Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-10-04
WAITE ACQUITTED.
The Portland Arson Trial Has Very ORA.
matte Ending.

mauC en0ln9.
Portland, Oct. 3.-No one could have
repressed the storm Of applause in the
court room when the jury returned
verdict of mot guilty." in the case of
Wilbur M. Waite, Saturday. After be-
ing out five hours the jury came In.
Not the slightest intimation Of the
probable verdict had been received,
although every one who had followed
the evidence felt confident that it must
be acquittal, the case Of the State
having so completely broken down.
The scene was dramatic in the extreme.
When Waite, who had for hours been
bearing the fearful strain, was told 20
stand up he rose with a great effort,
and stood with his hands clasping the
rail. His face was very white.
Clerk Libby asked for the verdict on
each of the 30 counts, and as the fore
MAJ said mot guilty" to count after
count. Waite's excitement visibly in
creased, and when the mot guilty" to
the last count set him free he tainted
and would have dropped to the floor
had he not been caught by Mr.. Heck
bert. whose splendid fight Tor his client
has this week won the admiration of
all who followed the case.
Waite was unconscious for some
time His wife and mother. hardly
less excited than himself. helped to
restore him.
When told to stand up that he nigh.
be discharged, he tried to rise, but
nnr,l1
Mr.. Waite" said Judge Bonney, kindly
And then he was told that by order Of
the court he could go without delay.
And then it was that the feelings of
those in the court room found vent in
long-continued applause. Sheriff Plum
mer raped for order, but he was HIM
self very plainly gratified with the ver-
dict, and Judge Bonney was not ois-
posed to insist on order in the court
room. 1t was the most sensational and
dramatic scene ever witnessed in q
Portland court room.
Waite embraced his mother and wife,
and shook hands with Mr.. Heckbert
Mr.. Heckbert was warmly congratu-
lated by members of the bar and others
on the success of his defense of Waite
When the trial started, last Monday, it
was generally believed that Waite
would be convicted on all the counts,
but there was SO great a change in
public sentiment as the case proceeded
that at the last no one believed in the
possibility of his being convicted.
The case of the State was at last re-
duced down to single fire out of IL,
and the confession" made by Waite to
Brady and Pritchard, and that was
practically taken out of the case by
Judge Bonney in his charge.
Mr.. Heckbert took the case because
of his sympathy for Waite. The money
used to obtain the evidence for Waite
was raised through the. efforts largely
Of L. a. Goudy, a prominent business
man, who visited Waite in Jail, and
who was touched by his helpless condi-
ton and finally was brought to believe
him innocent. Mr.. Heckhert was forced
to work up the case as well as to pre-
sent it in court. He is one of the
youngest members of the bar. and his
eloquent closing argument was pro-
nOunced one of the finest heard here
for many years.
Those who have followed the case do
not regard the verdict as in the slight
est degree rejecting on Mr.. Brady, the
Boston detective, who worked up the
case. The documents he presented were
signed by Waite just as Mr.. Brady said
they were signed. but the fact was
Waite confessed to the commission of
crimes of which he was not guilty.
Brady thought he was leading Waite
on to make a confession of criminal
acts of which he was guilty, and as an
inducement for him to do so, offered
him a position in smuggling company.
On his part Waite. in order to secure
that position, confessed to crimes of
which he was not guilty.
1t should be said again. in justice to
Detective Brady of Boston, that Waite |
in his testimony, Thursday. did not say
that he was drugged by Mr.. Brady, but |
that Mr.. Brady gave him some white |
tablets. No reference was made by Mr..
Heckbert to this matter in his closing |
argument yesterday afternoon.
Hon. George Libby, who conducted |
the fight for the State. made fine pre-
sentation of his case, and a logical |
closing argument. but the case Of the |
State was so absolutely swept away by |
Mr.. Heckbert's brilliant defence, that |
only one single fire remained out of IL |
Waite could possibly have even seen,
and regarding that fire Mr. Heckbert's !
claim was fully sustained by the jury. |
CARY IS VIOLENTLY INSANE.