Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-28
THE SAWYER CASE.
The Government Brings Out
Its Strongest Testimony.
Alleged Remarks by Albert Thompson
Regarding Murdered Man.
Presence Shown OF Two Men on the Hav-
Cther Points.

ihe PROBATE court room was packed
FRIDAY, during the entire hearing of til,
thompson brothers for the murder of An
9usUus Sawyer. The evidence was abou
! ~ varied as one could desire to listen to
and certain features were advanced which
VIII bear close following The hearins
I opened soon after O'Clock.
4 Charles f. leighton of Monmouth
i opened the testimony. Cross examined
he stated that Edgar Thompson had made
reference to him Of the two tramps seer
passing on the day of the murder as t.
how they were dressed, and stated that
they carried an I'M brelia.. The. interview
between witness and Ed Thompson took
place few days after the inqdest wit
ness thought that it was in the after,
noon, not more than two days after TIC
inquest, but coald not definitely state.
1t was the first talk witness had had with
ed Thompson, and he had told the latter,
on that day. that he had seen the two
men. Witness admitted having stated to
a Lewiston Journal reporter, that he had
seen the two men, evidently tra1nps, on
Friday or Saturday, of the week of the
murder. Witness stated that one of the
supposed tramps was a head taller than
the other, and that it was about 3 or
O'Clock in the afternoon, when he
saw them. That he had not told the re-
porter that both had umbrellas.
His reason for iuferring that the men
We're tramps, was because there were
many about there at that time. Witness
was feeding his horses in his barn when
he saw them passing down the road, a
distance away of ten rods Witness stated
that in some cases at ten rods he might
recognize person, but would have to
know person well. Witness stated that
at the time, on such a day and in such II
light, he might have some difficulty in
recognizing an acquaintance. From
what he saw ne could not describe the
mems clothing or their hats. One was
perhaps six CHseven feet behind the other
The grade OF the road, where they passed
him was quite steep" About as steep
as Rines hill OF Augusta, but witness
could not positively state. Witness in
comparing heights did not take into CON
sidcraton the grade of street. He ad-
mitted that he may have stated to Mr..
| Carver Of lewiston that one was stout
| the other slim.
| Witness stated that the larger man of
the two bent forward, as he walked, and
was not at all erect. The smaller of the
| two, witness did not notice He saw the
men for perhaps distance of two rods,
only. About o'clock of the day of the
murder he went to the house of Perley
Gordon, formerly occupied by Il. ID. Jud-
kins, after which he went for his mail
| to the house Of one Perkins, the next be-
low. In the evening he Went to the house
of Little and stayed there only short
time, returning, as near as he could re
mem Der, between $50 and Z o'clock
w illness admitted having stated in his
previous testimony that he arrived soon
| after $50. He knew the hour by the
time he sat up after getting home that it
| couldn have been later than seven. The
clock which was in his kitchen was not
reliable, but, witness thought that it in
Dictated Il few minutes after seven.
| The conversation about the murder
between witness and Edgar Thompson
arose by witness bringing the subject up.
| Ed Thompson told him that 1t must have
been the two men who committed the
murder. He said that he had seen the
men about 4 O'Clock; witness said it
was about O'Clock, that the men passed,
but no discussion arose on the subject. Ed
| advanced the idea that one was taller
| than the other, which witness did not
| dispute or discuss. He admitted that bis
statement. on the stand was practically
| the same as that made by Ed to him re-
| garding their comparative heights. Ed
told witness that he could pick the men
! out of "a large crowd :. and SAID that both
| walked Fright up straight aud prompt.
| Witness admitted that the SLOUGH might
| have been caused by the grade of he
road Ed told him That one had q stiff
hat, but couldn't say which one. He also
said something about clothes, bat witness
| could make no general remark regarding
| what Ed had said, except that Ed had
stated that one had on cutaway coat.
| Witness couldn't say that Ed had made
| any reference to the boots they wore.
| Eds. description Of the men was not that
| of trsmps Witness testified that Ed said
they had come up from the Blake road.
4 He said he was standing in his barn,
| when he saw them taking care OF his
| horse, and tina. he saw them from the
| harm floor coming off from the Blake
road.
Witness admitted that it was impos-
sible to see one coming from the Blake
road from said barn floor.
Q-What did Ed say about having
umbrellas?
Ale said that one Of the men
carried one ="
Witness then stated that he could not
see whether they had umbrellas. Witness
had told Ed SO, in conversation with him.
| O." Did not you tell reporter, that
following week, that both carried UNI
breliass
| Al told reporter that could not tell
whether they had umbrellas or not
| Cross Examined; The reporter was
Holman Day and at the time of converse
tion. witness was standing on the side OF
the road. Witness did not see the paper
until after it had been published several
DAYS. After be had seen it he never told
anyone Of any error regarding the con-
versation. Witness couldn't recall what
he did the day after the inquest. Thought
he was blowing
Ed stated 10 him that while in the
| West he had carried weapons, while con
stable. but did not state that he had done
so while off duty, nor did he make refer
ence to having carried weapons in this