Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-25
EDWIN H. KNIGHT
Arrested on Charge Of Murder
of Fannie Sprague.
Held for the Grand Jury and Com
mitted 10 Alfred Jail.
Expected the Arrest and Made no Resistance.
TTia, in January.

''>h bciNlCk, Me, Dec. ot.-EdWin
H. might was arrested n his home at
South Eerwick Junction. MONDAY
morning. by County Attorrcv Mat-
the"s and Deputy Shclins Spencer
ana Miles On a Warrant Charging him
with the murder of Mrs. Fannio
SpraGue on May l. 1900.
me arrest was accomplished without
any excitement, Mr.. Knis,ht allowing
himself To he taken into custody With
OUT resistance. saying that he expected
|" De arrested. He was Immediately
taken III team to the Jail at Per-
N-ck, ana Preparations were made for
Eii arcaisnment before Trial Justice
LORD at II O'Clock.
Mr., Knight is Il years old, = native
o. Scath PcrWiek and a successful bus
mess man. His arrest is the result az
the personal work of County Attorney
Matthews. who for several months har
occn trying u secure 4 definite verdict
from the coroner's jury as to the per
petr2tor eff the crime.
The crime for which Mr.. KNIGHT was
arrested was Of a very atrcciuus Nh
tu!e. The mutilated tddy If Fannie
Sprasuc Was found in a barn on TIE
Il loTenCe knight place in South Hor-
WICK. An attempt had been made to
ourn the body with the evident irtea
ten OF concea!ing the crime. but the
hIe was discovered and cxtinguishcd
by two men WHO were sent to tia barn
upon an c.rard. Knight was away
from home at the time and the other
men of the household ve.e in the
woods engaged in numbering.
Mrs. Sprague was housekeeper for
samuel Locke. who rented the Knight
farm. Mr.. Locke was III tie woods at
work on the day Of the murder ana
Mrs. SEr2Sue was thought to be -
home alone. The evidence connecting
Edwin II. Knight has been carefully
guarded by the police.
Edwin Fl. Knight was arranged be-
fore Trial Justice Lord at HIS o'clock.
lie was represented by George {. Yea
ton Of South Berwick. while County
Attorney VIM. :. Matthews appeared
for the State. Mr.. Yeaton. Tor the de-
fence, waived the reading Of the war
rant ana entered a plea Of hut guilty.
pr. G. &. Gerrish Of South Berwick.
was the first witness. He said that on
May l. he was called TO the Florence J.
Knight place, in company with Dr. Ed
win ID. jacques. They visited the stable
and SAN the body OF Fannie Sprague
lying on its back near the horse stall
lie noticed that there had been a fire
IN the place and the clothing Of the
woman nearly all burned off. There
were two gashes on the head. one On
the top ana the other over the right
eye. He observed gashes on the neck
which seemed to have been done with a
blunt knife. The windpipe and jugulaT
Vein were severed. The hair was mat
ted with blood and there was 4 pool OF
blood on the floor. Witness noted that
water had been thrown on the body til
extinguish the fire and said that III his
opinion the wounds would not have
caused death Immediately, although
death would have followed very soon.
Dr.. Edwin =. Jacques Of South Der
wick. testified TO accompanying Br.
CIerriSh ana described the condition AZ
the body as he mad done. He stated
that the wounds on the neck were sdtii-
cient to cause death . moment or 50
after they were administered
Samuel 5 Locke Of South Berwick
testified that he lived il the Florence ,
Knight house ana On the lSt of Aay
was cutting wood in the lot some dis
tance away. Fannie Sprag'e WAS
cleaning house for him and had been
there for about a week. fie said she
was III tie kitchen when IA laft II"
rol1s- mat morning. Witness also te ti-
fad that on thu Saturday pTe vlous-
vr,7, H. returned from South Ec-T,leE-
he found Edwin knight in tie house
MIS-. Spra cue was there 81 The tins aI-a
tnev discussed her presence i1e-e-
-z-5-l-t said. % Witness testified thaf
E,arl7ie wanted 4 home and he guessed
II would tt ali right f1r e=r "a sta.
there.
T-sarerea !. King was called and les
-.4-os -hs- IN The morning 81 the T--r-
5a- she saw smoke Al 1l-c barn ana o-,
--1f~- lr--a found the lauE ot Ars-
go 7,t almost burned AZ Crisp III
esv. 1 stick near th= body vhi-A fl'.l
bec, broken in Iuo- i may l-'-'7
$3.50 ~ -lset.s ca the head
T-=v-ar5 r. Newell testified -hat II
-s- III ,-a-k on Z calvert nearby ai-
-.4s .--4n-51-1 MAS attracted pE ~l-i
--,,s7,- 4~ar,7 the barn IL vis1Ie- + .ir
,.,s.9 ara saw the oody- re iFeI- +'--'.
!, ~ no1sze u Edwin II Knight an
Ia him mat a murder had been ( m
mined. Knight appeared s'lE-,. S-'- Hi
-tr.7,zz IA n5s wife. telling h1- VA2-
. .--e ,--z-,-1ss HIVE 1ol5 him r. t-eA
.--,-,~e5 into hss team AMI -e-i-aei
Ea.sl 70 the place
--,,A co5D1y attorney then cal-@1 ,ls','''
- -,-+--,.-Ss,s WAC gave testimony =
It'll .-,[. Tr7,-reat.outs 81 Nn-Ent or
zaz ~ question. the iEta-lflo-l D.
80 77-st there was olT'f-1'--ilI
,-..-- u ha~a committed lie cTl-1l=- 'i.',-
- :, show that TIE stories 'o-- o'
-.--5,-7- are contradictory
r1,s safe then rested Counsel A'-5 Il. !
Ii ,,,-- srnoi1nced that fe Ton4a o--
..'-- LII 7-r4nca ii this S-a5a RI Ia-
--,-s Trial justice Lar1 IL
t.7.--+ 80 hat b. considered he e,-' -.
"a ,',.' TO "a warrant his holding ->,1-.,
s--i.''. -, @-sr.sirely bound ilsF12 o. -
Fiji 7 III term 81 tl1e Supreme r ''--
It'll C-ontinaea on r'se Az