Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-30

Witness examined the clothes before the
| court and identified them. When be first
saw the clothes, they were dirty, about as
| shown at present, little more so il sny-
| thing
The stockings were clotted with dirt
flattened out, and IN pieces, some Of
which were as big as ten cent pieca.
they gave the appearance Of boots having
been Worn ever the stockings and of hsy-
Ing had dirt on first. with boots after
ward. Witness stated that, when he first
examined them, he found dirt in the il.
side OF the boot leg. The pants produced
were badly mudded, witness stating that
their general appearance was about the
same as when he first SAW them.
The stockings were OF light yellowish
gray, one with large hole In it,
Cross examined: Witness stated that
the composition on the stockings was
lean mud, with slight indications of
thera being sand mixed with it. The
clothing Produced consisted of a dark
coat, also gray one, pair of brown
checked pants pair of high boots,
pair of dirty stockings, and some under
clothes. The case also contained some
shaving utensils and tin BASIN such as
used by cooks in the woods, and some pits
of rope.
According to the list taken by Mr..
Norton at the time he first received the
clothes. there were besides the above, an
apron and one of a pair of stockings
which had somehow been lost. There had
slseteeen an overcoat, which the sheriff
haH hTing up in the jail. and which had
ll5sasSt 1aehled by buffalo bugs, and de-
stf0sad by them
At this testimony Mr. Heath nut in
solicitous inquiries as to the safety Of the
prisoners.
Cross examined, witness stated that he
had discovered no blood stains Upon any
of the clothing. :.
Regarding the arrest Of Edgar Thomp-l
SON., Sheriff Norton gave the following
account: ION the Thursday evening
went to the house, and tod him that
had warrant for his arrest for the muir
der of Augustus Sawyer. He at once
replied: II am innocent. didnt t. do
the deed, and l don't know who did.
Someone has been lying about me. Mrs.
Thompson was present and broke into.l
sobs at her husbands arrest, crying
q You didn't do it, Ed, you know you
didn't do it. There was another woman
present. Mrs. ellison, who spoke up for
Thompson, protesting his innocence, as
did two mensswho were there, one If
whom witness recalled was MIR. Keene.
The other one witness thought was Mr..
Flanders.
Thompson went out to an adjacent |
room, to change his clothes. Mr. Norton
followed him, also Mrs. Thompson. |
Latter cautioned Thompson about chang |
ing his clothes, on account of his cold, /
from which he appeared to be suffering. |
Mr.. Norton told Edgar that his brother
AL had been arrested ia Skowhegau, on |
the strength Of remarks made by him. |
He said that he couldn't understand this. |
As Thompson was taken away, Mrs. |
Thompson said to him: q Be careful |
Ed" Witness couldn't say whether she |
referred to his taking care of himself, o.
to his being careful regarding whatever
he might say. Norton could not say that |
Edgar showed any evidences of guilt on |
his countenance, rs he parted from her, |
hut that they looked intently at each |
other.
When asked if he could recall any
further conversation as having passed be |
tween those present, Mr. Norton replied |
that he could not with any degree of def
niteness but spoke of the stout main |
tenance of Thompson's innocence by all |
present. Mrs. Thompson sobbing made it
impossible fs' hip to discern all that she
said
L. T. Carleton, on cross examination, |
stated that in his opinion the hay in the.
barn when no examined it on his first
visit showed no appearance of having |
been tossed over That there was about |
500 pounds of hay, in his opinion. Witness
also stated that the portions of hair ard
beard of Augustus Sawyer he had first
seen when it was before the grand Jury |
last December That he had given in
structions the previous summer to the
selectmen of the town for procuring it.
Mr.. Little testified that the hay covered |
a spaco of about 90 by ID feet, extending |
from the southwest corner, where it was
about three feet deep TO either side. He |
was present with Mr.. Carleton when
latter'discove1ei the Impressions CD tine
hay. He said the hay showed evidence Of |
having been cut, and turned back. !!
looked as If 1t might have been made by |
two men. The indentstion Of the hay |
was close ny whore the umbrella was
found.
Oscar True had informed him, the
Tuesday morning following the murder,
OF the finding of the umbrella. The um- |
trelia was given to Mr.. Frost, in the
presence of MI. Carleton and witness had |
seen umbrellas in the Sawyer house the |
day after the one had been fonnd in the |
barn. Those in the house were dry; the I
one fonnd in the barn. wet.
Gross examined: Witness stated. that on |
the Monday of the murder, &c thought
that none of the searchers had been on the
hay; as anyone could see the entire NOV
from the floor, and there was no necessity
for anyone's climbing over the hay lie
knew nothing of the finding OF the two
purses in the house. He stated that the
clothes found on the murdered man were
not wet and that he thought that they
were not even damp Int was not positive
of this. Witness said that he thought
that the boots found ON the murdered
man, were a little damp.
Albert Sawyer on redirect stated that
he had never owned the umbrella which
was found.
Cross examined: Witness did not know
anything about the umbrellas owned ny
| his uncle. and was in no way to know