The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-07
DR.. WEBER ACQUITTED.
He Doubtless Has No Further Desire to
Play Detective-Other Court Happenings.
Especial to the PRESS

Alfred, June 6.-Dr. William W. Web
ber went home to, West Lebanon tonight,
free man, and considerably wiser than
when he tried to-.play detective, last fall
and indulged in the singular and hazar-
dous pastime of manufacturing evidence.
The jury this afternoon, after having
spent three days in hearing evidence, and
nearly a fourth in listening to able ar
guments and a careful aud consistent
charge, deliberated an hour and then
brought in verdict declaring that Dr.
Webber was not guilty of setting fire to
Lebanon's new town farm buildings on
the night of August 12.
The closing argument for the defense
was made by Mayor C. S. Hamilton of
Biddeford, who occupied about an hour.
He claimed that the government had
utterly failed to connect the respondent
with the fire, or to get him nearer the
town farm that eyentful August 18th
than the house of Martin Dixon, from
which they claimed he drove toward
home, in the opposite direction from the
fire about g. 30 p. M, while the defense
introduced testimony of reliable wit
nesses that DIR. Webber was in his own
home at that hour, and had been for some
time. Mr.. Hamilton claimed that his
client time that night had been salts
factorily accounted for, and that, had it
not been for his mistake in concocting
the can and handkerchief story. to mis-
lead others while he was working for the
reward, he would never have been sus-
pected of the crime
James A. Edgerly, ESQ.,, who assisted
County Attorney Emmons in the prose-
cution, argued in his mastery way, called
| fzly,fin 20 ttn ioti fr
stories the respondent had told since the
fire; reviewed the governments volumi
nous evidence against him, and laid stress
on the point that the>spot the doctor Sc
lected as the alleged place of finding
the paint can and handkerchief was in a
direct line between the ruins and the
home Of Eugene Newell, superintendent
of the old farm, whom DIR. Webber was
trying to connect with the crime Judge
Strout's charge was able and impressive.
In some respects it was rather favorable
to the respondent. whom the majority of
the spectators who had sat through the
trial had come to believe was innocent,
in spite of the circumstantial evidence
against him that his own admitted false
hoods of last fall had counted.
Hearty congratulations were showered on
the doctor us he left the court room. The
greeting between him and his wife, who
has SO faithfully abided by him in this
unfortunate affair, was very touching u
. CLEANING UP TIE DOCKET. ss
1t was expected that William Boston of
Wells,a who was indicted for feloniously
assaulting a 12- year-old girl, would in
sist on a trial, but he came in this after
noon and pleaded guilty He was, sent
enced to three years in state prison ':
Howard Stirk, the Sanford young
man who was so willing to assume the
role of burglar, and after confessing his
misdemeanors to detective joined with
the latter in a supposed scheme to rob the
Sanford Woolen mills, also decided to
plead guilty to the Indictment of COM
pound larceny There were mitigating
circumstances connected with his case,
and sentence was suspended during his
good behavior.
John Bean of Biddeford, pleaded guilty
to the charge of larceny, and a similar
plea to an Indictment of breaking and
entering was made by William Sleeper of
Alfred.
James Blackler and Mrs. Bates, a
Boston pair who were living as man and
wife in Saco last winter, were released
after having passed about five months in
the county Jail.
Action on liquor cases took up the re-
mainder of the afternoon. 1t is probable
that there will be no civil cases of any
Importance tried this term.