Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-12-27
THE SAWYER CASE.
More of Governments Wit
nesses Heard at Length.
An Umbrella Found in Barn Figures
Prominently in the Case.
State Attempts to Prove II the Property Of
Edgar Thompson.

Inc nearing on Inc GdWyer murder
case was continued, Thursday morning il
the probate court room. The place was
crowded to the doors, tho sharpest inter
est being shown, most of the audience
being compelled to stand. Mrs. Thomp
son, wife of Edgar, was present.
Prisoners appeared perfectly cool.
Landlord Young, proprietor of the
Brunswick Hotel, Gardiner, testified
Sheriff Norton paid me SO, Sept. 10,
1894, according to my account book. ex.
amined, Wednesday, the High street loca.
tion to see if could see the docks Oh
wharves. Could not see any.
Cross examined: He could see the Pitts.
ton wharves. Could have seen shipping on
the Gardiner side; could see the coal sheds
and runs. Saw Al Thompson in Skow-
hogan, and he said he had seen Forrest
Goodwin about suing the Lewiston
Journal for libel and he (Thompson) re.
piled that Goodwin said that he had bet
ter wait until he found out what Young
said.
DR.. M. 0. Edwards of Monmouth, one
of the physicians that examined the body
of Augustus Sawyer, testified: I'VE To-
Gated the bullet and then removed the
body to the house. Should say that
the bullet had an upward tendency
when it entered the head Should
not want to say how long he had been
dead. Bullet probably caused death
instantly. Had known Mr. Sawyer 25
years. He was very eccentric man
He bad reputation of being a man who
was well OFF; had no enemies TO my
knowledge. / think he had teen living
alone for some years. Never heard of his
habit of carrying money on his person,
and don't recall where l was the Satur-
day of the supposed murder. -
Cross examined. He knew the old
gentleman who lived at Mr.. Thompson S
house, Mr. Keene he thought his name
YVES. The first time he treated him was
the night the autopsy was held at the re-
quest of Edgar Thompson. He thought
Edgar spoke to him personally after he
was called out by Ira True. He thought
Mr.. Keene died June 3. The autopsy
was held, Monday afternoon, May 81.
He left the house somewhere between 6
and Z o'clock in the evening.
Edward p Marston of Monmouth,
was called and testified. Il am a physi-
elan, and attended the autopsy of Mr..
Sawyer The Saturday evening previous
was very dark and rainy. l don t remem-
Der what the weather was during the
remainder of the day.
yCross examined: Fixed 1t in my mind
that it was very dark and rainy from the
fact that we lighted up, and that 1t was
then rainy, about or g. Is O'Clock p NJ.
A. A. Judkins testified: l have seen
Mr.. Sawyer with an umbrella. 1t was of
faded brown color.
Cross Examined-A natural valley or
ravine extends up from bsck of Sawyer's
house to the Thompson place. Should
not say that person in Sawyers house
could see up the ravine. A man
going into Sawyers house from
this ravinc could be plainly seen
from the windows Of tie Sawyer house.
Did not look tbs hay over. Don't think
| was on the NOW. Found a tin box
once that had been taken out OF the Saw
yer house on Emerson hill. This was
about four or five years ago. Mr.. Sawyer
claimed it. ! think the old man smoked
The box we found on Emerson's hill in
birch bushes, about 75 rods from Sawyer's
house. There were some papers and pens,
and some notes III the box. / don't re-
member that Augustus Sawyer's name
appeared on any of the papers. Mr.. Saw
yer claimed it. Think his home had been
broken into sometime in the spring. He
took more precaution after that to keep
his house locked From the top Of the
hill back of the Sawyer farm one could
not look into the Sawyer yard
ca ~ ~.
Carleton was at my house the next We'd
nesday.'
Cross Examincd-Thcre We're several
umbrellas in the house; l think there
were three. Found them only in the
shed part. None. Of them were wet.
Thursday morning, Mr.. True showed me
an umbrella in the barn and he said he
found it in the NOW. 1t was wet. The
body had not been exhumed to my knowl-
edge. Don't know of any examination
of body since the autopsy.
Oscar G. True of Monmouth: II live
directly opposite Albert Sawyer's house
and very near the house of Augustus
Sawyer Had known Augustus Sawyer
for 1S years. Mr.. Sawyer was reported to
be well Off. He was industrious Think
he had lived alone three or four years
He had few visitors aud no enemies that
! know of. He dressed plainly. He was
present when the body was found. His
clothes We're the kind which are usually
worn on farm at that time OF year.
/ think he stopped little when he
walked, and generally had one hand
placed on his breast. Mr.. Judkin5 and
part OF the hay from the body.
Do not think the cattle from appearances
had been fed or watered for two days
Helped search the house Found some
money under the clock and some change
on the shelf beside the clock. On another
shelf. found an old wallet with one
dollar bill in it, helped feed the cattle,
the next morning. As ] went to take out
a fork full OF hay found an umbrella
near the north end of the NOW. (Uin
bralla was then showed and witness iden-
titled it.) | gave it TO Albert Sawyer.
It was on rainy day, Saturday, when
Albert Sawyer and | went to Leeds
Junction We passed by Augustus Saw
yer's home, going and coming. Arrived
home about O'Clock. 1t rained very
hard. when we got home Met no tramps
on the road When we were going home,
saw Mr.. Brown at the Centre, while we
were there. Spent part of that evening
at the home of Albert Sawyer.
Cross Examined-Coudn't t testify as to
poSiiioD of hat when body was found