The Portland daily press., 1897-10-01
Her husband was at

her and at them. Her husband was at
home at that time.
On the following Saturday the 10Th OF
December, relating to the fire in the
Franklin block which Barber Rodick dis
covered and extinguished himself about
seven O'Clock, witness remembered that
she and her husband got up about seven
O'Clock. They had breakfast and he left
the house about eight She had some
particular conversation with her husband
regarding the moving OF The ne1ghbors in
on Sunday evening.
Regarding the next Sunday evening
when the fire occurred in the Salvation
| Army barracks, Mr.. Heckbert started to
examine the witness.
May it please the court" said Mr..
| Libby "the state has been unable TO OBJ
tain the witness who discovered and ex-
tinguished this fire and at the proper
time will enter a mol pros in this count of
| the Indictment"
Heckbert, "of introducing my testimony
in regard to this matter.
Mrs. Waite said that on that Sunday
they went to church at 2 p. m. and later
in the afternoon had callers who staid
until O'Clock and Waite was at home all
the evening.
In regard to the following Monday when
|
O'Clock, witness testified that on that
morning Waite did not get up until
o'clock and she fixed the date because
they had arranged TO take their children
into town to have their pictures taken
which they did.
In regard to the fire ON December %,
Congress block fire at which the still
Waite did not get up until seven o'clock.
| She fixed this date because her sister
came to visit her. Waite did not leave
the house until 3 o. clock.
| In regard to the fire ON December 81 !,
which was en- Exchange street, Cumber
land bank FIRE, at o'clock, witness said
that her hut ba I'd came home to supper at
half past five and left home about seven.
Witness remembered the 18th day of
June (Foresters' Hall fire) because Sun
day, the 18th was her birtht ay and she
was going away to spend Sunday. On
that day they had dinner at a quarter to
twelve and her husband WAS at home; had
been home from II O'Clock. After din
ner Waite changed his clothes and they
went to Falmouth foreside where they
staid all day Sunday, the 18th.
On June 18th Darlington block firel
| Waite left Falmouth Foreside about eight
O'Clock.
| July 18th (Thompson's fruit store FREE
witness said she remembered the day be-
| CdueC hOE uuSUouu anu ucE l1tbio DOy W6T6
away and came home at $50 o'clock (the
tire occurred after midnight.) Witness
testified that Waite was at home all of
the evening and all night.
| Cross-examination--H been married
eight years. She had lived in Lynn and
then in Hartford for one year. They
4 came to Portland q year ago last March
in 1895. Her husband came with her but
4 she couldn't remember whether or not
Waite had come here before she did. They
| first lived in Knightyille and about a
year afterwards lived on Walnut street
On the night of the Waite arrest wit
ness did not. ask Waite where he was the
did not tellsher he did not know neither
did she tell him he could prove he was
| at home by her. She had no such con-
yershtion with her hus band.
| On December 22nd witness was sure
Waite was at home that night, and did
not leave the house until he arose at seven
O'Clock. She was sure he was at home
until eight o'clock.
On the 9Th of June Waite was at Booth
bay. She thought he got home on the
9th of June. Didn't know where he was
on the 10TH
She said that in the last fall and early
winter she lived in Knightville. 1t was
| their custom to get up at z o'clock.
| Waite Is o photographer. Didn't think
her husband was away from home night
during December. Didn't know but two
nights when Waite was away from home
all night during June.
/ Witness said Waite staid at home eve-
nings unless he went to the lodge meet
| ing. He would leave home at . seven
o'clock and got home at ten. She did not
| always set up nights for him. Witness
didn t know what he was doing on the
i forenoon of June 18th He left her
mothers home at Falmouth OH the early
morning.
Mrs. Tibbetts niece came ito visit Mrs.
Waite on December 18th. Couldn't say
when Waite left the house on the 10TH
On the sixteenth he left at 73O O'Clock.
She fixed the date because her little boy
was out and Waite went out to find him
because she wanted to go away.
Witness didn't remember whether or
not Waite was away from home any night
during July.
| The county attorney began by asking
the witness where Waite was on many
dates in june and July. She couldn't
tell where he was on all of them but
some of them she did remember.
June 18th Waite took dinner at a
anything to witness about the fires which
occurred in Portland in the months OF
| June and December. Witness couldn't
tell where Waite was ON the 20, 80 and 30
of December. She couldn't tell where
he was on any of the other dates in the
month besides December 18th and 22d.
The county attorney questioned the
| witness on the whereabouts of her hus-
band on various dates in June and July.
Only few of them could she answer.
At this point Mrs. Waite left the stand
and Mr.. Heckbert said: Wilbur M.
Waite may take the witness stand''
| A buzz of excitement went through the
crowded court as Waite arose from his
chair and walked slowly to the witness
stand. Clerk Dyer administered the Gus
tomary oath after which Waite stepped up
into the witness box, He was slightly
pale, but appeared very cool and collected
and told his story in clear tone of voice
which could be distinctly heard all over
the court room. Nor did the cross-exami
nation seem to shake him any for he re-
piled to all of the questions OF the coun ty
attorney as coolly and carefully as he did
to those put by the attorney for the de-
Tense. Waite gave his name and answered
few preliminary questions in a loud
clear tone of voice. He said he first
thought of q protective patrol on Sunday
the 18th of January, while in Lynn. He
was visiting his brother in Lynn with
| his wife and family Tbera was an