Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-20

| and then they took the road down to
| the Axiom house: but when they got
| near AXonS house they took the side
| walk | think. l did not go way down.
DID not see them fail down or slip. We
| walked down the sidewalk and they
down the road. We went up as far as
the baptist church. did not tell any
body thai Bushby was drunk or had a
lit ana they were carrying him home.
Saw Merrill and Priest afterwards at
the corner ana they said Mr.. AXon
came out and got him into the house
Wfhcr f. Lewis testified that he had
known Harry Eushby ana That intellect
ually ne was MOI very bright. Had seen
me boys hay" fun with him occasionally.
! lic worked in the cariug room III the
mill. ON the evening III question | vert
10 M"rriilS barber shop about O'clock.
The door WAS not locked then, but was
Iftrrward- The door was locked lust De-
fore they put Harry behind The counter.
Harry was sitting ON a chair when |
Went in, behind the stove. lie dd moi
drink anything while | was in there. nor
did anybody else After | had been in
there about minutes larry fell out Of
the chair. | think he leaned back in thu
chair ana did not know there was no back
to it, ana he tipped over. | passed him
cigarctt" when first went in. lie asked
for it. | never knew him to smoke cigar
cites, but he smoked a pipe. Nobody told
me anything that he had been doing.
After he fell over. Merrill picked him IN
ana said. he guessed Harry was in a fit.
Nothing was said about having a phys-
clan. Perhaps 10 minutes after that Will
liams came in. The door was not locked
then. He asked what was the matter
with Harry, and Merrill said he thought
NJ had a fit. Nothing was said by Mer-
rill that led me- To think ne was drunk.
Somebody there said Merrill had given
him two drinks, but ! don't know who Il
was. Merrill said it wouldn't do to have
Harry lying there on the settee with ev-
erybody coming in, and Priest put him
behind the, counter. Williams had come
in before that. He did nothing to Harry
like unbuttoning his clothes. nor did Mcr-
rill Don't know as | saw everything
that was done there. They locked the
door before they put Harry behind the
counter. ! heard some corn go on the
floor and saw Merrill with a pail in ms
hand upside down. Some of the corn was
on Harry's face. | sad he ought not 20
do that, and Merrill said ne did il acct
dentally. Right after that Mr.. Thomas
came 10 the door and came in and stayed
, or 3 minutes He said something to
Merrill about shutting up before Il
o'clock. and Merrill said he would shut
up right of. Goodson and | went right
out after Thomas and the others soon
came out and we went to Wheeler's.
Stayed there about 20 minutes and came
out. and Priest and Merrill went and got
Bushby and carried him home. Followed
them down far as the church and
know of anybody doing any injury to
Bushby.
Thomas NJ Williams testified that he
| had been acquainted with Bushby and
that he was under the ordinary intellect.
Saw Merrill on the street about ~ min
utes past on the night in question, and
he asked me to his shop. lie unlocked
the door and We went in. Several We're
there Bushby was on the settee. He
was unconscious, and | think somebody
said he was drunk. ! did not touch him
or unbutton his clothing, and there was
no proposition Of that kind. Merrill said
nothing of the kind to my knowledge.
shortly after | went in they put Bushby
behind the counter. They gave no reason
| for that Heard corn rafting on the floor.
but did not see where il came from.
| Don't remember of any laughter at that
time. Don't know that any of it went
onto Bushby. Thomas came in and was
there few minutes, and while ne was
! talking | went out and did not see Bush
/ by after that | saw no injuries inflicted
on him. Saw nobody strike or kick him.
I II. :. Wheeler, at whose store the ur-
| PENDANTS and others of the witnesses
came during the evening, testified that
they came in about 10 o'clock None Of
them said anything about Bushby being
drunk or in a fit. Priest had been drink
/ ing, because he showed it by talking
thick Could not swear by Merrill's ac-
! lions that he had been drinking Bushby
was simple minded ana easily influenced.
r. q. Thomas, constable of NaSsaiboro.
| testified that he visited Merrill Shop ON
ne evening in question; that the cur
| tains were down ana the door locked.
| Merrill let him i'll ana witness notiiie /
| him 10 close up. also told him he WAS GO
| ing into the shop, to see who was there.
! Wrnt in ana Merrill stepped right 70 the
rnd az the counter. He promised 70 close
/ Immediately. Should say Merrill and
| Priest had been drinking.
DR. MenZirs was recalled by the govern
| ment and testified that he made "a very
| careful examination OF the breath %
Bushby, the night he was called, and
/ rnuId NOT detect the presence of alcohol.
The county attorney then introduced IN
| evidence the watch, fragment Of watch
! chain identified as Bushby's, and the
! shoes, and then rested ms case
| court then adjourned until morning at
| . o'clock.