The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-10
Contained Saturated So
luton Of Arsenic,
Prof. Robinson Connects ItWith
That in Pierce's House.

Lewiston. May 9.-George W. Pierce,
whose trial opened today in the Supreme
court In Auturn, Is indicted for two at
ten,pts at murder. one of Judge A.. c.
Cornish Of the Lewiston Supreme court,
with poisoned sugar. and one of ex.City
Marshal h. E. Teel of Lewiston, with
p oisoned whiskey.
There are several indictments charging
Pierce with criminal libel of Fred l.
Odlin, a state detective, Hon. A. l.. Tai.
bot, II. K. Teel. hon. A. ID. Cornish, N.
B. Stockbridge. Esq, and Hon..W. II.
indictments Is against Pierce and Maude
Warren collectively.
The case has excited considerable in
tersst throughout the county from the
prominence Of men involved and the
nature of the attacks on the part OF the
accused. 4
County Attorney MoCann Of Auburn
represents the state and Hon.iH. NJ.
Heath of Augusta, and Tasous Atwood.
ESQ.,, Of Auburn. the respondent.
Upon his arraignment two weeks go
Pierce did not speak, but plea of not
guilty by reason Of insanity was entered
by his counsel. Since then te has been at
the state insane hospital for observation.
Pierce was brought into court by two
deputy sheriffs and the trial opened at
0. 30 O'Clock.
Pierce sat with bowed head and ap-
peared not to hear what was said In the
empanelling of theijury. A satisfactory
panel was securedsin one hour. Alton
o Brion, Auburn, is foreman.
d. Mrs. Pireoe, mother of the respondent,
and his aunt, Mrs. Martha &. Rounds OF
Clinton, Me-, are in oourt.and during the
recess there was an affecting scene be-
tween mother and son, the mother falling
ON the shoulders of the son and weeping.
The Indictment charging..th the respondent
with attempt to murder H. E. Teel with
poisoned whiskey was read. The whiskey
1t Is alleged, was mixed with trough on
rats" and was sent by express to Mr..
Teel fromlBoston, as the state claims, by
Pierce. The formal opening was by
County Attorney MoCann.
The state would show, he said, that
there was teaspconful of arsenic in the
quart bottle of whiskey, and that an
ounce of the liquid would have been
fatal. The box containing the whiskey
was found one morning on the steps of
the office of the Merchants Express COM
pany in Boston and the state would con-
meet Pierce with its delivery there, he be.
ing in Boston on that. day.
1t is claimed that PieIcs's dislike of
MIR. Teel was on account of feeling of
revenge for Mr.. Teel's official acts as city
| marshal Of Lewiston. He fancied that
Teel had wronged him andihe swore that
he would get even with all people who
had wronged him.
The state would vigorously contest the
plea of insanity, but would first put in
| It's evidence Of the acts themselves. MIR.
outlined by the states attorney when
court was adjourned until $50 p. N.
This afternoon Walter Byron, book
| keeper In the Office of the Merchants Ex-
press company, boston, identified the box
received by Mr.. Teel containing the
bottle of poisoned whiskey. He testified
that he found 1t on the steps of the off oe
one morning the first of November, '9s.
W. II. Clark of Boston testified to SELL
ing George W. Pierce q typewriter in
Boston on the morning OF November g..
'98.
Deputy Marshal Caller and Officers
Bolieau and Ward, testified to searching
the premises of Pierce and finding there u
bottle of whiskey of u similar sort to that
received by Teel. Prof. Franklin G.
Robinson of Bowdoin college testified re-
gartiing the analysis of the whisksy re-
ceived by Teel and thai found at Pierce's S
house. He stated that each bottle con-
tained "Roush on Rats" 1t was entire
iy dissolved but formed q saturated solu
ton. Two ounces of it would have been
fatal, The arsenic in the whiskey re-
ceiyed by Teel and that in the whiskey
found at Piercs's house were from the
same lot He was able to tell this from
the crystalline formation. On CROSS ex-
animation Prof. Robinson stated that in
one hundred lots of commercial arsenic
there would be one hundred different
sorts of crystalline formation. He could
not swear absolutely that the arsenic
was from the same lot but it was in all
probability.
The court adjourned az the conclusion
of Prof. Robinson's testimony