Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-12
PIERCE'S DEFENCE
As Outlined Will Be on the
Claim of Insanity.
Motion to Discharge Prisoner Is Over
ruled by the Court.
Detective Stokes Tells OF His Connection with
the Prisoner.

Lewiston, Me, May 11.-At the open
ing of the Geo w. Pierce trial at the
supreme court in Auburn. this morning,
Mr.. Heath. counsel for defence. made a
formal motion for the discharge of the
prisoner, on the grounds that according
to the evidence the box in which the
poisoned liquor was shipped to H. i.
Teel was left on the steps Of the eX-
press Office in Boston, the express
charges to be paid by Mr.. Teel and if
there was crime committed in another
state, that the connection of the sender
of the box terminated at the express
office. Mr.. Heath also made a point
| that no evidence had been introduced
to show that the box had been prepared
| in this State.
| Mr.. Mccain, the States attorney
contended that the express company
was simply the innocent agent of the
respondent and that the intent of the
| sender must be considered ana he ar
gued that the preparation of the crime
was continuous until the arrival Of the
W lllSht-N III lIit MANU- tI MI. ItEI. lie
said further that there was evidence
| that the box was prepared in this juris-
diction. Judge Whitehouse overruled
the motion for discharge, reserving the
right of exception.
| The defence was opened at 9.45
o'clock, by Tascus Atwood. ESQ The
defence does not admit that Pierce sent
the whiskey. They claim that he is
| insane and that all the acts testified tc
| by the States witnesses 90 to prove
this fact which they proposed to still
| further emphasize by the introduction
of further evidence along that line. Mr.
Atwood asked the jury to wait until al
| the evidence was in before arriving al
| verdict.
| Eugene L. Stokes of New York, en-
ployed in the Pinkerton detective
agency, was called by the defence. Mr.
| Stokes read extensively from his min
utes as TO his observation of Pierce
while occupying room in Hirsch's. in
whose company he was more or less
| several weeks. Pierce related, one
evening. how near he came to being {
passenger on the wrecked steamer
Portland, but he remarked that he be-
|
| would never be drowned.
Pierce also said that he would get
even with everybody who had wronged
| him; lawyers, he said, We're the worst
class of men: that those who ha6
wronged him might be hard to get al
but their time would surely come. He
referred to ex-Mayors McGillicuddy
and Newell as the meanest men in
| Lewiston and said that he would get
even with them at any cost. He asked
| the detective if he could tell him of any
| way he could do the job. He said that
he would stop at nothing. Pierce gave
the names of number of persons who
| had wronged him and he vowed that he
would get even with them all.
Mr.. Stokes said: II saw Pierce at the
city prison. He said to me: They have
got me this time. I'm going to prison.
| I'll never get out. They've got me right
| this time I'll die here. I'll commit sui
| eide He wanted me to say nothing about
the gun you lent me. Tell them you only
lent me six cartridges l asked him II
he had used the rife. but he didn't say.
lie went on to say that his ugly tenn
per did it all. | told him that If the
charges were not true, he had nothing to
fear But they are true he said.
over in the Jail later he told me that
| he should make no defence, as they had
| got him and all the charges We're true.
| He begged for my knife or a revolver.
! He said he wanted to kill himself. Said
that a year in prison would kill him any
way.
~ wasn't crazy when | wrote those
| letters said he. Il was just devilish. The
wrong. l was ugly to my wife. She in
! jured me, but | forgive her. | forgive all
those whom l injured. l have been a bad
man but have a very ugly temper He
asked me to call again. | returned to the
hotel and ceased my work on the case
! Deputy Sheriffs Sou!e and Googin ana
Jordan testified regarding the behavior Of
Pierce in jail and on the way to and from
| Augusta.
Mrs. George w. Pierce, the wife of the
| prisoner, testified that her husband had
for years accused her of infideIty with
men. some of whom she had not even
heard of. All of these accusations We're
without foundation There We're frequent
accusations of infidelity with men she did
not know. That he had used violence to-
ward her without cause.
The defence rested here and the State
began its rebuttal. Dr. 3. F. Sturgis Of
Auburn. testified. Was called by sheriff
to see Pierce in his cell. Pierce waved
his arms in the air and uttered inarticu-
was careful not to strike his head on the
floor. Witness gave him no medicine.