Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-28
BRAN Is A WONDER.
Confronts His Questioner With
the frankest of Answers.
The Prisoner Witness Passes Another
Day on the Witness Stand.
Night Of Murder on The Herbert Fuller Fully
Inquired Into.

the barkentine Herbert Fuller, on an
dictments charging him with numbering
three persons last July continues I'M
abated, and there was another large at
tendance at the United States circuit
court room in the federal building Sat
urday morning.
The jury were kept under guard Fri
day at their quarters at the Quincy
House. with the exception of a couple
of hours in the morning, when they were
taken for a sleigh drive to WATERFOWL.
Bram resumed his place in the witness
box soon after the court came in, and
the cross-examination by the govern
ment was continued.
The prisoner appeared in good spirits.
ard the frankness so prominent We'd
nesday and Thursday was again no
ticcable.
Attorney Hoar resumed his cross-ex-
animation. and the prisoner witness
told about his conversations with the
second mate.
He denied having said that he would
kill any one for having made such a
sarcastic remark? Asked by Mr. Hoar
when he saw the second mate prior Ia
the murder, the defendant proceeded to
say that on Saturday afternoon he told
the second mate. who had been engaged
OH map. to throw the map aside and go
ait and superintend the work of the
men He said: Don't you bother with
that map" This was spoken in his or6i-
nary tone of voice. ON the second mate
replying something. the defendant said
oh, you needn't get huffed.
Bran. as he proceeded. looked the
United States attorney directly in the
eye, but the latter seemed disposed to
turn to- the jury rather than to meet
the gaze OF the man on the stand. He
said repeatedly that he wanted Bran
to tell this thing and that thing to the
jury, and Bran did So and when Bran
wasn't as precise as he was when giving
an answer to the same question before
Mr.. Hear would say. The jury will re-
member what YOU said
Mr.. Cotter sat on the edge Of his chair,
leaning forward, Watching the exa:..e:;na-
ton closely. but Mr. Ere nch leaned back
confidently, and now and again whisp-
cred to his associates. Bran never
turned to them. either for encourage
ment or for suggestive elances. The
witness kept his eyes on his ,uestioner
all the time
He again went over the description of
the declSload, the windows and the in
terror of the cabin; then. with the aid
OF the model, infinitely traced his where
abouts between II and : O'Clock on the
NIGHT of the murder
Now. wasn't the spanker boom close
UP to the rigging" asked MIR Hoar.
''Oh, bless your heart no." We never
do that" said Bran, frankly.
He said he sat to leeward on the tenn
porary rail, and while there he could not
see Henry Furdock much of the time.
When he was near Mrs Nash's window
he could see the bell aft The window
was always raised about an inch to lie.
air into the room but he had not no
ticed it particularly that night.
The man at the wheel. witness said.
was down in a hole. and could hardly
be seen above the house The bell was
often mistaken for a mans head.
The district attorney laid great stress
on the fact of the deckload being even
with the top of the house, a man stand
ing SO far above the man at the wheel
must see him. He asked Bran about il
repeatedly. but the witness never lostl
his composure. as he invariably repeat-l
Ell that the mans head came only al
little above the house, and he could notI
be seen on dark night
Bram again described those two hoursl
on deck, between the main and the miz i
zen masts. with Henry Loheac on thel
deck between the main and the fore-I
masts.
The United States attorney at oneI
time questioned the witness repeatedlvl
about going into the cabin, recalling thel
testimony OF Frank Loheac, every world
of which seemed to be fresh in the mind
of the witness
Keep your courage up. Don't feel any |
more anxious than | do
This was the parting. eXhortation of |
Thomas NJ Bran to a lady who insisted |
The witness stand. after the adjournment |
Of the court, yesterday afternoon. |
He had been under direct and cross
examination for nine and a half hours. |
over the greater part OF two
entire days.
His story had been told and re-told; he
had been questioned and cross-queS-
toned: he had jumped at a moments no
tice. mentally. from British Guiana to
Boston. and from New York to Liver
pool: he had been describing the details
Of life on shipboard. and the relative ef-
fects fof one or three or four drinks of
according as the district attor-
neys questions had led him all through
the examination.
Bran is Il versatile man. His mental
fights We're not limited by either time or
space as he followed the district attOr
leys queries for hour after hour. If MIR.
Hoar was in imagination in British Gut
ma. Bran was with him.
When the district attorney got back to
Boston--and in crOss-eXamination the
feat was quickly performed-Bram had
also concentrated his mental faculties on
Long wharf or Mystic river. as the neces-
sites of the case demanded.
Sometimes he was even ahead of his
luestioner. for he did not always wait
Until Mr.. Hoar had finished his questions,
cut the moment he saw their apparent
lrift he had his answer ready.
This was made apparent when, with a
broad smile illuminating his swarthy
eatures. and with lead pencil between
MS fingers, Bran, from his elevated posi-
ion on the witness stand looked down
N District Attorney Hoar and in modest
ones said: 90. | think see what you
ire driving at. Mr.. HOar.'' and then went
m to give his statement in regard to the
)Oiut at issue.