The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-26


up In closet of the anteroom or the
Masonic Hall. Constable Libby had
access to the closet. Witness Kept them
IN his house till the coroner's jury met.
They were in the same condition when
he brought them to the coroner az
they were when he first obtained them.
After the coroner's jury witness brought
them into the Municipal court room at
the time of the hearing and left them in
| charge of the court. Ii put Lewis and
/ Coleman under arrest that night. He
| stayed with them in the dining room.
He was sure that Coleman slept because
| he snored some, but couldn't say that
| Lewis slept. The next morning the
witness found we'll defined tracks in the
snow, leading up into the pasture behind
| the barn. At first they were the tracks
of man running, and then of man
| walking. AT one time Lewis was with
| witness while they examined these
tracks. On top of the hill the snow was
| gone and the tracks disappeared of
course. There was snow enough a short
| distance from the barn so that the wit
ness could see that they were running
| tracks, Witness knew of nobody's COM
| pairing these tracks with boots or shoes.
Gorham corner is about one mile and
quarter from Coburn's house. Besides
| the hat and coat and ak the witness had
| received purse, watch, knife, lantern
and shirt. The purse was small and
closed with clasp. Witness saw the
coroner take it from the pocket of Mr..
| Coburn. There was nothing in it. The
| watch was gwen to him by ex-Deputy
| Sheriff Chute. He received the shirt
from Constable Libby. Witness looked
all about the premises for tracks the
next morning at about O'Clock. There
was no rain in the night. Witness salts
| fed himself that there were no other
| tracks except those mentioned leading
| away from the barn.
| Questioned by Mr.. True:
| Witness knew Edward GRAHAM,
who stated that the tracks were made by
| him. He said this the next morning.
| The defense objected at this point on the
ground that GRAHAM himself would tes-
tify as to that matter Mr.. True then
produced ragged and dirty coat and
the witness identified it as that which
| was in his possession. In regard to the
shirt, witness said Constable Libby
handed it to him on the day of the hear
ing in the Municipal Court, where the
witness brought it. He retained it in
his charge I'LL the session OF the grand
Jury. Witness was not able to identify
the shirt, which Mr.. True held up and
which was made of striped cloth and
was much spotted with blood.
The purse was produced and the wit
ness identified it. The watch was pro-
seen it before. A watch was passed to
him in a box and be did not open the
box. He could not identify the watch.
He was given knife by Constable Lib
by at the same time he gave him. the
shirt.
Cross examined again. Witness had no
doubt but that it was the same purse.
but there was no mark upon it. He did
not identify the watch or the shirt, but
did the knife and coat. The snow about
the barn was in patches, that 1s, the
lane was bare, but around the sides of
the barn there was snow.
CORONER PERRY.
Coroner Eben N. Perry next took the
stand, and testified as to his visit to the
Coburn house on the 14th, and his find
ing the dead body in the tie-up. After
that his attention was called to the ak.
standing near the outside entrance and
covered with blood. He examined the
body. In the right pocket of the trous-
ers was tobacco and brier wood pipe.
In the vest pocket was a watch. The
witness put his hand in the left trousers
pocket and found near the top a purse.
He passed it to Sheriff Chute, who
opened it. 1t was empty. He replaced
the purse.
He examined the hat that was lying
on the floor near the foot Of the body.
Sheriff Chute took charge of the hat.
After witness empanelled the jury he
| gave the purse so Chute. 1 he purse was
| not in the bottom of the pocket, but
was only two inches or SO from the top.
| There was nothing else in The pocket.
The hat and purse and shirt were pro-
duced and identified by the witness. All
+l,roa xvoro 1,ur in avidanca and shown IN
the jury. Witness took the watch from
the vest, examined and replaced it. The
watch was produced and identified.
Cross examined. Witness entitled
the watch by the figures on the face.
Mr.. Seiders objected to the watch's be-
ing put in evidence on that identifica-
ton, but the Judge admitted it.
The hat was found a few feet from the
blood. 1t was lying top up, and
about five or six feet from the door.
CONSTABLE LIBBY.
Stephen B. Libby, constable of Cor
ham, testified that on the evening of the
18th he was at the Gorham Masonic
Hall. He first received news of the
murder at about S. 80 p. m. He went to
the Coburn house with Sheriff Parker.
He went to the barn first, and saw the
ak first and then the body of Coburn.
About as soon as he got there he saw
Lewis. He said that the cow should be
taken from the stall, and Lewis took the
COW out. Soon after witness asked Lewis
where he'd been that day and ne replied
in Portland, and that he got home about
$50. He ate his supper and went over
to the Lowell house and stayed there till
about : o'clock. He then returned to the
house and went into the water closet.
He said that at the time he went to the
village he didn't know Coburn was muir
dered He supposed he had been kicked
by the COW. After learning that he was
murdered he thought some on had come
to steal the horses and Bi had caught
them at it. Witness told him that that
was foolish idea as it was a bright
moony night" and everyone would know
Coburn's horses. Mrs. Kimball and Mrs.
Day were in the house when Lewis and
Coleman were arrested. During the
night Lewis said to witness that it was
queer position for him to be put in.
1t might be benefit to him. He might
be placed in q proper position in this
world if the case ever came into court
and he could defend himself. Witness
asked if he was an attorney, and he said
he was not, but that he had defended
people for nothing in South America :,