The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-27
MURRAY ON TRIAL.
For Blowing Open the Cold Storage
Co.'s Safe.
EX-DIST. ATTY. RIDGEWAY OF
NEW YORK HIS COUNSEL.

NEW YORK HIS COUNSEL
c.tx Attorney Libby Conducting Case
for Government-how omcers heating
and Cousens Captured Murray on the
N5obt of Sept. 1Sth-His Conflicting
stories-Keating Says His Linen Was
Too Clean for Man Who Had Been
Riding on a Freight Train.
Yesterday afternoon George w. Murray
with many aliases among others that of
sUIlie' Burke was placed on trial in the
Superior court before Judge Bonney,
charged with breaking and entering the
store of the Maine Provision and Cold
storage company on Commercial street
on the night of Septem Der 18th last and
blowing open the safe.
At three clock the prisoner, young
man about twenty-seven years old, rather
slight Of build, but with regular features
and good appearance and neatly dressed,
was brought into the court room and
SEATED besidee bis counsel, Mr.. Carroll W.
Morrill, and ex-D.strict Attorney James
W. Ridgeway of New York, who has
come on here as counsel for Murray. Mr..
Ridpeway Is a typical New York attorney
with something of the Talnmany Hall
stamp about him that would attract att
tention almost anywhere. He and the
prisoner divided between them the atten-
tion of the spectators in the court room
until court came In. Neither Mr.. Ridge
way nor Murray seemed to mind In the
least the interest they excited from the
crowd present, in fact both seemed to en-
joy it little.
County Attorney George Libby and
Assistant County, Attorney George Allan
conducted the case for the government.
The prisoner having already been ar
raigned and pleaded. not guilty to the
charge, the next thing was the choosing
of Jury to try him. Many special ira
verse Jurors had been summoned to at
tend this trial, but there were no ohal-
lenges on the part of the defense and the
following jury was empannelled: George
B. Jacobs, Deering, foreman John Il.
Ward, Portland; Aaron B. Metcalf,
Brunswick; Mellen Tryon, Portland
Forest L. Higgins, Standish; Frederick
e. Mitchell, Yarmouth; Albert B. Davis
Casco; Thomas +. Allen, Windham
Benjamin B. Knight, Portland; George
W. Warren, Standish; Calvin s. Walker,
Westbrook; Reuben B. Black, Deering.
In his opening, County Attorney Libby
: said that on the evening Of September IS
the employees of the Maine Provision ant
Cold Storage company closed the doors O.
. their store at the usual time and went
home Between twelve and one O'CLOCK
that night two police officers were stand
ing ON fore street near Cross, when they
were startled by heavy explosion. These
officers at once thought that the boilers
of the electric light station might have
exploded and hurried to that spot. Evsry
thing there was all right and returning
to Commercial street the officers found
Z that the store door WAS open and safe
had been blown. Some five minutes later
the respondent, George W. Murray was
arrested within 1870 feet Of the store In
which the safe had bean blown. We will
also show you that Murray was seen to
pass near this store only a few MINUTES
before his arrest. We must rely in prov
ing this mans guilt, on circumstantia
evidence to more or less degree. We
shall show you in many ways, many cir
cdmstances which we believe will con
nect George W. Murray with this break
ing and entering.
County Attorney Libby then STATED
that the Maine Provision and Cold Stor.
age company existed under the laws O
Maine and was doing business in Port
land.
So far had the trial proceeded when tn
first interruption occurred. George B
Jacobs mem Der of the jury, having
listened to the county attorneys charge
arose and said that he wished to be ex
cussd from serving on the jury.
This created quite a sensation in tn
court room. Judge Bonney said that /
was rather late for MIR. jacobs to max
such a:request, but as that gentleman in
sisted OIL being excused, saying that h
was too i'll to serve. he was allowed t.
leave the panel MILFORD ". Dunn o
Yarmouth was selected to serve in thu
sick Jurors place add once again Count.
Attorney Libby had to make an opening
argument for the bsnedt of the new
Juror. In this argument the county at
torney said: "You can tell the difference
between mau who shovels coal for
living and man who works in a saw
mill You can also tell whether a mar
rides on the outside Of freight train il
the dust and dirt or whether he rides il
parlor car. call your attention IL
this statement and ask you to listen at