The Portland daily press., 1900-02-26
TO A SUDDEN END.
Game the Trial of Arthur Sargent,
Charged With Murder.

Bangor, February "a. The rial Of Ar
thur Sargent Of Stetson for the murder
of Harry Quimby In that town on August
IL, 1899, which has been In progress here
since Tuesday morning. came to an alb
ruIt close at 10. 35 this forenoon, when on
request OF Attorney General Hainss,
Judge Powers direoted the jury to return
u verdict Of not guilty, which the jury
did without leaving their seats. The
defense had been In progress since Fri
day morning and was making strong
case for the prisoner.
This morning Sargent himself was put
on the stand and told In very straight
forward wsy his story of how Harry
Q nim by and william II. Goliath, his
companions on q fishing trip last Au-
gust, lost their lives by drowning. their
boat having capsIzed.
Cross examination by Attorney General
Haires failed to shake the prisoners
story, and at the close the attorney gener-
al addressed the court saying:
"Msy Il p'esse the couIt-I do NOT thluk
mony of the character required to con =
Wet this man of the crime accused be-
yond reasonable doubt. I was Of this
opinion at the time the government
closed its case, tut there was SO muoo
feeling, so many suspicions, and so many
seeming Inconsistencies in some CT the
conrie of the conduct Of ths defe ndapt-
things, would say. that seemed unnatur-
al rather than inocnsistent-that l
thought. instead of making q motion at
shat time, to mol pros the case, provided
that the defendant would accept IL, that
It would be better for the government,
snd OF the defendant that he might have
an opportunity to tell his story. de has
done so.
This oase has excited o great deal Of
interest and attention from the time of
the drowning of these men. or the time
that they lost their lives. My attention
was called to 1t very sarIy by the county
attorney. / kept in touch with him
about the developments OF the oafe and
when 1t was asoertained, as was believed
at the time that the neck of one Of these
n en- was broken, L told the county at
torney and Instructed him that ! be-
lieved 1t to be his duty to present the
matter to the grana jury and that. should
the grand jury find an indictment. l be-
lieved 1t bis duty. and that was ready TO
assist, to proceed with the prosecution.
"All OF this has been done. Now, 1t
is not the purI ose OF the government, 1t
is not the mission OF the county attorney
or Of the attorney general TO Try to con-
vict any man except according TO the
strict rules Of evidence, as provided, and
In my Judgment. the evidence does not
come within those rules, and therefore,
| request on ths part OF the government
that the jury be required to return a
verdict OF not guilty.
A great burst OF applause greeted this
announcement on the part OF Attorney
General Hainss, and Sheriff Bro un
pounded vigorously with his gavsl to
| restore order.
Judge Powers graciously rsfrained from
any resentment Of ths noisy breach of
decorum, and informed the attorney gen.
eral that his course met with the full ap-
prevail of the court. Then he instructed
| the jury to return . verdict of not
guilty; the jury. through their foreman,
announced that verdict and Clerk SWEET
read to Arthur Sargent tho courts order
| that he be- discharged.