Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-01
ROSE ACQUITTED.
Her Mother, Ellen DoIley, Con-
fesses to Baby's Murder.
Jury Instructed to and Does Acquit
Rose Without Leaving Seats.
A Dramatic Scene. Hhen lawyer Antoine
Springs Mis- Great Sensation.

quilted by the jury without having thei.
seats, and her mother, Ellen Dulley, mas
confessed to the terrible deed.
The circumstances were extremely
dramatic.
Even that sterling jurist, Judge Bon.
ney, and the able attorney general, Mr..
Powers, looked at each other in amaze
ment at tie unexpected turn of this IA
nous case.
MIR Anthoinc, the brilliant young at
torncy who has So ably conducted this case
from the beginning when he was APP
pointed as counsel for the defence by
Judge Bonney. sprang II tremendous sur
prise upon the spectators
Few realized that he would call Mrs.
Ellen Dolley, the mother of Rose to the
witness stand, the woman who advised
her daughter when the latter left the door
Of the Catholic home in De. ring. after
having been told that the child could not
he received there, to make way with him
But, contrary TO all expectations, this is
exactly what he did. And it was this act
that brought the sensational trial to a
most sensational end.
The testimony showed that MIS-. Dolley
this woman who came at the eleventh
hour and by her story saved her daughter
from the punishment that is melted out to
a murderess- told her daughter upon
their memorable ride from Portland
toward Windham, when the doors Of the
Catholic home Were closed against her
baby. that she couldn't bring that baby
home.
1t was brought ont that this woman
had carried the corpse Of the little chil6
after it lad been strangled to death fer Il
distance Of mile or more through tn,
dense woods and thickets during II cold
drizzly rain storm. She trudged through
the muck and miro of the swampS
crawled under the dense branches of the
fir trees, tore her clothing while scaling a
barbed wire fence, and laid the corpse OF
the baby in a depression in the ground,
where it lay frozen, with the garroting
cloth cord about It's neck until her crime
had found her out.
The news in some unaccountable man
ner had spread that there had been a
bomb of evidence sprung in the court
room, so that when the grand coup of Mr.
Anthoine came there was a gathering
present limited only to the size of the
court room to listen to the dramatic Sc
quel.
When the attorney general had finished
his last question, he turned in his seat
aud whispered to his able assistant.
County Attorney True. IL was only for n
moment and to the amusement of all,
Mr.. Powers arose aud in measured tones
said:
May it please the court and gentle
men Of the jury, after consultation with
nv brother, Mr.. True, and with his as
cent I would move for the aoquittal Of
This respondent, Rose Dolley''
"A very sensible action to take" said
Judge Bonncy.
The members of the jury looked at each
other in surprise, the court criers rappeo
loudly on their desks for order. but could
not subdue by such warning the murmur-
ing of the spectators.
Judge Bonncy then addressed the jury,
iDtiinating that he concurred with the
motion of the attorney general, and sug
eestct that perhaps the jury might not
find it necessary to retire to their room,
but could arrive at "a conclusion without
leaving their seats.
There was a connection in the jury box
as the jurymcn arose and consulted with
each other. The consultation lasted by
few moments, when they resumed their
seats and Judge Bonney instructed
Deputy Clerk of Courts Libby to inter
rogate the jury as to their verdict.
MIR. Foreman and gentlemen of the
Jury, " said MI Libby, have you agreed
upon verdict
I'VE have responded Foreman Mer-
rill. ex-mayor of Deering.
.'What Is your verdict:
mot guilty." replied Mr.. Merrill
Mr.. Libby then called the respondents
name and asked her to arise.
She evidently did not hear him, but sat
in the same posture that she has main
famed during the entire trial, her face be-
ing covered by her hands. 1t was not
until the deputy clerk called her name
the third time and the sheriff tenderly
assisted her to rise that she removed the
handkerchief that has obscured her feat
ures throughout the trial
She apparently did not understand the
r,,rnort of the clerk S words when in legal
rorbiape he informed her that she had
been tried by Il jury of her peers and
fo11nd not guilty; that she had b zen dis
charged and told to go without day. She
aid not realize that she had been acquitted
ard was q free woman until the sheriff
whispered that information to h-r and es
corted her from the court room. where she
yas almost overwhelmed with embraces,
kicses and tears for her deliyeIanoe
The jury was then thanked by
.rudee Bouney for the service they had
rendered the State in leaving their re-
snective homes and lending their aid in
rhe interests of justice. The jurymen
we're then discharged.
The story of the remarkable scene is as
The third day in the Rose Dolley trial
NOS as interesting as the two previous,
and as usual large plumber OF people
sought in vain to gain admittanca. Rose
Dolley seemed apparently to have recov
cred from the sgonizing mental strain
,,nder which she was laboring. yesterday,
I'D resumed her usual custom of cen
stantly keeping her face hidden in her
hands.