The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-30
THE STEVENS STAMPS.
The Unique Case Game Up For
Trial Yesterday.
A CASE OF ABSORBING INTEREST
AND NOVEL CONDITIONS.

Defense an Alibi-Blg Atteudanee-A Day
of Phenomenaily Good Witnesses
states Case Rests Largely on Mrs.
steveus,s Positive Identifcation-De-
tense Has strong Case.
Portlane's famous "stamp Case" is
once more in the public gaze. The pre-
liuinary hearing in the Municipal court
some few weeks ago which excited SO
nuch interest. both from the uniQusEess
nj the crime itself and dramatic events
folloyipg ii, eliminating in the arrest Of
a Portland man, will DO readily recalled.
Asa result Of that hearing, ia which
Warren e. Bailey was charged with the
thsfs of Samuel A. Stevens's valuable
collection of stamps was bound over to
the grand Jury, probable cause having
besn fouad against him. The last grand
inry found true bill against him and
fle case was called for trail yesterday
morning in the Superior court.
Countg Attorney Libby and Assistant
County Attorney Allen appeared for the
stass and Carroll W. Morrill,. ESQ, fer
ths defense, Henry W. Swazey, ESQ.,,
Yepressstiag Mr.. Stevens, to offer any
assistance to the prosecution.
Public interest in the novel case is
great AID the court room WAS packed all
day.
rue county attorney made very brief
onenine. outlining the governments
case
He Testimony
III substance, was as follows:
am an iron dealer, doing business on
Commercial street. and my residence was
at 81 Spring street last October. / was much
interested in collecting POSTAGE stamps,
and had a large and valuable collection, az
rang Ell in bWo volune7,. bound in seal
leather. The first volume contained
United States stamps end the stamps OF
f1ralan countries, arranged alphai eSical-
ly and contin uing from Abyssinia to
Liberia. The two albums, without the
stamps, cost me s12. On the afternoon
Of C5t. 6 / received a message from my
wife. notifying me tha5 my fist volume
of stamps had Ieea taken by young
man who called at my home claiming
that had sent him for the volume. l
Immediately notified Marshal Tricky.
I mad twice purchased stamps of this
RESPONDENT. He called at ny office. l
always kept the stamps at my home.
Crosg-examiRed By Mr. Morrill,, the
witness said his wife informed him that
the young man who calles for the stamp
album wore % REFER, striped trou eFs and
a derby hat. She said be might be 20
years of age, or perhaps &C. Witness sus-
ne. ted the respondent, and notified Mar
slnl Trickey CT that suspicion on the day
following tbs robbery. Questioned re-
garding the value placed on the stamps,
the witness stated that their value de-
pended or their rarity,
ssThen i'll order to sell them at the
prices you name, enc must first find
somebody who has a fad for stamp col
Ieeting. Isn't that it?'' questioned the
defending attorney.
aThose prices are often obtained at
auction sales, which might be considered
m open markell WAS the reply of the
witness.
ARTHUR W. BELL
sid he was employed by Samuel A.
Stevens and had been for nearly five
years. He introduced the respondent to
MIR. Stevens. Had known Bailey for
several years. He had seen a good deal
Of him aud talked with him about Mr..
Stevans's stamps. Had no business with
Bailey, their relations icing entirely OF
q PERSONAL and friendly nature. Had
visited Bailey,s house frequently in
social way. On cross examination he
eaid after he learned OF the loss of the
sfemps he had talked with Mis-. Stevens
and described Bailey to her. He procured
q photograph of Bailey for Mrs. Stevens
from Bailey's sister. He told her he
wantsd to show it to young man who
used to know him. He admitted he
told her what was not true.
MRS. STEVENS
wife of Samuel A. Stevens WAS chilled
eud of course was the star witness far
tire State. 1t is practically upon her tes-
fimeny that the case Of the prosecution
rests. Mrs. Sseyenss testimony attracted
tie keene est interest from the large nu IN
her Of spectators present. She was
positive and emphatic III her identifica-
tion of the respondent as.the man who
called at her house end took away the
stainp son that October afternoon. She
qualified as an expert IN physiognomy
saying she had made life long study OF
faces and declaring that lit was by the
respondents faee rather than BIZ any
feature CT his clothes that she recognized
him.
Another portion of Mrs. stevens's re-
cital which seemed to amusa every body
was her animated description of the
"stamp Inan's'' trousers. She called
them striped. In her oolloquy with Dir.
Morrill, over the matter she declared that
Tiers ara ''strires and stripes" but that
these particular stripes were tue kind
usually worn with cuf-a-way coat.
Bailey hariily took bis eyes off Mrs.
Stevens during the whole Of her tastt-
mony hut this did rot disconcert her in