Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-12
ExoNERATED.
CONTINUED from page ID

Bangor, and Spear of Gardiner repre-
| sentiEg Mr. Hackett ard Mr. HoFey
Several reporters who tried to get in q;
| various times were elected BY officers.
ITao jury Thoroughly examined the house,
and during the four days examined ons
by one - witnesses, all Pittsleld citizens.
except Mr.. Macomber Of AuGusta
The hearing had been In prngTess bur g
| short time when it was made plain thar
it was the object Of Lawyer Merrill ana
the uarties he represented TO prove tina
Lawyer Frank W. Hovey had himself
set the fire and evidence. both Of q dlrees
and circumstantial nature. was miro
duced to prove this. It was claimed tiiat
he was either acting in behalf OF Nj.
! llackett or that ne was still IN reailly
! part owner Of the house and wanted "a
| insurance money. Mr.. ffoyey was at Inc
odd Fellows meeting on the evening III
iquestion and 1t was proved that at about
| 10 o'clock Re left the hall for q shofe
| lime. Mr. and Mrs. Charles woodruff
| testified that they were out riding thal
evening and while passing the Hainofh
| house az about 70 O'Clock, they saw ~
| the bright moonlight man Whon thsS
! felt sure was HOvey proving around the
house on the other hand, Witnesses we're
Introduced vino accounted FUZZY foF every
| moment of Mr. Hovey's time Tor inc
| whole evening, When he leit the coz
| Fellows hall for a few moments M VEN
! 10 his law office and gentlemen testl;leH
| 10 accompanying him both ways. On
cross examination Mr.. ana Mrs. Woodruff
grew somewhat shaky as 10 the pariieu-
| lars of their ride and to the man they
saw Mr. Patteu. who lives In the same
honso with them. said ne had no know
| ledge of their having gone out riding,
that evening. r, f.. Il. Knowles gave
| testimony 10 show that they were not ~
| the locality mentioned a. the nfne the{
| eNgore to- The prosecution made much
| of some suspicious Kerosene stains found
| on the half-charrcd floor after the hfe
was extinguished. and for day dr Two
| this point was the one fought over. Then
at last Mr. HoVey and his counsel intro
| duced three tremen who swore that the
| Kerosene stains were caused by the up
| setting Of lantern while they we're
watching in the house leg! the ire break
| out again.
Many witnesses were brought forward
| by both sides. win directly CONFLICTING
| testimony and much determination and
! bitterness was manifest on both sizes
| When the testimony was concluded *
! seemed conClusiVely shown that Mf.
| Hovey neither had any motive FOR setting
| the house. on fire nor could ne possibly
| have done &C.; and IL also seemed pres
| we'll established that the IRE was OF dofl-
! dental origin. as n cap had been out Of
| the chimney In a room stored with turhi-
| ture. Just over the room where there itAi
| been Il fire in % stove an the afternoon.
! 70 be sure, it had worked it's way
| through the house In 2 curious manner.
but fires are curious things anyway, anu
! it's progress seemed reasonably explained.
| Detective True who had been working
| ON the case. did not appear az the In
| quest. but ia I'm interview with inc Jour
! nat representative he said he did not
think there would he the slightest doubt
| Of the accidental origin Of the iirc
The Jury went into secret session = IL
| dav at > r. Nj and il WAS thought
| verdict would be quickly reached. hut 1T
| supper time the three men Were stan un-
| able to agree II was understood tal
! two Of them favored a verdict OF acct
dental origin. while the other could not
quite see it in that light IL also seemed
| Weu understood from what the members
/ Of the jury said aud from the gen raj
| gossip among both factions on the slieat
! that the verdict would completely OK
\ oneratc lawyer Hovey aud Mr.. tiackett
! from any suspicion OF connection Win
/ the ire. Al O'Clock The jury again W ht
! to work 20 try TO agree upon q Ferd Ca.
| and for more Weari-onc hours the puphc
was kept in anxious waiting At 10
| clock the jury adjourned. with the I.--
uouncemcnt that it would meet at 2 A,
! NJ. Saturday.
/ saturday forenoon the three geutiel.en
| continued In close consultation ana ~ a
! o'clock they finally agreed upon this d.
cision. as given AT the opening OF this
| letter. In the afternoon the full written
1 verdict was made public. Following IS
I q copy Of the verdict handed in by ma
| jority Of the jury, Including the ttre-
! man:
! In an inquistion held az Pittsfcld. W; b.
/ in the county Of Somerset, on The t5tA
day of April. \. H.. 1891, ana held u }ti
! this tenth day OF April. y. D., 1881, before
4
! ana for said county, hy the oathS OF
/ Gordan Dobson ard Qwiile II. Dr. Ne.
\ good and lawful men Of said county 40.
/ being sworn to inquire OF the State VIII ~,
! now and ~ what means. the fire or 81
mated which partially destroyed The
! dwelling house owned by Allen HacL-tt
and known as the HGthurn house on
their oaths say that after listening u
the testimony offered and viewing lEe
carefully the premises. they ind t63t
/ few hours before the discovery was made
f.HfNAs
! the nth day of March. a. D.. 1891. W OF
/ fires were kindled and left burning 10y or
under the direction Of W. =. Mills. who
was that day moving into the house, in
two stoves on the first iioor of The ell Of
said house, these stoves communicating
with Il chimney which passed thToHgh
the room in which the fire seems to have
originated, and that wood fires Were left
burning in both stoves late in the AFT -
noon Of said day, and that ~ their olin-
ion, formed from the aforesaid testimony
and Investigation. such fire vas comuu-
nicated. either through some defect in
the chimney or through q thimble from
which the cap had been removed or
blown from said chimney 10 bedding and
other household goods Of combusti5la
nature stored In 2 room on the secone
I floor through which said chimney based
and that they do not find any eVidunca
that said fire was caused by the negli-
gcnce or design Of Allen Hackett Tire
owner Of the premises or of Frank w
HoNey. his agent in the management Of
the same.
IN testimony whereof, We, jurors Of
said inquest. herpunto set cur hands ana
seals The year aforesaid.
lSeall GORDON DOBSON
Seal OIiNILLE IL. DRAKE.
Mr.. jenkins. the other juror. makes an
other report as to whether the fire was
incendiary or accidental but If inc n
diary it was caused by some person uE-
known, and he goes as far as the other
jurors in every way generating Mr.
iiackett and Mr.. Hovey. Thus these
gentlemen are completely indicated and
to the JOY of their many friends in Pitts
field and over the state. the cloud of un-
Just suspicion is removed from them.
Lawyer Hovey was seen by the Jour
nal representative. as he was setting in
his office waiting for the jusy to aefee
upon verdict 4 few friends were With
him and he was chatting choerfully. and
feeling perfectly confident, he said
that the verdict would completely eX-
onefate him from the serious charge
brought against him by his enemies IL
talked freely with the reporter about the
affair. and said he was anxious to have
the whole matter so into the pap rs
straight
u am used to waiting for jurors to rem
der their VCFdicts' h said laughingly |
| hut not as the suspected culprit VIII Sc
life. liberty and happiness hang upon
their decision. This whole thing is one
one of series of malicious persecution
against me by my enemies in this town
and county. During my life in pittsreld
Il. -