday, the 27th OF Septem-
ber, but she did not tell any one except
her sister, because her husband did not
wish her to get mixed up i'm the case.
She Gays that she was sick all he last week
lnnttnn9d Danp