The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-28


ness held the lantern close and carefully
observed Lewis's boots and pants. He
observed that the boots had been recent
ly wiped. This was objected to as al
opinion and was stricken out.
We're the shoes muddy or clean?"
They were Clean"
Witness saw the coat that he covered
the feet with the next Sunday afternoon
The coat was then shown the witness.
and he said that his recollection was thai
that was the coat.
On the night of the 18th there was
BLOOD ON THE BREAST
of the coat and the sleeves. 1t was
single breasted coat and clean on one
side, where it had been buttoned over.
The blood had since dried off. Witness
searched around the barn for tracks, but
not on the northerly side or back side
1t was cold night after 7.30 O'Clock.
When witness drove down the ground
had frozen. 1t was bright clear night.
There was some snow on the southeriy
side of the barn.
Cross examined by Counsel Seiders.
Witness was called that night at Gorham
somewhere from 7.45 to SIS. He first
went to the Harding store. Lewis and
| GRAHAM were there. Witness did not
hear any conversation between Harding
and Lewis the first time he entered the
store. After he returned to the store
the second time he heard no conversation
between Lewis and Frank G.. Harding
but he saw the latter in the store. From
the store to the Coburn place the wit
ness thought that 1t was mile and
three quarters. A bout 60 rods from the
Coburn place road turns off that goes
nearly due north and leads to Little
Falls.
Witness knew where Mcdonald lives.
1t is about a half mile from Gorham
Corner on the same road as the Coburn
| house.
the bar away from the door. He took
hold of the hand of Coburn. There
was no warmth in the hand and very
little in the lower Jaw. The mouth was
open to is full extent. The time would
not vary over ten minutes from 8. 30
O'Clock. The window in the tie up can
be pushed up so that witness put his
| head and shoulders outside. The head
was about seven feet from the door. The
tie-up stall in which Coburn lay was a
double one, and about seven feet wide.
| He examined the hat carefully.
| The hat was produced and identified,
| as in the same condition as when he saw
it lying OIL the floor. There was the cut
in the top of 1t and the tuft of hair on
| the inside
Witness offered the remark at this
point that he was surprised to see how
| the blood had disappeared from the
coat. In regard to this coat he would
state just where the blood was and
where it ought to be now." He made
| no examination of the coat that night.
| He noticed only that his hand was
bloody after handling the coat. He
could not have got blood OH his hand
| by touching Mr.. Columns head. The
| wounds were apparent only after you
| went round to the back of the head.
From the front only the lower part of
the wounds could be seen near the edge
| of the hair.
Witness was the first official to visit
the place after the murder. The reason
why he did not examine more thorough
ly as to tracks was because he did not
want to disturb anything before the
Coroner came. Between the house and
the barn there was practically no snow
on the ground.
GRAHAM that evening. He did not
notice his shoes. He had mo reason to-"
He had
FULLY MADE UP HIS MIND.
to the man he would pursue in this
matter as the one who perpetrated the
deed. He investigated carefully and all
the time had his mind made up as to
VINO committed the deed. Witness made
further investigation than he had al
ready stated. He examined the tie-up
and tool room carefully. He had CONVEX
sation with several parties. They all
tended towards one result and pointed to
one person. He had learned where Lewis
was that evening. He did not recall
l.. l. .r1-o L
that evening. but heard others state i'll
regard to it. II kept my ears open and
Learned all could"
He did not examine Coleman's shoes.
In the stall whore Coburn lay the plank
dropped eff at one place, about three
inches. The body was lying square on
it's back. The right leg was slightly
dawn up. The head was resting on the
plank, but to WITNESSES recollection it
was not upon the raised portion of the
plank. He was extremely positive as
to that The head was SO thrown back
that the throat was exposed to view.
Is it not possible that you may
have been mistaken as to where that
head rested?"
ut is not posi- BILE to me"
The blood spatters were about three |
feet high on the partition. There was |
great amount of blood and brains under |
the head. There were spatters of blood |
around where the hat lay on the floor.
When witness first arrived the blood on |
the face seemed to be thoroughly dry,
and the blood under the head had |
"Vas there not a large stain of blood
on the raised planks?
"Ceruainly there was. There was blood
all around. 1t was the most gruesome
sight / ever saw"
Direct resumed. When witness was
at Harding's store the first time his at
tention was particularly direced to the
te!ephoning Tor coroner.
Standing at the feet of Byron Coburn
as he lay on the floor witness said that
you could scarcely see anything of the
injuries in the top of mis- head: you could
only have seen some blood marks on the
edge of his hair.
Cross examination resumed. Witness
when he entered the tie-up did not stop
and take a careful survey of the body.
From his feet as you stood there you
could not zee the wounds OH the top of
MS head"
"Isn't your sight detectives?
AT distance of six feet away his
sight has always been particularly sharp
hough he cannot see to read very well.
CIVIL ENGINEER JORDAN.