Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-31
CHAMPIONS TRIAL
Opens at Alfred With a Great
Crowd Present.
Being Nov Tried for the Murder Of
Mrs. Elsie Horn.
Jury Soon Secured and The Taking Of Eyider &c
Is Commenced.

Alfred. Nc, oct. 30.-The trial al
George n. Champion. who WAS indict
ed by the September grand jury on a
charge Of numbering George w. Good
win, Scott q. Goodwin. Mrs. Elsie II
Horn and Fred Bertsch. in the house
of George w. Goodwin. in West New
field. on the night OF June 10. last, com
menced here. today. in the continued
session Of the September term of the
supreme court. bfore Judg Andrew p
Wiswll Although indicted for all -four
murders. champion is being tried only
upon that indictment charging him
with the murder Of Mrs. Horne. the
housekeeper. \ jury was secured dur
ing the forenoon. nine of the panel be
ing farmers. and Charles Il. Goodwin
of berwick, was appointed foreman.
The prisoner is represented by Judge
benjamin G. CIeaves and George F
Haley of Biddeford. while owing to an
injury To State Attorney Haincs' eye
the burden of the prosecution will fall
upon the shoulders Of County Attorney
William 6. Matthews.
After the completion Of the jury
Judge WiSWeu instructed them in their
duties, and then County Attorney Mat
theWS outlined the case Of thu govern
ment. his presentation holding The close
attention OF the 400 people who packed
the court house for half an hour. The
evidence was then begun. a dozen or
more witnesses being heard
Most OF the testimony. today. was
unimportant. going to establish the
fact Of Champions presence Il, the
house on the night Of the murders. the
discovery of the fire. and later OF the
bodies in the ruins John Burleigh OF
Dover brother of Mrs. Horne. who
helped remove the bodies. testified u
seeing q fracture and several blood
clois an his sisters head, also a frac-
tura on EeItsch's head ANA 4 cash on
his neck that had severed several cords
of the neck
The work Of securing 4 jury pro-
crossed rapidly. considering the wide
interest which the case has created.
and il was just lI.35 when the 18th and
last man was accepted by both sides
When the last man had taken his seat
in the jury box. Judge Wiswell gave
| them a short talk, instructing them as
to their duties. and then Charles r.
Goodwin. a farmer of Berwick. was
chosen as foreman. The names OF the
jurors with their occupations and res
licences are as follows:
Charles z. Goodwin. farmer. Ber-
wick, foreman; Albert 3. Stevens
farmer. Alfred. Charles Hemmenway.
farmer. Dayton: Leander W Hawkes.
trunk manufacturer. Old Orchard.
VIM. II. Pitts. hatcher. Alfred; David
W. Narney, farmer, Lebanon; Frank
lin A. Trip, farmer, kenneDunk: John
w. Eden. farmer. Saco: Daniel c.
Grover. farmer. North Berwick; John
w. Clark. farmer. Dayton: John r.
Stowe, barber, Saco.
Out of the 81 talemen present. 81
We're examined. Fifteen of these were
excused nine We're challenged by the
state. and y were chosen as jurors
The - remaining ones were excused
when it was found that their services
would not be needed.
Champion WAS arraisned and plead
ed not guilty.
County Attorney Matthews spoke for
just 35 minutes. and a. the conclusion
of his address the first witness was call
ed. Roland w. Libby. civil engineer
of Saco, who testified to the accuracy
of plans Of the buildings and surround
ings of the Goodwin house.
Fred A. Reed Of Wakefield, n H.
was the next witness. He testified that
he went to the Goodwin house at
o'clock Sunday evening. June 10. and
while there saw Mr.. Goodwin his son
Scott and Fred Bertch. He also saw
two small girls who lived near by. He
next went TO the house Monday morn
ling to milk a COW owned by a man
who boarded at the house, and then he
found the smoking ruins of the build
ngs.
John & Drew of TamWOrth. the next
witness, testified that a the time of the
tragedy he was employed as a team
ster by the previous witness. He said
that he went to the Goodwin place
about or 80 o'clock on the morning of
June II. and found the buildings burned
no the ground He went back to Reed s
place and remained there about an
hour. returning 10 Goodwin'S between
6 and I O'Clock, and at that time found
in the ruins of the burned building
what he took to be a human body. soon
after this he went away from the place
and never has been there since.
John p. Varney of Acton. n. H., tes-
tied that early in the morning OF June
m. his wife, who was attending SICK
child. called his attention to Il hre III
he direction of the Goodwin place.
This was Just before l o'clock.
The next witness was Edward Miller
Of Parsonsfield. At the time OF the
tragedy Miller was employed at saw
mill in Newton. n. H., and he mad
passed Sunday. June 10. at his nome IN
p,rconfield Early Monday morning,
he started to drive to Newton 70 MS
work While passing on road near
rho Goodwin farm at about O'CLOCK
he cav the flames of the burning bulld-
inos He stopped soon afterWard TO
notify George Chick of the fre- lhen
he nroceeded. reaching SanbornVlile at
345. Just in front of the last mouse IN
Sanbornville, he saw lying on ehe
ground a hat, with crown touf OF "Ee
inches high, and which bore STAINS up
an the band. These stains. the witness
said were not such as usually were
(Conrinued on page - =.