Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-12-20
EVIDENCE ALL IN.
Continued from page -


| his innocence
William II. Drury told how he came
10 be interested in the case. He was
appointed commissioner to take dep
| ositions Of Massachusetts people while
the trial was in progress in Bangor.
The first was that of man named
Fowler. who kept diary. AS there
was some mix-up in the dates he did
not consider it of any importance
But" he said. the attorney general
ran il in and poisoned the case. He
next took the depostions Of Mr.. and
MIS-. William Henry Thomas. Stain
| had said that they were tenants of his
in February. 1878, and that they might
remember something that might be Of
| importance to him in defense. They
seemed hostile to Stain and did nor
want to testify. II had the general
| belief at that time said Mr.. Drury.
that the prisoners were guilty and
the depositions of the Thomases rather
strengthened that belief"
The next deposition was that of J.
Herbert Baker of Medfeld. II was re-
ported that he had a diary contain
ing items that might help the accused
but il was found that he had destroy
ed the diary as il contained some pri
vate matter that might be made public
in court.
A chance remark from MIR. Baker
gave Mr.. Drury a clew that has de-
yeloped into great Importance. He
happened to remark: That the day be-
fore, tFeb. 22) 10 years ago. Charles
Hamant's horse was stolen For the
first I h1 he lat. nf
the Dexter Bank robbery and the Med
field horse stealing was exactly the
same. Mr.. Baker did not know that
fact. He said that on Feb. y. lS,S. he
was newspaper reporter and was
trying 10 get news concerning the steal
ing Of the horse. He was near his
fathers mill. The stream was greatly
swollen by recent rains ana as some
thing was the matter with the flush
boards he attempted to fix them. He
said Il saw Cromwell that day He
crossed the dam by my fathers mill n
He remembered the fact OF the Hood
very distinctly, because OF Cromwell <
remark: This will bring out the musk
rats. won't III
Mr. DrUry went % the Boston Herald
office 10 corroborate Bakers story about
the storm and also the horse stealing
There was an item reporting the stealing
Of the horse from Charles Hamant. Feb.
-, 1878. and also evidence that a storm
had prevailed FOR a few DAYS previous,
Il thought | would try and arrest the
progress of that trial. he said. and /
sent telegram to Lewis a. Barker. who
was defending the prisoners. So eager
Were they for the blood Of those men that
they wouldn't hear thing. There was
no stopping that trial.
Mr. Drury said tha; he made a visit to
the home OF Charles Hamant. whom he
found To be an trnhecilc- His daughter.
who kept a diary that showed the date OF
the horse stealing. said she "wouldu {
lift finger to help those men even IL she
knew they Were innocent
Mrs. Thomas remembered the horse
stealing. She said she was living in
Stains house; at me time q the horse
stealing" said Mr. Drury- 'On the night
of the 2ist OF February. Stain came into
our part of the house-we lived down
stairs-and said ne was going out after
butter He returned at o'clock in the
morning ! looked at the clock at the
time heard him go upstairs
We propose 10 offer this proof com
Held. Feb. q and y. Is7S. At that time
three young ladies lived upstairs in
Stains house Fred \. f. Hamilton. who
was employed at the Putnam Nail Works
/ in Boston. intended To cali on one Of
! these who was his sweetheart, FEB. -,
! 1878. as that day was holiday The Sc
we're storm prevented him from coming
! Afterwards he received letter from one
of the ladies aying that he had missed
| a great entertainment by not coming
! that Stain had come in with some oranges
and candy, and a girl with 4 violin had
/ also come. Stain told all the young
\ ladies fortunes excepting one who re
1 fused to have hers told
Mr. Hamaut Of Medtcld. has n sister
and niece living who testify that Hamant
went to Stain : house on the evening Of
the robbery. said Mr.. Drury. He found
Stain there
| that Stain was in Medtield. at the time
of the Dexter robbery-the Thomases.
| who We're his tenants. the young ladies'
who held me party. and Charles Ha-
/ mant.
| The afternoon session opened. at 2.l3.
| J. NJ. Benjamin of Winthrop. was the
| first witness called for the petitioners.
/ He testified that he was the cashier of
the Winthrop Bank at the time it was
robbed. in July. 1875, and that the rob
bers were discovered and most Of the
| money recovered. From a memoran-
| dun made at the time he related the
story alleged to have been told Deputy
| Sheriff John Mitchell Of Somerset
| county. by Charles Stain. son Of David
/ 1t was 4 story of the robbery of the
! Dexter Bank. which he said was done
4 DN ms iaInef, OIlNtF tEOllNeli anu oit
| Billy Scott They did not know that
| Barron was in the bank and coming
upon him Cromwell struck him down
/ with a slung shot. They gagged him and
1 placed him in a valut. Young Stain
said he had seen his father put a hand
! full Of spoiled bills into the stove.
Young Stain also said that these men
| also We're the robbers of the Winthrop
| bank but MIR. Benjamin said that the
4 real thieves We're discovered: that they
were noted bank robbers. namely Jimmy
| Hook. John Dobbs and Sam Perry.
! Hon. @. Il. Clason was the next witness
| In the newspapers he had seen thar
| Cromwell was ready to confess. Il sat
| on one hearing on this case as council
lor.' said Mr. Clason. III was chairman
| Of the prisons ana pardons committee
| and | went 10 Cromwell in Jail and prom
| ised that if he would confess the crime.
| he would be set free at once. But an
emphatic denial was the result. He did
not seem to like it because ! said /
| thought he was guilty, in answer to a
| question from him.
| An affidavit from Christopher c.
Toole. one of the jurymen who con-
victed Stain and Cromwell. was put in
evidence. 1t stated that the B. {. San
born receipt alone brought the jury to
a conclusion. That several would have
stood out but for the belief that it was