The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-30
WAITE'S ALIBI.
Continued from First Page.


nary pre- ,ident of the company stating
thai If witness wanted TO make Waite
member of the company he must be
bond which had been telegrnphed to
Montreal was not satisfactory. The
matter of the conversation with Waite
and the facts leading up to the signing
of the bond as given by Prichard was
corroborative of that given by Brady on
Tuesday. Mr.. Prichard evidently en-
10 Jed the opportunity to address the jury
and in very confidential manner went
on to relate all that occurred in room
81 which has before been given by Detsc.
tive Brady.
The witness described in detail how
he had drawn out the confessions of
Waite. Mr.. Prichard concluded his testi-
mony by identifying the bogus check
which was shown to Waite before he
signed his confession.
Inc cross examination of MIR. Prichard
was very brief. After stating his name,
occupation and going over some other
points in this line, Prichard said that he
Vas connected with the Equitable Life
insurance Company MS an agent and
had been for 25 years. He said that he
had drawn more than one policy in this
25 years.
The defense got Prichard to explain
why he had put the cross on the docu-
lnents which Waite was to sign so far
from tho writing above. Witness said
that this was business habit. Matter
had been written on this space between
the signature and the writing after the
paper was signed but that this had been
done In the presence Of Waite and with
his consent and at his request. This con-
cluded the cross examination.
The State put on the stand as its next
witness Police Officer John d. Heating.
he said that he had been police officer
for five years. His story was as follows:
He went to Room 81 at the Preble house
on July % with Officer Wakefield. Prich-
ard and Brady were there. The officers
took their conts OF and got under the
bed. Two minutes later the respondent
threats or promises were made to Waite
to obtain the admission.
The defense objected to the admission
of Keating's testimony on the same
ground that it objected to the testimony
of Prichard and Brady.
The testimony OF Heating was admit
ted ty order Of the court and Mr.. Heck
bort asked that an exception he noted.
Officer Heating went on to say that
Prichard read paper to Waite. Witness
heard Waite say, 'sln the middle of June
l held up car between Reading and
Lynn. It was at night. A colored man
and his wife got on the car at the same
the conductor nj d IL o man and / knew
just what to do with them. did not
keep them for knew if did they would
connect me with the crime. My gun lay
on the seat of the car while l went
through the conductors and motorman' 8
pockets and got 500. After the car WAS
robbed jumped of the car and climbed
tree and was there while they were
hunting for me. The colored man WAS
arrested for this crime ana is now serv-
ing sentence for this crime.
Waite went on to tell about the fire in
the Lynch block on Congress street. He
said 1t would have been a good fire only
that it was discovered loo soon. As it was
Waite said IL was very good fire and did
considerable damage.
Waite said that he put dummy on the
track of the Portland & Cape Elizabeth
railroad in order to throw the car from
the track and rob the car. He said that
he knsw the moto,man and felt sorry
for him because he was K. of P, but
he wanted the money. He said the dunn
my was discovered in time SO that the
car was not thrown from the track.
Waite went on to tell about how he
had started these fires in Portland. He
said that he had gone to these buildings
early in the morning when the watch
men were gone and before the proprie-
tors of the places had come. He thought
that the morning was the best time to set
the fires on this account.
Waite said he liked to set the fires be-
cause they caused so much excitement.
He said that he set them also because
they helped along his patrol scheme.
Waite said that all of these Tres were set
in tho same way viz, in the Railways of
office buildings and with kerosene oil
and rubbish.
Waite went on to tell how he had set
the fire in the MCCARTHY building on July
q G@t hat fpnt h i7v1o v,d
he wanted to tell some one about it.
Waite said that he went to this building
sometime before midnight. He said he
once knew man who had an office in
that building where he took obscene pic
lures. This man had peculiar manner
of destroying his plates. The man would
take some bricks out Of the wall and drop
his plates down between the inside and
outside walls when he thought the police
were after him. Waite said that he went
to this building about midnight and
taking the bricks cut of the wall put all
the rubbish and paper be could get down
between these walls. Then Waite said
Il at b , Ioured a 10 of kerosene oil down
in ,nls space and taking as long IL candle
as he could get, lit 1t and tying string
to 1t lowered the candle down between
the walls. Then Waite said he got out of
tho building as quick as he could and q
little while later the fire broke out.
during the reading of the paper. He
would constantly interrupt Prichard and
tell him about these points Prichard
went along. Heating also told about the
Monhegan case which Waite mad spoken
OF to the detectives but this matter was
excluded.
The cross examination of this witness
was very brief.
Officer Charles l. Wakefield the next
witness fully corroborated the testimony
of Officer Heating His cross examina-
tion revealed no important facts
City Marshal Sylvester was the next
witness He said that no saw Waite
alter his arrest on July 23d. The Marshal
said to Waite, ''In justice to yourself,
Waite, tell me who was with you when
you set these fires" Waite said '.No one
was with me and what told those fell
lows was not SO.
The marshal said fWhy did you tell
them You set these fires which actually
ocourredr'
Waite replied. Well they were pretty
slick chaps and they put up a good Job on