Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-14
STILL ARGUING.
Stain and Cromwell Case Be-
fore Governor and Council.
Judge Crosby Finishes Suicide Argu-
ment in All Its Details.
Attorney Pierce Says Barron Was Murdered
and Produces His Evidence.

Inc nearing ON the petition for the par
don OF Stain and Cromwell, inmates O
the State prison for the murder of Cashier
Barron of the Dexter Savings Bank, Feb
~, 1878, was again brought up before thu
Governor and Council yesterday morning
at ole O'Clock.
Josiah Crosby, in behalf of the
petitioners, who are Dexter people, con
tinued his argument on the question OF
Identification, the point where he left of
at the previous hearing. In beginning hi
~endeavored to impress upon the minds OF
the council that the man seen about the
bank and Dexter on the day of the TRACE.
dy was Isaac McFettus and not Stain, as
some Of the evidence introduced into court
went to show. Leaving this point Mr..
Crosby again spoke to some length about
the strong prejudice against Stain and
Cromwell, and the feeling that had been
worked up regarding the case from the
sensational newspaper reports. He said
that people very often tell a much different
story when they enter court than they do
outside. Portions OF the testimony OF a
Mr.. Weymouth. which was presented on
motion for a new trial, were then read by
Mr.. Crosby. 1t was in effect that he, Wey-
mouth, had gone up the stairs in the bank
building leading to the Masonic hall, and
met three strange men, who did not seem
to be hiding. There was testimony intro
duccd in the trial that strangers had en-
tered the Masonic hall, that cracker
crumbs and cigar ashes were found
the sofa. Mr.. Crosby said that 1t was
nothing strange that the door of the hall
might have been open, as several persons
had keys, one of them begin Mr.. Barron,
who had an %apothecary shop in the upper
apartments of the building and was &C
customed to go up stairs often.
Mention was next made of the testi-
mony of a Mrs. Miller Of Bangor, who
claimed that two men came to her BOARD
ing house; and were followed later by
another. They had ~valises, but she didn't
know their names. The theory at the
trial was hat these valises contained the
burglars tools. MIS-. Miller said that one
Of these men was very tall, over six feet
but Mr.. Crosby said that in all the testi-
mony nobody saw a man about Dexter on
Feb. 20, 1878, of the description which
she gave. The Stain Cromwell gang were
all short men. He considered the testi-
mony of Mrs. Miller of no weight.
The next testimony introduced, by Mr..
Crosby. was that Of N. S. Carpenter,
which was brought up On the motion for
a new trial and Carpenter stated that he
saw, when driving along the road through
Harmony woods, two men standing by the
roadside, one of whom he claimed, after
ward, was Cromwell, but said they had
no vallses or team, as other witnesses had
claimed. Mr.. Crosby considered the tes-
timony of Maddox, u of the new wit
nesses who appeared on the motion for a
new trial, wholly unreliable; that Maddox
did not command any respect from the
people of Dexter. Maddox 1t seems, said
that he had taken three strange men away
from Dexter at three different times, but
did not know who they were and when
taken to the Bangor Jail, where Stain and
Cromwell were incarcerated failed to iden-
tify them, they being dressed in jail uni
forms, but at the trial, when they were In
citizens clothes, he claimed that they were
the men. Maddox, Mr.. Crosby said,
claimed that he know about these men,
was acquainted with them, and when
asked why he did not make it known at
the trial, said that nc did not wish to ap-
Dear In court. The testimony of Carpen-
ter and Maddox differed largely and Mr..
Crosby believed that of Maddox's i%nconsis-
tent. He read extracts to show that Mad
dox's character was not good.
Charles Stain was about Bingham In
1877. Mr.. Crosby said and WAS there to
escape the fangs Of the law probably pas
sing under the name OF Snow In refer
ence to people seeing a man about Dexter
on the day Of Barron's death, wearing a
brown coat, MIR. Crosby considered that
many wore coats of that color and this
point was of no special value. Mention
was made of Feb. 90 being a holiday and
Mr.. Crosby said that in Dexter this day
was observed only by the banks. Barron
was in the bank on that day and about
% persons called. The matter of stores
being closed on that day was brought up
and Mr.. Crosby cited instances that
showed places of business were open
The testimony Of several persons was read
E, the effect that they went into Masonic
hall and looked at the sofa but could not
tell II there wal cracker crumbs, or cigar
ashes on it as was said at the trial. Mr..
Foss, who is present at the hearing was
called by Mr.. Crosby and In reply to ques-
ION said that he saw Mr.. Barron on the
day of his death and also that about 10