Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-25

| Mr.. James GOODWIN and a man with hin
returning home in team from work II
was raining quite hard when saw Mr.
Sawyer
Cross examination by Mr.. Heath-My
sons name is William K Brown, INV In
Boston. When l returned from the Cen.
ter on the afternoon of the SAWYER muir
der, my son said, . You've made a quick
trip, looking up at the clock. y II guess
you didn't go TO the Center, did you!''
l said Yes, / have, too. | glanced at
the clock and it was either five niintss of,
Or five minutes past G. Run my clock by
standard time. Think it was nearly
right. Sawyer's place is a mile and a
half from my place, which is three mill 5
east of Monmouth Center 1t must have
been after clock in The afternoon when
| started for the Center |. rained quite
| hard most of the time. 1t was so SUurDy
that we did 10 outdoor work. that day
| Fix the time OF my return home from the
fact that the postmaster. who is in he
habit of going 10 his supper at o clock
| had just returned from it, is II as pre-
parng to start for home He advised me
to wait for the rain to let up; but told
him was already wet, and might as well
get home before dark
| DR.. Fl NJ. Blake testified that he lived
| at Monmouth and was a physician and
surgeon. Was one Of those who performed
the autopsy, Monday afternoon, upon Mr.
| Sawyer; was assisted by Drs. Marston and
Edwards. He examined body when it
was removed from barn. The sds of the
| face was bloody. There were spo-s upon
| the nose and each side Of the face that ap-
peared to be powder stains. Found a clot
Of blood on the upper lip. Washed it away
and found perforation extending into
the brain. Did not remove the bullet at
that time. Removed the body to the
house and sent for instruments TO per-
form an uutopsy These arrived about
dusk, and opening the skull, the bullet
was discovered embedded near the base of
the brain. Could not tell from our exam
nation nov long the body had been dead.
Death would be immediate and uncon-
scious, as a result of such L wound. Re
member that the weather was stormy,
the Saturday preceding the murder. [
shonld think Mr.. Sawyer was about >
feet and s inches in height. The bullet
passed into his head nearly horizontally.
We gave the bullet to Coroner kilbreth.
The county attorney here produc, II
bul}etwhich the Goctor identified to the
best of his remembrance as the one re-
moved from Sawyer's brain. The doctors
testimony was substantially repetition
of his testimony before the coroner's jury,
which was published in full by the Ken
nebec Journal in its long account of the
murder, the following morning.
Cross examip ati IN by Mr.. Hcath-ThC
bullet found was of IA 30 -calibrc. Should
say that he had been dead from "a to As
hours. We supposed that the time of the
crime was very nearly fixed, and there
fore did not give special attention to this
phase of the matter. l do not know
whether or not any examination of the
body has been made since it was buried
At the time it was found the body had
on short frock and overallS.
The wound Mr. Sawyer received would
cause instant unconsciousntss, and, |
think. death
Redirect. Have you known Mr.. Saw
yer long"
Yes, sir.
"How long,"
81 moved back to Monmouth in 1875,
and had known him from that time.
odd you know Of any enemies
L never KNOW bUuU ut lldti du tIltlHy III
the world.
"Did he have any reputation of being a
miser and having boarded wealth."
q never beard it.
Charles f. Kilbreth stated that he was
coroner and had charge of the inquest
over the body of Augustus Sawyer. When
| arrived on the scene of the murder was
met by Mr.. Libby, the first selectman of
the town He conducted me to the body.
turned it over and made some slight
examination. Had the body carried out
to the light. Asked if any physicians were
present. Drs Marston, Blake and Ed
wards responded l put the autopsy into
their hands and had the body removed to
the house While the doctors were por-
forming this work l empauellcd 4 jury,
and proceeded with the inquest Searched
the body, but found nothing. Had u
thorough search made for a revolver, but
none was found. Heard nothing about
any tramps having tcrn seen in the
vicinity
Cross examination by Mr.. Heath-My
attention was called to drops of blood
upon the side of the stall. Searched for
n revolver in the stalls and passage way
near the body. Did not search in the hay
m0ws Found evidence that be had
MIXED. There were pans of milk setting
upon the table in the southeast room.
Cream had risen in them There was
also some food upon the same table. Did
not look at his milk pals; saw none. /
saw no milk room. His house was not
very orderly one. Should say the table
where the milk sat was hard wood one.
1t had leaves that raised from the side.
These leaves, as | remember them, were
up. There was no pan of apparently new
milk on the table. There was cream in
all Of them. Do not know that any Of
this milk was kept for examination. !
did not connect it anyway with the muir
der. There were some loaves of bread
and doughnuts on the table. There was
a cook stove in the kitchen; but / do not
remember what was on it. Examined
the two bed rooms. The bed clothes were
piled upon the floor as if some one had
pulled them off and thrown them there.
Redirect-Thers was no other county
officer present at the time Of the inquest.
Mr.. Heath Were the losves cut;'
A.-'No, they were broken loavcs, nn-
cut
Did the food have the appearance of
some one having eatCn;'