The Portland daily press., 1895-02-05
THREE HUNDRED TEAMS
Visited the Coburn Farm on Sunday-Some
Enthusiasts Brought Away Queer Tro-
phies-The Lewis Fund-Coleman Re.
leased and Graffam Soon Will Beg

Enthusiasts Brought Away queer Ifo-
phies-The Lewis Fund-Coleman Re
leased and Graffam Soon Will Beg
Sunday was beautiful day. and appar-
entity everybody who went on "a sleigh
ride drove out to the Coburn farm, the
scene of the terrible murder that is still
aeitatine this community, though the
long trial is over. One Portland man,
who drove out there and took several
pictures, said that the yard was SO
crowded with teams that when he came
to get his horse he had to wait ten or
| fifteen minutes before he could get a
chance to turn around and drive out.
MIR. Coburn's son-in-law, Roscoe q. Drown
now lives onithe farm.
The COW still stands in the fatal stall,
the visitors enter the tie-up, of course,
and take long looks at the .blood-stained
wall. But it won't be there to look at
much longer il the relic hunters contin-
ue AS they have begun. Last Sunday one
Portland man brought away goodlsized
|
ty of blood spots Old it, and there are
three or four other spots of the clean
new wood where shavings or chips four
inches square have been removed. They
are certainly CHASTITY relics, and should
be kept under lock and key, lest they
get out in the night and disturb their
owners dreams.
..NF
Monday the COMMITTEES organized to
receive and urge subscriptions for the
Lewis fund, issued 100 blank sub
scription papers with the following print
ed heading: "Lewis Defence Fund" We,
the undersigned. hereby agree to contri-
butte the sum set opposite our names to-
ward the fund for the further defense of
James Lewis, who has been convicted
by the jury for the murder OF Byron u.
Coburn, the money to be refunded
should not enough be raised to justify
further proceedings:
The name of the committee has al
ready been printed.
These subscription blanks have been
placed in stores and. public places and in
| the hands of individuals. 1t is impossi-
BILE to tell yet just how much money has
been contributed, because there have
have been no complete returns to the
committee 1t is expected that at least
$500, and possibly $500 should be raised
in order to ensure new trial.
II Lewis attended divine service in the
Jail Sunday, of his own volition, the
prisoners not being Obliged to do so.
il We understand that Nj. u. H.. Wright,
who started the movement towards rails
ing the "Lewis Defence Fund.-" was act
uated not only by his belief that the ver-
dict was contrary to the weight Of evl-
dence, but because he knew q man in
and who had been imprisoned seven
years, when another man died and made
death bed confession that he was the
murderer. The innocent man was inn
mediately released from prisoneby spe
cial order Of Sir John Thompson, premi-
Ell.
Coleman, who has been held as state
witness since the arrest of Lewis for the
murder of Byron g. Coburn, was re-
leased from custody yesterday afternoon.
GRAHAM will be released in a day or two,
whether the case is carried TO the law
court or not. County Attorney True
says be does not regard the changes, of a
new tria being granted as sufiicient to
justify him in holding GRAHAM as a
witness for year. 1t is doubtful if
GRAHAM could be held as long as that,
for ii he applied for a writ of habeas
cor pts,s the court would probably rule
that al years. an unreasonabIy long time
| TO iinprisonsz man as a witness. There
is no sufficient evidence upon which to
base criminal charge against GRAHAM.