Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-02
THE QUIRI0N TRIAL.
WinslOw Murder Case Opened
in Court, Wednesday.
Quirion Pleads Not GuiIty---TriaI
Promises to Be Tedious One.
Jury Empannel!ed a nd But Few Witnesses
Examined. Yesterday.


Qurion of Winslow, was opened.
Wednesday morning. Judge Wiswell of
Ellsworth. presiding. Messrs. Sheldon
and SaWtelle appeared for the respond
cnt. and County Attorney Heselton
and Attorney General Haines for the
State.
The facts of the case Will doubtless
be remembered, as it occurred only
last April. In the trouble resulting
from a christening and dance held on
the Sand hill in Winslow, on the eve
ming of April Il. Louis Brassau and
Andrew Roseby We're fatally wounded
with knives. Pishon is charged with
the murder Of Andrew Roseby. and has
pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The forenoon was taken up with the
empanelling of the jury. Twenty
eight men We're examined before Il
could be selected. Some We're rejected
for peculiar reasons, and the gaVel of
the sheriff was heard more than once.
suppressing the laughter in the court.
One. when asked his position on the
temperance question. replied emphat-
ically that a man who got drunk ought
to lee shot. He was rejected. Another
pinned his faith to the newspapers,
ard was willing to believe the ac-
c-.llt ~iVcl il them as readily as the
T, Lis o, tanned il court under oath.
This ought to have made him a good
iuryman. surely, but he was chal
lenged. One was 4 church member
and was not wanted in the case. After
an hour of examination the following
were empanelled: Thomas fitzpatrick,
foreman. Farmingdale; F. w. Drake,
Gardiner; j. NJ. Small. China; II. ID.
Blodgett. Pittston; John \. Foster.
winthrop: Ellis NJ. Church, Augusta:
Benz. Tasker, HalIowcll; VIM. f. Watt,
South Gardiner; G. w. Eastman, Ran
dolph: Albert A. Parker, Oakland:
William Learned Albion; George p.
ToWle. Gardiner.
After the jury had been formed and
had organized. the court adjourned un-
til afternoon.
Deputies Hiram Gilman and Horace
w Hildreth have charge Of the jury
during the trial, and they will keep
them together and not allow them to
separate until Il verdict is rendered.
Quarters have been secured for them
at the Augusta House.
In the afternoon, County Attorney lie
elton made his opening. ltc briefly rr-
viewed the law on the ease. explaining {,
the jury how the criminal law differed
from the common. He then took ~ the
history of the case ana the points which
the evidence of the State would cover He
said that they would show that there
two factions in Winslow at the time IF
the trouble one known as til"
Ponspilottcs ana the other as the Apti-
ponspiottcs The ronsrilDttcs were ID
called from the name uf the town IN "a
NADIA where most Of the members If the
faction came from to this state. There
was considerable bad blood between tn"
two factions and the name Ponspiottc
was used as a slur on those who received
ii. The Quirion brothers were the leaders
III the Anti Ponspilottcs ana the Bras
eaus the leaders ~ the Ponspilottcs. on
the night Of the crime, Frank Qulrion "r
Pishon, his English name, had been heard
10 say that they were going to Kill Il
rabbit" This. among the French, was an
diom meaning that there would be a row.
lie was told that he would first have to
catch the rabbit. In the fight which fol
lowed he was seen to have something il
his hand which cleaned, although it mad
not Dt'i Hl''Uitlittl stS Il MINI
In reviewing tile law on the case h
showed the meaning Of malice in the law.
IT was not necessary Il have tine to plan
the murder to constitute malice. The
fact that dangerous weapons were used
was enough There were several kinds
Of legal killing. Murder was the Illegal
taking "a human life. one had the right
to Kill IN war in defence Of his own life
and his home ana family. In self defence,
when a blow had been received. man
has no right to return it with shot from
q pistol or a cut from knife This IS
not usually considered to he 4 legal case
IF self-dcfance. When the killing is done
| in the heat OF passion it may pc man
| slaughter but nGt an anger in a quarrel
can be 50 considered. The jury would
| have to consider the question OF malice
as defined bv the law and not according
to the ordinary meaning. and also as to
the condition Of the man at the time.
| Sixteen witnesses were summoned
| for the government. Only a few Of
these could speak English and the pro
J 1eedjngs We're consequently cumber-
! some and slow. All the questions and
answers had to be received through an
Interpreter. and it was often very diff
ticult to make the witnesses understand
| She question in French.
Charles f. Bilodeau of this city, was
sworn as interpreter.
! It. w. Chamberlain of Gardiner, was
the first to be called He had made a
plan of the locality of the crime IL
Winslow and was called to explain the
plan. BY this means a clear idea OF
the surroundings were obtained.
Joseph Fournier was the next wit
| ness. 1t was at his house that the
trouble originated on the evening OF
the murder He said there had been Q
little trouble during the dance because
too many wanted to go onto the 1lool
at once. \ fight had been started, bu'
he had stopped it and ordered th'
dance to cease at once, as he saw tina
many were under the influence %
liuuor and the there might be more
serious trouble If he allowed 1t TO con
l..F4 tl.. N.