The Portland daily press., 1895-06-04

VI UWo before Uney were burned. Int
Shav1ngs and other material had been re
moved and there had been no fire in the
house for ten days.
In the barn was the hay cut on the
farm during the summer, and also five
tons OF hay, moving machine and Other
property belonging to Mr.. Horace d.
Horn, one of the selectmen. To this fact
that Mr. Horns property was in the barn,
Mr.. Emmons called particular attention
1t was on the 18th of August that the
keys to the buildings were handed to Mr.
Eugene Gowell the keeper of the pool
farm He, with members of his family
We're at the house about an hour the next
afternoon, leaving about T. 80 O'Clock.
They looked over the premises, making
plans for their life there, etc
Mr. Emmons then told the iury how il
would be shown by the evidence of several
reliable witnesses that the fire broke out
at OF a little before ten o'clock of that
night Eighteen or twenty people saw
the buildings burned, but at that time
there was no remark made casting sus-
plclon upon anybody: Nobody was sus-
pected until VIM. W. Webber began to
make accusations. Government witnesses
would testify that he had
ACCUSED EUGENE GOWELL I
OF setting the fire. DIR. Webber had told
how he found an oil can and handkerchief
on the Moody place. He said he went to
look at the potato patch on the farm
when he found the oil can, but the place
where he said he found it was sixty rods
from that potato patch. DR.. Webber also
| called attention to paint on the oil can
similar to paint used in painting articles
| about the premises, but it would be
shown that that paint was hardly dry on
the can
When it was found by the selectmen
that there were no evidences of any cause
for the fire, Pinkerton detective was
employed to investigate the matter. This
detective did his work openly.
| In the meantime Dr. Webber said he
was at work for the reward, which was to
be offered, and it was to give him
| chance to tell what he knew that at a
| town meeting held August 2S, a reward
of $500 was offered. Then the next day
the doctor admitted to the detective that
a fabrication. Mr.. Emmons said that it
would be shown that DIR. Webber had
tried to induce Gowell to swear that Mr.
Nelson, who lived near the old poor farm,
on which Gowell was keeper, set the fire.
The doctor is alleged to have told Gowell
and others that Nelson was going to
swear that Gowell set the fire The re-
|
abouts on the night of the fire He had
claimed that he went to the house of
Stephen Dixon's family and he had tried
to make them acknowledge that he was
there, but they would not do So He
made several visits to Mr.. Dixon's for
this purpose.
WEBER HAD HAD TROUBLE
with the selectmen over some bills he had
against the town for doctoring the poor.
On one bill Of $S4 so he had been allowed
but $34 so. Another of three dollars, pre-
sented on July Is, 1894, Mr.. Horn had de-
clined to approve, although the other
selectmen did so,. The selectmen also
declined to pay claim of the DOCTORS for
damage done his horse on the highway.
AT that time he threatened to get even
with the town.
Harry Jose, the first witness, said he
was civil engineer of Saco, and testified
as to various distances on the plans he
had made.
Then Mr.. Horn was called to the stand
and after telling the condition of the poor
farm buildings and the presence of his
property in the barn, he related the Incl
dents of the talk DR. Webber had with the
selectmen when he presented the various
claims referred to in the county attorneys
opening. The witness refused to sign one
order of three dollars, whereupon Dr.
Webber said that he was damned pig
headed ard unfit to hold the place he
occupied. -
On the Thursday after the fire, Mr.
Horn met DR.. Webber on the highway
and asked him about the finding Of the
can and handkerchief. The handkerchief
Webber took from the pocket Of his coat
He went with Mr.. Horn and others who
md inth bn4 4,r,1o
where he claimed to have found the
articles. DR.. Webber had also called the
witness's S attention to a spot of red paint
on the oil can., This spot of paint was
about half dry.
The can was produced by Detective
Ryan and was identified by the witness.
1t is one of the cans made to hold oils for
painters use. The dash of red paint is
still visible on the side.
Mr.. Horn testified further that he had
asked DR.. Webber to go with him and the
detective to the farm to again show the
place where he found the can. Mr.. Horn
told the doctor that he thought he should
be present as it was only fair to state that
there Were suspicious that he had not
found the can there at all. DR. Webber
said he must consult another party about
coming. He did not go.
Later, in a conversation with the wit
ness, DIR. Webber asked if he was to be
arrested and asked the witness if he could
not pull them off. Failing to get salts
factory answer, he said: "By =,
YOU DESERVE A CHROMO,
and you'll get it in the spring."
At the examination held by the town
officers, August 80, where the witnesses
were sworn DR.. Webber admitted that he
had manufactured the can story and that
the statements of the other witnesses with
some exceptions were true.
On the cross examination, Mr.. Hamil-
ton brought out the fact that at this hear
ing before the selectmen, Mr.. Ryan, the
detective, asked questions of the wit
nesses.
''He had it all his own way, them"
He asked the questions. -
Another point made by Mr.. Hamilton
was that petition demonstrating against
the removal of the poor farm to the
Moody place, so-called, was circulated by
Mr.. Nelson. Mr.. Nelson is a painter by
trade, and had lived near by the old poor
farm, kept by Mr. Gowell.
Nathaniel j. Kenney, one of the select
men, was the next witness He told the
story of the description given by Webber
of tho D1aca xUbara bo said bn fonDd tho