Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-06
JOE KELLEY'S TRIAL.
Nearly $50 Witnesses Summoned to
Be- Present, Monday.
Dsleacs VIII % insanity Kelley WIN Claim
Dsvil's inspiration.

are being rapidly completed for the
trial of Joseph E. Kelley, the young
Somersworth murderer and bank rob-
Der, which will be begun here. next
Monday. From present indications it
will prove one of the most interesting
trials in the history of STAFFORD county.
Nearly $50 witnesses have been sum-
moned and it is thought that the case
will occupy the attention of the court
for about two weeks. Eighty-three
jurors have been drawn, from whom
the - men who will decide Kelley's
fate, will be chosen.
Chief Justice Carpenter will try the
case assisted by Judge Clark of Con-
cord. The government will be repre-
scented by Attorney General Edwin c.
Eastman of Exeter and County Solicit
tor William e. Mason of Dover, while
Kelley's interests will be cared for by
James Edgerly of Somersworth. who
defended Isaac B. Sawtelle. and James
Ryan, Jr., of Dover. County Solicitor
Mason is mayor Of Dover and Mr..
Ryan is postmaster.
The defence will be insanity. During
the past three months both the prose-
cution and the defence have subjected
the prisoner to examination. There will
be 10 or u expert witnesses evenly
divided between the state and the de-
fence, who will give testimony as to
the mental condition of the defendant,
among them being DR.. Bancroft, super
intendent of the New Hampshire state
insane asylum. Kelley himself, states
that he is not insane; that he never
has been and that he was in a perfectly
sound mental condition when he killed
Cashier Joseph Stickney behind the
counter of the Great Falls National
Bank. April 16, last.
The prisoner understands what line
of testimony is to be adopted in his
behalf and seems to object to it, say
ing that he committed the deed and eX-
poets to pay the penalty for it. He
asks, however, that one favor be grant
ed, and that is that the death penalty
be not carried out until later than Jan.
Is, 1898. In explaining this the MUIR
derer makes the remark that he is un-
der a personal compact made several
years ago. to serve the devil without
reservation until his 25th birthday.
which is January Is. He says that if
he should die before the time referred
to, the compact would be binding for
ever and Kelley could never get away
from the devil, whereas, if he lives un-
til the day after, the agreement will
have been fulfilled and the devil will
have no further control over him.
The prisoner states that he intends
to tell the judge about this compact
and request that the death sentence
be deferred till the desired date. He
also says that If there is any talk made
about insanity he will certainly get up
and say that he is not now insane, that
he has not been, that he was not at
the time he killed Mr.. Stickney.
! The prisoner has spent considerable
Of his time since he was placed in Jail
here. last April, in writing verses. In
pursuance of this part he has framed
his will in rhyme and also farewell to
the world. In his will Kelley be-
Queaths the razor with which he cut
the throat of the cashier to James A.
Edgerly, his senior counsel, and the
black jack with which he beat his vic
tim to death. to James Ryan, Jr., the
other lawyer for the defence. He be-
queaths his body to DR.. Bancroft of the
state asylum for dissection. asking
that his corpse be removed from the
prison after his execution, to DR.. Ban
crOft's place and that no one be per-
mittted to look upon his face.
Kelley has supplemented this by re-
duesting his attorneys to see to it that
there are no funeral services, no lot in
q cemetery selected and no gravestore
carved out, but, after the cremation, he
Wishes his counsel to take his ashes up
to, the top of a high hill, and there
scatter them to the four winds of
heaven, so that there shall be nothing
whatever in the future to remind the
world that there was ever Joseph E.
Kelley.