The Portland daily press., 1896-06-05

but Senator +. N. Higgins of Limerick,
whom the court had assigned to defend
the prisoner, asked for a postponement
till next term. That request being re-
fused, he asked that the trial be deferred
till next Tuesday, in order that he might
prepare the defense. To this Judge
Emery practically conceded, but the
prisoner, in conference with his counsel,
expressed determination to have the
trial begin at once.
The remodelled court room was filed
throughout the afternoon, the audience
being largely composed of ladies.
Hurd sat in the end of the dock, just
behind his counsel. A very small sandy
moustache, grown since the murder of
his father. weeks growth of sandy
beard and general bleaohed out conai-
tion Of the skin. had changed Fred
Hurd's appearance materially. But in
stolical GOODNESS he was just the same as
during the trying hours Immediately fol-
lowing the tragedy of December z, and
during the preliminary court hearings at
Biddeford and Saco.
When he was brought in by Deputy
Sheriff Goodwin and while the mancles
were being removed, the respondent
gazed about the court room in mystificd
sort of way, his brow knit and his eyes
partially closed as If the light affected
them. After few minutes, however,
that expression gave place to one of as
suming indifference. He listened atten-
lively while the jurors were being ques-
toned and smiled when ono of them
thanked the defending attorney for his
challenge. At times the prisoner sat
gazing into space, and at other times he
bit his lips in a meditatiye manner.
The impanelling Of jurors occupied an
hour and quarter. OF the forty y-th-ee
summoned, thirty.tw were examined
before the panel was completed. The jury
as finally made up is as follows; Abra.
ham Hill, Eliot. foreman, Joshua g.
Bragdon, York; Charles A. Hurd, North
Berwick; Horace J. Bennett South San
ford; Bradford Higgins, Limington; J.
W. Hanson, Lyman: Thomas j. Carle,
Hollis Centre; E. d. Fernald, North
Berwick; Arthur W. Chadbourne, North
Berwick; Benjamin E. Coleman. Kenne-
bunkport; John A. Pease, Parsonsfield; /;
Hiram Billings, North Berwick.
The prosecuting attornesy challenged
George ". Clough of Alfred, Melvin
Wentworth of Lebanon and o. &. Dur
gin Of WATERFORD. These were challenged
by counsel for the defense: Richard G.
Hayes, Buxton; Edmund +. Coffin, Shap-
leigh; Charles A. Leavitt, Old Orchard; !;
Herbert Smith, Springvale; George VAR
Kennebunk; Charles E. Raymond,
Lyman; John E.Abbott, North Berwick;
Alvah j. Blanchard, Lyman; L. W..
Hill, Goodwin's Mills; Edward Il. Han
son, Wells; A. w. Bragdon, Kennebunk; !;
Joseph S. Weeks, Cornish; Simon l..
bennett, Edwin P. Ferguson, Alfred;
Smith W. Burgess, Kennebunk;
Nathaniel L. Husssy, North Berwick.
The story of the murder was briefly
recited by the county attorney. The re-
spondent quarrelled with his father,
James M. Hurd, declaring that he didn't
luubuu W WOrk huy mUIo.
Finally the father had threatened to
kick the son out Of the house if he did
not find work. This threat, uttered on
the evening before the murder, is sup
posed to have furnished motive for the
crime. The man was killed while
asleep, his skull being first crushed by a
blow with an axe, and then the throat
cut from ear to ear with razor. The
day after his arrest he made full con-
fession to the marshal, and also confessed
to the killing when under examination
before the CORNERS inquest.
1t is evident that plea of insanity
will be the defense. 1t is understood
that expert testimony will be introduced
to rebut the report of Superintendent
Sanborn.
DR.. Frank S. Warren Of Biddeford. ply
sic1an and coroner, was the first witness
called for the state. His testimony was
substantially as follows: On the morn
ing of December 7, between 6. 30 and 2, I
was called to the door of my residence
by the respondent. who said his father,
James M. Hurd, had been killed. He
said that his throat had been cut. I
said: "He probably did it," Hurd re-
Piled: "No. he did not" Later J. went
to the Hurd house and examined the
body Of the dead. man. The doctor here
described the injuries. Life had probably
been extinct between one and two hours
In cross-examination. DR.. Warren testi-
fed that Hurd appeared somewhat ex-
cited when he called at the coroner's g
house.
Harry Jose, civil engineer of Saco,
who made the plans Of the Hurd home
stead, was examined at considerable
length in reference to the size and ar
rangement of the rooms.