Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-11
KNIGHTS TRIAL.
Defence Working Hard on
the Insanity Theory.
Mrs. Knight, Wife Of Respondent, Is
Examined at Length.
The State Insane Hospital Officials Say
Knight is insane.

| nervous, and he seemed wild He
| wanted to know why the witness had
| come to Auburn, and was told that he
| had come to take him home. Re was
| not fit to work and he must go home.
While waiting TO start for home Brad
ford attempted to escape He went
out into the stable and started to
| jump OUT of window. He was seen
| in time and was prevented He was
watched very carefully after that He
was taken home by team He did not
speak unless spoken to. and wal ted to
| get out several times. After his ar
| rival he was examined by Doctors
| Libby and Price. Bradford appeared
much the same as he had in Auburn.
| He was wild and nervous. Aft r the
| examination the witness took Bradford
to the asylum at Augusta
| He saw him afterwards at the
| asylum. He asked him how il agreed
with him and Bradford repli "a. Il
shall go away. My head is all in a
Whirl. | am ten times worse here than
at home" He went to get Bradford
into a private ward and succeeded
| The EeXt time he saw him Bradford
| seemed worse. After he got home
same as he had been in the hospital
| He had an inclination to shun people,
| except perfect strangers Some days
he was cheerful, too much so. indeed.
His eyes looked bad much of the time
When he was excited there was a
| twitching of the muscles Of the scalp
and contraction on top Of the head.
After the attack Of insanity Bradford
carried his head low, although he
naturally held it up. He never car
ried it the same after he returned
from the hospital.
He saw Bradford on the Monday
preceding the killing of Mamie. The
respondent talked about the Smalls
prosecuting him. and said that they
wanted to PUT him in the insane
asylum. Mamie had reported that h
was trying t. harm her and tn Il she
was trying to break away from him,
and that he would not let her. She
had. in one sense. broken up his home.
She would not let his wife come homo.
His wife wanted to come. he said, and
he was trying to persuade Mamie to
keep still and let her. He said he was
going to Gardiner. He must go, and
could not stay at home. When ne
came back from Gardiner the witness
talked with him in his barn. The re-
spondent seemed much excited and
was wild. He said he had not seen
Mame. They We're trying to get him
into the asylum. The witness told him
that SO long as he stayed at home and
behaved they could not do it.
From SO down to this time the wit
ness had not heard Bradford say any
thing about going to the asylum. He
saw Bradford again, Wednesday. He
seemed about the same as he had for
the last ten years. He did not see him
between Wednesday and Saturday.
He saw him about o'clock Saturday.
He found him in the kitchen of his
own house He was very restless and
wild. He talked with him and asked
him if he had shot Mamie Small.
Bradford replied II don't know
whether | have or not. Sometimes
think | have and sometimes l think |
haven't. 1t seems like dream" He
said that he had lost his overcoat on
the road between Gardiner and Rich
mond. Bradford also said. IF ! have
shot her. as you say l have. l should
think they (the officers would have
y
come | shall shoot myself" The Wit
ness then advised him not to do it. and
entreated him not to. When he saw
the officers drive into the yard he told
Bradford. BE calm. the officers are
coming" Bradford did not reply.
In the cross examination this witness
said that Bradford had worked on his
hav press. and had finally bought it
IL, l.. tnIy
farms and cut the hay. The witness
had known of the intimacy between
Mamie and Bradford for five years.
He had frequently seen them riding
together He did not censure him
about his relations with the girl. Mon
day. when he saw him. Saturday
when he saw him after the killing he
was pacing the floor and would occa-
sionally shuttle some letters which
We're in a box on a stand in the room. |
After his arrest the witness had taken
these letters and had afterwards de-
lvered them to Mr. Heath.
Mrs. Addie Angie knight, wife of the |
prisoner. said she had been married |
IS years the 18th of this month. She
had known Bradford from childhood |
shortly after they We're married they |
began housekeeping in the village OF
Richmond She has a son II years old
and daughter of IA.
In the summer of 'S9. Bradford work |
ed very hard. one day he had been out
in the hot sun all day. He came into |
the house and sat down on the sofa
He had very high fever and was very
sick He was treated for brain dis
ease. He was sick about two months.
After this he went to Auburn to work
for his brother. She had seen him on
his return at the hospital after he had
been sent there He said then that he 4
would not live but q litNe while. He
was very melancholy. Prior to this he /
had always been very cheerful. Since
then he has been melancholy and de-
spondent.
After he returned from the hospital
he did not work much. She tried to
get him to work. as she thought that