Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-02
ALMOST RECOVERED,
Amanda Joseph Now Over Effects Of
Terrible Exposure.
Public Sympathy all With Woman and Hone
She'll Be Acquitted.

this country been so interested in anv
criminal case as they are in the case
OF State against Amanda Joseph, which
VIII come before the superior court
when it sits. commencing next Tuesday.
The case is familiar to all; how this
poor pack peddler gave birth to her
child out in the snow behind school
house in South Vassalboro, and the
subsequent finding of the child in the
vault of an outbuilding; and how she
was arrested and brought to the county
Jail in this city
When she was placed in Jail she
broke down and was very i'll from the
effects of the terrible exposure she suf-
fered before her arrest and after her
confinement. The three mile tramp
she took, carrying her pack, through
deep snow and slush, on Friday, the
day the child was born, and the six
mile walk through the next days ram
undermined her naturally rugged con-
stitution and for several days 1t was an
open question whether or not she would
live. In the long run her strong con-
stitution aided by the excellent care
she has received since her Judgement in
the jail prevailed. and now she is able
to be up and, although weak. in a few
days she will be herself again.
Mrs. Joseph has not been arraignod
i'll the lower court yet, and probably
will not be now, as it is SO near the
time for the grand jury to meet. A
warrant has been made out by Judge
Andrews Of the municipal court, giving
the charge as manslaughter, but. of
course. this will not necessarily he the
indictment found by the grand jury,
if any is found.
County Attorney Heselton has been
seen by Journal representatives but de-
clnes to tell them what his policy VIII
be in the case. It. however. has been
brought to the attention of the Journal
by excellent authority that he intends
to push the matter and punish the
woman for murder if possible.
As has before been mentioned, Hon.
Herbert NJ Heath will conduct tn,
defence of the woman. If an indct-
ment of manslaughter is brought in by
the grand jury, Mr. Heath will instruct
his client, unless there are new d.
velopments, to plead guilty, and then
endeavor to get her six months ov
year sentence in jail.
IF, however. an Indictment is re
turned for murder. there will be a
strong fight for acquttal Probably
one line of argument. if the case should
he murder, would be that the wounds
on the neck of the infant if proven .
be caused by scissors We're caused by
the accidental and not intentional use
Of them.
Public sympathy is entirely with the
woman, and her case is argued every
day in all sorts of places 1t is a truly
lamentable situation and almost ilh-
possible for person who knows the
facts to condemn the woman. One
prominent official puts it this way: NO
man of good common sense hut says
the child and mother are both better off
with the child dead. Where then is
ba
Others take less radical positions
and advocate a Jail sentence where the
woman would he taught how to cook
or do some other kind of work much
easier pfeasanter and safer than
tramping around the country carrying
that heavy pack weighing 30 pounds or
more Many feel that she should he
punished lightly for the act she did in a
moment of desperation.
There is no good evidence of pre-
meditated murder in the case for it is
we'll known that she tried to gain adj
mittance to a house Selectman War
rens residence, in which she could
give birth to her baby. Being refused
she could only go behind the school
house and sit down on rock. If left
there the child would have frozen, if
carried by the woman it would haEe
frozen for she had no clothing to clothc
it with, and it would have hinder d
her from gaining a livelihood. In a
moment of desperation not knowing
what else to do with it, and for the
best interests of both, she may have
killed the infant, but there are very
few who will condemn her for it,